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Petrosky SJ, Williams TM, Rebeiz M. A genetic screen of transcription factors in the Drosophila melanogaster abdomen identifies novel pigmentation genes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae097. [PMID: 38820091 PMCID: PMC11373662 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks specify the gene expression patterns needed for traits to develop. Differences in these networks can result in phenotypic differences between organisms. Although loss-of-function genetic screens can identify genes necessary for trait formation, gain-of-function screens can overcome genetic redundancy and identify loci whose expression is sufficient to alter trait formation. Here, we leveraged transgenic lines from the Transgenic RNAi Project at Harvard Medical School to perform both gain- and loss-of-function CRISPR/Cas9 screens for abdominal pigmentation phenotypes. We identified measurable effects on pigmentation patterns in the Drosophila melanogaster abdomen for 21 of 55 transcription factors in gain-of-function experiments and 7 of 16 tested by loss-of-function experiments. These included well-characterized pigmentation genes, such as bab1 and dsx, and transcription factors that had no known role in pigmentation, such as slp2. Finally, this screen was partially conducted by undergraduate students in a Genetics Laboratory course during the spring semesters of 2021 and 2022. We found this screen to be a successful model for student engagement in research in an undergraduate laboratory course that can be readily adapted to evaluate the effect of hundreds of genes on many different Drosophila traits, with minimal resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Petrosky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | | | - Mark Rebeiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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2
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Aguilar G, Bauer M, Vigano MA, Schnider ST, Brügger L, Jiménez-Jiménez C, Guerrero I, Affolter M. Seamless knockins in Drosophila via CRISPR-triggered single-strand annealing. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00383-6. [PMID: 38971155 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas greatly facilitated the integration of exogenous sequences into specific loci. However, knockin generation in multicellular animals remains challenging, partially due to the complexity of insertion screening. Here, we describe SEED/Harvest, a method to generate knockins in Drosophila, based on CRISPR-Cas and the single-strand annealing (SSA) repair pathway. In SEED (from "scarless editing by element deletion"), a switchable cassette is first integrated into the target locus. In a subsequent CRISPR-triggered repair event, resolved by SSA, the cassette is seamlessly removed. Germline excision of SEED cassettes allows for fast and robust knockin generation of both fluorescent proteins and short protein tags in tandem. Tissue-specific expression of Cas9 results in somatic cassette excision, conferring spatiotemporal control of protein labeling and the conditional rescue of mutants. Finally, to achieve conditional protein labeling and manipulation of short tag knockins, we developed a genetic toolbox by functionalizing the ALFA nanobody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Aguilar
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Milena Bauer
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Alessandra Vigano
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sophie T Schnider
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Brügger
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Jiménez-Jiménez
- Tissue and Organ Homeostasis, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Guerrero
- Tissue and Organ Homeostasis, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Affolter
- Growth & Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Ewen-Campen B, Perrimon N. Wnt signaling modulates the response to DNA damage in the Drosophila wing imaginal disc by regulating the EGFR pathway. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002547. [PMID: 39047051 PMCID: PMC11341097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the deep conservation of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, cells in different contexts vary widely in their susceptibility to DNA damage and their propensity to undergo apoptosis as a result of genomic lesions. One of the cell signaling pathways implicated in modulating the DDR is the highly conserved Wnt pathway, which is known to promote resistance to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation in a variety of human cancers. However, the mechanisms linking Wnt signal transduction to the DDR remain unclear. Here, we use a genetically encoded system in Drosophila to reliably induce consistent levels of DNA damage in vivo, and demonstrate that canonical Wnt signaling in the wing imaginal disc buffers cells against apoptosis in the face of DNA double-strand breaks. We show that Wg, the primary Wnt ligand in Drosophila, activates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling via the ligand-processing protease Rhomboid, which, in turn, modulates the DDR in a Chk2-, p53-, and E2F1-dependent manner. These studies provide mechanistic insight into the modulation of the DDR by the Wnt and EGFR pathways in vivo in a highly proliferative tissue. Furthermore, they reveal how the growth and patterning functions of Wnt signaling are coupled with prosurvival, antiapoptotic activities, thereby facilitating developmental robustness in the face of genomic damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ewen-Campen
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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4
