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Bardhan S, Bhargava N, Dighe S, Vats N, Naganathan SR. Emergence of a left-right symmetric body plan in vertebrate embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:310-342. [PMID: 38729680 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
External bilateral symmetry is a prevalent feature in vertebrates, which emerges during early embryonic development. To begin with, vertebrate embryos are largely radially symmetric before transitioning to bilaterally symmetry, after which, morphogenesis of various bilateral tissues (e.g somites, otic vesicle, limb bud), and structures (e.g palate, jaw) ensue. While a significant amount of work has probed the mechanisms behind symmetry breaking in the left-right axis leading to asymmetric positioning of internal organs, little is known about how bilateral tissues emerge at the same time with the same shape and size and at the same position on the two sides of the embryo. By discussing emergence of symmetry in many bilateral tissues and structures across vertebrate model systems, we highlight that understanding symmetry establishment is largely an open field, which will provide deep insights into fundamental problems in developmental biology for decades to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Bardhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Nandini Bhargava
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Swarali Dighe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Neha Vats
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Sundar Ram Naganathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
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Sedas Perez S, McQueen C, Stainton H, Pickering J, Chinnaiya K, Saiz-Lopez P, Placzek M, Ros MA, Towers M. Fgf signalling triggers an intrinsic mesodermal timer that determines the duration of limb patterning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5841. [PMID: 37730682 PMCID: PMC10511490 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex signalling between the apical ectodermal ridge (AER - a thickening of the distal epithelium) and the mesoderm controls limb patterning along the proximo-distal axis (humerus to digits). However, the essential in vivo requirement for AER-Fgf signalling makes it difficult to understand the exact roles that it fulfils. To overcome this barrier, we developed an amenable ex vivo chick wing tissue explant system that faithfully replicates in vivo parameters. Using inhibition experiments and RNA-sequencing, we identify a transient role for Fgfs in triggering the distal patterning phase. Fgfs are then dispensable for the maintenance of an intrinsic mesodermal transcriptome, which controls proliferation/differentiation timing and the duration of patterning. We also uncover additional roles for Fgf signalling in maintaining AER-related gene expression and in suppressing myogenesis. We describe a simple logic for limb patterning duration, which is potentially applicable to other systems, including the main body axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Sedas Perez
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Caitlin McQueen
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Chester Medical School, Chester, CH2 1BR, UK
| | - Holly Stainton
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Joseph Pickering
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kavitha Chinnaiya
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Patricia Saiz-Lopez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, IBBTEC (CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria), 39011, Santander, Spain
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Maria A Ros
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, IBBTEC (CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria), 39011, Santander, Spain
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Matthew Towers
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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Zhu J, Patel R, Trofka A, Harfe BD, Mackem S. Sonic hedgehog is not a limb morphogen but acts as a trigger to specify all digits in mice. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2048-2062.e4. [PMID: 35977544 PMCID: PMC9709693 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Limb patterning by Sonic hedgehog (Shh), via either graded spatial or temporal signal integration, is a paradigm for "morphogen" function, yet how Shh instructs distinct digit identities remains controversial. Here, we bypass the Shh requirement in cell survival during outgrowth and demonstrate that a transient, early Shh pulse is both necessary and sufficient for normal mouse limb development. Shh response is only short range and is limited to the Shh-expressing zone during this time window. Shh patterns digits 1-3, anterior to this zone, by an indirect mechanism rather than direct spatial or temporal signal integration. Using a genetic relay-signaling assay, we discover that Shh also specifies digit 1/thumb (thought to be exclusively Shh independent) indirectly, and this finding implicates Shh in a unique regulatory hierarchy for digit 1 evolutionary adaptations such as opposable thumbs. This study illuminates Shh as a trigger for an indirect downstream network that becomes rapidly self-sustaining, with mechanistic relevance for limb development, regeneration, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjian Zhu
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Rashmi Patel
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Anna Trofka
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Brian D Harfe
- College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Susan Mackem
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA.