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Bhandari A, Seguin A, Rothenfluh A. Synaptic Mechanisms of Ethanol Tolerance and Neuroplasticity: Insights from Invertebrate Models. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6838. [PMID: 38999947 PMCID: PMC11241699 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136838] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol tolerance is a neuroadaptive response that leads to a reduction in the effects of alcohol caused by previous exposure. Tolerance plays a critical role in the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD) because it leads to the escalation of drinking and dependence. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol tolerance is therefore important for the development of effective therapeutics and for understanding addiction in general. This review explores the molecular basis of alcohol tolerance in invertebrate models, Drosophila and C. elegans, focusing on synaptic transmission. Both organisms exhibit biphasic responses to ethanol and develop tolerance similar to that of mammals. Furthermore, the availability of several genetic tools makes them a great candidate to study the molecular basis of ethanol response. Studies in invertebrate models show that tolerance involves conserved changes in the neurotransmitter systems, ion channels, and synaptic proteins. These neuroadaptive changes lead to a change in neuronal excitability, most likely to compensate for the enhanced inhibition by ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakriti Bhandari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Alexandra Seguin
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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5
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Stahl A, Tomchik SM. Modeling neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders in the Drosophila mushroom body. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053816. [PMID: 38876485 PMCID: PMC11199955 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053816.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
The common fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster provides a powerful platform to investigate the genetic, molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms of behavior. Research in this model system has shed light on multiple aspects of brain physiology and behavior, from fundamental neuronal function to complex behaviors. A major anatomical region that modulates complex behaviors is the mushroom body (MB). The MB integrates multimodal sensory information and is involved in behaviors ranging from sensory processing/responses to learning and memory. Many genes that underlie brain disorders are conserved, from flies to humans, and studies in Drosophila have contributed significantly to our understanding of the mechanisms of brain disorders. Genetic mutations that mimic human diseases-such as Fragile X syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease-affect MB structure and function, altering behavior. Studies dissecting the effects of disease-causing mutations in the MB have identified key pathological mechanisms, and the development of a complete connectome promises to add a comprehensive anatomical framework for disease modeling. Here, we review Drosophila models of human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders via the effects of their underlying mutations on MB structure, function, and the resulting behavioral alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Stahl
- Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Seth M Tomchik
- Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
- Hawk-IDDRC, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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Chan ICW, Chen N, Hernandez J, Meltzer H, Park A, Stahl A. Future avenues in Drosophila mushroom body research. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053863. [PMID: 38862172 PMCID: PMC11199946 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053863.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
How does the brain translate sensory information into complex behaviors? With relatively small neuronal numbers, readable behavioral outputs, and an unparalleled genetic toolkit, the Drosophila mushroom body (MB) offers an excellent model to address this question in the context of associative learning and memory. Recent technological breakthroughs, such as the freshly completed full-brain connectome, multiomics approaches, CRISPR-mediated gene editing, and machine learning techniques, led to major advancements in our understanding of the MB circuit at the molecular, structural, physiological, and functional levels. Despite significant progress in individual MB areas, the field still faces the fundamental challenge of resolving how these different levels combine and interact to ultimately control the behavior of an individual fly. In this review, we discuss various aspects of MB research, with a focus on the current knowledge gaps, and an outlook on the future methodological developments required to reach an overall view of the neurobiological basis of learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Chi Wai Chan
- Dynamics of Neuronal Circuits Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Developmental Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nannan Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - John Hernandez
- Neuroscience Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA
| | - Hagar Meltzer
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Annie Park
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron Stahl
- Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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7
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Mao R, Yu J, Deng B, Dai X, Du Y, Du S, Zhang W, Rao Y. Conditional chemoconnectomics (cCCTomics) as a strategy for efficient and conditional targeting of chemical transmission. eLife 2024; 12:RP91927. [PMID: 38686992 PMCID: PMC11060718 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91927] [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] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Dissection of neural circuitry underlying behaviors is a central theme in neurobiology. We have previously proposed the concept of chemoconnectome (CCT) to cover the entire chemical transmission between neurons and target cells in an organism and created tools for studying it (CCTomics) by targeting all genes related to the CCT in Drosophila. Here we have created lines targeting the CCT in a conditional manner after modifying GFP RNA interference, Flp-out, and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. All three strategies have been validated to be highly effective, with the best using chromatin-peptide fused Cas9 variants and scaffold optimized sgRNAs. As a proof of principle, we conducted a comprehensive intersection analysis of CCT genes expression profiles in the clock neurons, uncovering 43 CCT genes present in clock neurons. Specific elimination of each from clock neurons revealed that loss of the neuropeptide CNMa in two posterior dorsal clock neurons (DN1ps) or its receptor (CNMaR) caused advanced morning activity, indicating a suppressive role of CNMa-CNMaR on morning anticipation, opposite to the promoting role of PDF-PDFR on morning anticipation. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of conditional CCTomics and its tools created here and establish an antagonistic relationship between CNMa-CNMaR and PDF-PDFR signaling in regulating morning anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renbo Mao
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jianjun Yu
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bowen Deng
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xihuimin Dai
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yuyao Du
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Sujie Du
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wenxia Zhang
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yi Rao
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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8
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Pomreinke AP, Müller P. Zebrafish nampt-a mutants are viable despite perturbed primitive hematopoiesis. Hereditas 2024; 161:14. [PMID: 38685093 PMCID: PMC11057069 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-024-00318-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) is required for recycling NAD+ in numerous cellular contexts. Morpholino-based knockdown of zebrafish nampt-a has been shown to cause abnormal development and defective hematopoiesis concomitant with decreased NAD+ levels. However, surprisingly, nampt-a mutant zebrafish were recently found to be viable, suggesting a discrepancy between the phenotypes in knockdown and knockout conditions. Here, we address this discrepancy by directly comparing loss-of-function approaches that result in identical defective transcripts in morphants and mutants. RESULTS Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis, we generated nampt-a mutant lines that carry the same mis-spliced mRNA as nampt-a morphants. Despite reduced NAD+ levels and perturbed expression of specific blood markers, nampt-a mutants did not display obvious developmental defects and were found to be viable. In contrast, injection of nampt-a morpholinos into wild-type or mutant nampt-a embryos caused aberrant phenotypes. Moreover, nampt-a morpholinos caused additional reduction of blood-related markers in nampt-a mutants, suggesting that the defects observed in nampt-a morphants can be partially attributed to off-target effects of the morpholinos. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that zebrafish nampt-a mutants are viable despite reduced NAD+ levels and a perturbed hematopoietic gene expression program, indicating strong robustness of primitive hematopoiesis during early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn Penecilla Pomreinke
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
- University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Patrick Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
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Ma S, Zhang T, Wang R, Wang P, Liu Y, Chang J, Wang A, Lan X, Sun L, Sun H, Shi R, Lu W, Liu D, Zhang N, Hu W, Wang X, Xing W, Jia L, Xia Q. High-throughput and genome-scale targeted mutagenesis using CRISPR in a nonmodel multicellular organism, Bombyx mori. Genome Res 2024; 34:134-144. [PMID: 38191205 PMCID: PMC10903940 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278297.