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Stainton H, Towers M. Retinoic acid influences the timing and scaling of avian wing development. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110288. [PMID: 35081337 PMCID: PMC8810399 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in biology is how embryonic development is timed between different species. To address this problem, we compared wing development in the quail and the larger chick. We reveal that pattern formation is faster in the quail as determined by the earlier activation of 5′Hox genes, termination of developmental organizers (Shh and Fgf8), and the laying down of the skeleton (Sox9). Using interspecies tissue grafts, we show that developmental timing can be reset during a critical window of retinoic acid signaling. Accordingly, extending the duration of retinoic acid signaling switches developmental timing between the quail and the chick and the chick and the larger turkey. However, the incremental growth rate is comparable between all three species, suggesting that the pace of development primarily governs differences in the expansion of the skeletal pattern. The widespread distribution of retinoic acid could coordinate developmental timing throughout the embryo. Quail wings develop faster than chick and turkey wings Retinoic acid can set the species timing of wing development Developmental timing is independent of growth and scales the skeletal pattern
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Stainton
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Matthew Towers
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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5
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Trofka A, Huang BL, Zhu J, Heinz WF, Magidson V, Shibata Y, Shi YB, Tarchini B, Stadler HS, Kabangu M, Al Haj Baddar NW, Voss SR, Mackem S. Genetic basis for an evolutionary shift from ancestral preaxial to postaxial limb polarity in non-urodele vertebrates. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4923-4934.e5. [PMID: 34610275 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In most tetrapod vertebrates, limb skeletal progenitors condense with postaxial dominance. Posterior elements (such as ulna and fibula) appear prior to their anterior counterparts (radius and tibia), followed by digit-appearance order with continuing postaxial polarity. The only exceptions are urodele amphibians (salamanders), whose limb elements develop with preaxial polarity and who are also notable for their unique ability to regenerate complete limbs as adults. The mechanistic basis for this preaxial dominance has remained an enigma and has even been proposed to relate to the acquisition of novel genes involved in regeneration. However, recent fossil evidence suggests that preaxial polarity represents an ancestral rather than derived state. Here, we report that 5'Hoxd (Hoxd11-d13) gene deletion in mouse is atavistic and uncovers an underlying preaxial polarity in mammalian limb formation. We demonstrate this shift from postaxial to preaxial dominance in mouse results from excess Gli3 repressor (Gli3R) activity due to the loss of 5'Hoxd-Gli3 antagonism and is associated with cell-cycle changes promoting precocious cell-cycle exit in the anterior limb bud. We further show that Gli3 knockdown in axolotl results in a shift to postaxial dominant limb skeleton formation, as well as expanded paddle-shaped limb-bud morphology and ensuing polydactyly. Evolutionary changes in Gli3R activity level, which also played a key role in the fin-to-limb transition, appear to be fundamental to the shift from preaxial to postaxial polarity in formation of the tetrapod limb skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Trofka
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Bau-Lin Huang
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jianjian Zhu
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - William F Heinz
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Valentin Magidson
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Yuki Shibata
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yun-Bo Shi
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - H Scott Stadler
- Division of Skeletal Biology, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Mirindi Kabangu
- Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, and Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Nour W Al Haj Baddar
- Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, and Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - S Randal Voss
- Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, and Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Susan Mackem
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD, USA.
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Groves I, Placzek M, Fletcher AG. Of mitogens and morphogens: modelling Sonic Hedgehog mechanisms in vertebrate development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190660. [PMID: 32829689 PMCID: PMC7482217 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) Is a critical protein in vertebrate development, orchestrating patterning and growth in many developing systems. First described as a classic morphogen that patterns tissues through a spatial concentration gradient, subsequent studies have revealed a more complex mechanism, in which Shh can also regulate proliferation and differentiation. While the mechanism of action of Shh as a morphogen is well understood, it remains less clear how Shh might integrate patterning, proliferation and differentiation in a given tissue, to ultimately direct its morphogenesis. In tandem with experimental studies, mathematical modelling can help gain mechanistic insights into these processes and bridge the gap between Shh-regulated patterning and growth, by integrating these processes into a common theoretical framework. Here, we briefly review the roles of Shh in vertebrate development, focusing on its functions as a morphogen, mitogen and regulator of differentiation. We then discuss the contributions that modelling has made to our understanding of the action of Shh and highlight current challenges in using mathematical models in a quantitative and predictive way. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Groves
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Alexander G. Fletcher
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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Abstract
The vertebrate limb continues to serve as an influential model of growth, morphogenesis and pattern formation. With this Review, we aim to give an up-to-date picture of how a population of undifferentiated cells develops into the complex pattern of the limb. Focussing largely on mouse and chick studies, we concentrate on the positioning of the limbs, the formation of the limb bud, the establishment of the principal limb axes, the specification of pattern, the integration of pattern formation with growth and the determination of digit number. We also discuss the important, but little understood, topic of how gene expression is interpreted into morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin McQueen
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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