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Large-scale genetic mutant libraries are powerful approaches to interrogating genotype-phenotype correlations and identifying genes responsible for certain environmental stimuli, both of which are the central goal of life science study. We produced the first large-scale CRISPR-Cas9-induced library in a nonmodel multicellular organism, Bombyx mori We developed a piggyBac-delivered binary genome editing strategy, which can simultaneously meet the requirements of mixed microinjection, efficient multipurpose genetic operation, and preservation of growth-defect lines. We constructed a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) plasmid library containing 92,917 sgRNAs targeting promoters and exons of 14,645 protein-coding genes, established 1726 transgenic sgRNA lines following microinjection of 66,650 embryos, and generated 300 mutant lines with diverse phenotypic changes. Phenomic characterization of mutant lines identified a large set of genes responsible for visual phenotypic or economically valuable trait changes. Next, we performed pooled context-specific positive screens for tolerance to environmental pollutant cadmium exposure, and identified KWMTBOMO12902 as a strong candidate gene for breeding applications in sericulture industry. Collectively, our results provide a novel and versatile approach for functional B. mori genomics, as well as a powerful resource for identifying the potential of key candidate genes for improving various economic traits. This study also shows the effectiveness, practicality, and convenience of large-scale mutant libraries in other nonmodel organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanyuan Ma
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China;
| | - Tong Zhang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ruolin Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Jiasong Chang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology, Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Aoming Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xinhui Lan
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Le Sun
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Run Shi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Wenbo Hu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaogang Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- China Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine & Health Science, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Weiqing Xing
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ling Jia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China;
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10
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Dillon NR, Manning L, Hirono K, Doe CQ. Seven-up acts in neuroblasts to specify adult central complex neuron identity and initiate neuroblast decommissioning. Development 2024; 151:dev202504. [PMID: 38230563 PMCID: PMC10906098 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202504] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
An unanswered question in neurobiology is how are diverse neuron cell types generated from a small number of neural stem cells? In the Drosophila larval central brain, there are eight bilateral Type 2 neuroblast (T2NB) lineages that express a suite of early temporal factors followed by a different set of late temporal factors and generate the majority of the central complex (CX) neurons. The early-to-late switch is triggered by the orphan nuclear hormone receptor Seven-up (Svp), yet little is known about how this Svp-dependent switch is involved in specifying CX neuron identities. Here, we: (1) birth date the CX neurons P-EN and P-FN (early and late, respectively); (2) show that Svp is transiently expressed in all early T2NBs; and (3) show that loss of Svp expands the population of early born P-EN neurons at the expense of late born P-FN neurons. Furthermore, in the absence of Svp, T2NBs fail decommissioning and abnormally extend their lineage into week-old adults. We conclude that Svp is required to specify CX neuron identity, as well as to initiate T2NB decommissioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah R. Dillon
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Laurina Manning
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Keiko Hirono
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Chris Q. Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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11
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Viragh E, Asztalos L, Fenckova M, Szlanka T, Gyorgypal Z, Kovacs K, IntHout J, Cizek P, Konda M, Szucs E, Zvara A, Biro J, Csapo E, Lukacsovich T, Hegedus Z, Puskas L, Schenck A, Asztalos Z. Pre-Pulse Inhibition of an escape response in adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3853873. [PMID: 38343805 PMCID: PMC10854311 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3853873/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Pre-Pulse Inhibition (PPI) is a neural process where suppression of a startle response is elicited by preceding the startling stimulus (Pulse) with a weak, non-startling one (Pre-Pulse). Defective PPI is widely employed as a behavioural endophenotype in humans and mammalian disorder-relevant models for neuropsychiatric disorders. We have developed a user-friendly, semi-automated, high-throughput-compatible Drosophila light-off jump response PPI paradigm, with which we demonstrate that PPI, with similar parameters measured in mammals, exists in adults of this model organism. We report that Drosophila PPI is affected by reduced expression of Dysbindin and both reduced and increased expression of Nmdar1 (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1), perturbations associated with schizophrenia. Studying the biology of PPI in an organism that offers a plethora of genetic tools and a complex and well characterized connectome will greatly facilitate our efforts to gain deeper insight into the aetiology of human mental disorders, while reducing the need for mammalian models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Viragh
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lenke Asztalos
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Ltd., Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Current address: Aktogen Ltd. Ramsey, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Tamas Szlanka
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Gyorgypal
- Institute of Biophysics & Core Facilities, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karoly Kovacs
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Joanna IntHout
- Department for Health Evidence (HEV), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pavel Cizek
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mihaly Konda
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Voalaz Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Agnes Zvara
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre Szeged, Hungary
| | | | | | | | - Zoltan Hegedus
- Institute of Biophysics & Core Facilities, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Puskas
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre Szeged, Hungary
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Zoltan Asztalos
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Ltd., Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Current address: Aktogen Ltd. Ramsey, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
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12
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Bosch JA, Keith N, Escobedo F, Fisher WW, LaGraff JT, Rabasco J, Wan KH, Weiszmann R, Hu Y, Kondo S, Brown JB, Perrimon N, Celniker SE. Molecular and functional characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster conserved smORFome. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113311. [PMID: 37889754 PMCID: PMC10843857 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113311] [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: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Short polypeptides encoded by small open reading frames (smORFs) are ubiquitously found in eukaryotic genomes and are important regulators of physiology, development, and mitochondrial processes. Here, we focus on a subset of 298 smORFs that are evolutionarily conserved between Drosophila melanogaster and humans. Many of these smORFs are conserved broadly in the bilaterian lineage, and ∼182 are conserved in plants. We observe remarkably heterogeneous spatial and temporal expression patterns of smORF transcripts-indicating wide-spread tissue-specific and stage-specific mitochondrial architectures. In addition, an analysis of annotated functional domains reveals a predicted enrichment of smORF polypeptides localizing to mitochondria. We conduct an embryonic ribosome profiling experiment and find support for translation of 137 of these smORFs during embryogenesis. We further embark on functional characterization using CRISPR knockout/activation, RNAi knockdown, and cDNA overexpression, revealing diverse phenotypes. This study underscores the importance of identifying smORF function in disease and phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Bosch
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathan Keith
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Felipe Escobedo
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - William W Fisher
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - James Thai LaGraff
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jorden Rabasco
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth H Wan
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard Weiszmann
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shu Kondo
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - James B Brown
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Division of Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Susan E Celniker
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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13
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Godneeva B, Ninova M, Fejes-Toth K, Aravin A. SUMOylation of Bonus, the Drosophila homolog of Transcription Intermediary Factor 1, safeguards germline identity by recruiting repressive chromatin complexes to silence tissue-specific genes. eLife 2023; 12:RP89493. [PMID: 37999956 PMCID: PMC10672805 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The conserved family of Transcription Intermediary Factors (TIF1) proteins consists of key transcriptional regulators that control transcription of target genes by modulating chromatin state. Unlike mammals that have four TIF1 members, Drosophila only encodes one member of the family, Bonus. Bonus has been implicated in embryonic development and organogenesis and shown to regulate several signaling pathways, however, its targets and mechanism of action remained poorly understood. We found that knockdown of Bonus in early oogenesis results in severe defects in ovarian development and in ectopic expression of genes that are normally repressed in the germline, demonstrating its essential function in the ovary. Recruitment of Bonus to chromatin leads to silencing associated with accumulation of the repressive H3K9me3 mark. We show that Bonus associates with the histone methyltransferase SetDB1 and the chromatin remodeler NuRD and depletion of either component releases Bonus-induced repression. We further established that Bonus is SUMOylated at a single site at its N-terminus that is conserved among insects and this modification is indispensable for Bonus's repressive activity. SUMOylation influences Bonus's subnuclear localization, its association with chromatin and interaction with SetDB1. Finally, we showed that Bonus SUMOylation is mediated by the SUMO E3-ligase Su(var)2-10, revealing that although SUMOylation of TIF1 proteins is conserved between insects and mammals, both the mechanism and specific site of modification is different in the two taxa. Together, our work identified Bonus as a regulator of tissue-specific gene expression and revealed the importance of SUMOylation as a regulator of complex formation in the context of transcriptional repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baira Godneeva
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringPasadenaUnited States
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Maria Ninova
- University of California, RiversideRiversideUnited States
| | - Katalin Fejes-Toth
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringPasadenaUnited States
| | - Alexei Aravin
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringPasadenaUnited States
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14
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Steinmetz EL, Noh S, Klöppel C, Fuhr MF, Bach N, Raffael ME, Hildebrandt K, Wittling F, Jann D, Walldorf U. Generation of Mutants from the 57B Region of Drosophila melanogaster. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2047. [PMID: 38002990 PMCID: PMC10671637 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112047] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The 57B region of Drosophila melanogaster includes a cluster of the three homeobox genes orthopedia (otp), Drosophila Retinal homeobox (DRx), and homeobrain (hbn). In an attempt to isolate mutants for these genes, we performed an EMS mutagenesis and isolated lethal mutants from the 57B region, among them mutants for otp, DRx, and hbn. With the help of two newly generated deletions from the 57B region, we mapped additional mutants to specific chromosomal intervals and identified several of these mutants from the 57B region molecularly. In addition, we generated mutants for CG15651 and RIC-3 by gene targeting and mutants for the genes CG9344, CG15649, CG15650, and ND-B14.7 using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We determined the lethality period during development for most isolated mutants. In total, we analysed alleles from nine different genes from the 57B region of Drosophila, which could now be used to further explore the functions of the corresponding genes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Louise Steinmetz
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
- Zoology & Physiology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building B2.1, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sandra Noh
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Christine Klöppel
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Martin F. Fuhr
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Bach
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Mona Evelyn Raffael
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Kirsten Hildebrandt
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Fabienne Wittling
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University, Building E8.1, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Doris Jann
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 45.2, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Walldorf
- Developmental Biology, ZHMB (Center of Human and Molecular Biology), Saarland University, Building 61, D-66421 Homburg, Germany
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15
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Dillon NR, Manning L, Hirono K, Doe CQ. Seven-up acts in neuroblasts to specify adult central complex neuron identity and initiate neuroblast decommissioning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.02.565340. [PMID: 37961302 PMCID: PMC10635090 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
An open question in neurobiology is how diverse neuron cell types are generated from a small number of neural stem cells. In the Drosophila larval central brain, there are eight bilateral Type 2 neuroblast (T2NB) lineages that express a suite of early temporal factors followed by a different set of late temporal factors and generate the majority of the central complex (CX) neurons. The early-to-late switch is triggered by the orphan nuclear hormone receptor Seven-up (Svp), yet little is known about this Svp-dependent switch in specifying CX neuron identities. Here, we (i) birthdate the CX neurons P-EN and P-FN (early and late, respectively); (ii) show that Svp is transiently expressed in all early T2NBs; and (iii) show that loss of Svp expands the population of early born P-EN neurons at the expense of late born P-FN neurons. Furthermore, in the absence of Svp, T2NBs fail decommissioning and abnormally extend their lineage into week-old adults. We conclude that Svp is required to specify CX neuron identity, as well as to initiate T2NB decommissioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah R. Dillon
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Laurina Manning
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Keiko Hirono
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Chris Q. Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
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16
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Spencer ZT, Ng VH, Benchabane H, Siddiqui GS, Duwadi D, Maines B, Bryant JM, Schwarzkopf A, Yuan K, Kassel SN, Mishra A, Pimentel A, Lebensohn AM, Rohatgi R, Gerber SA, Robbins DJ, Lee E, Ahmed Y. The USP46 deubiquitylase complex increases Wingless/Wnt signaling strength by stabilizing Arrow/LRP6. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6174. [PMID: 37798281 PMCID: PMC10556106 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41843-0] [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: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of Wnt receptor abundance is critical for animal development and to prevent tumorigenesis, but the mechanisms that mediate receptor stabilization remain uncertain. We demonstrate that stabilization of the essential Wingless/Wnt receptor Arrow/LRP6 by the evolutionarily conserved Usp46-Uaf1-Wdr20 deubiquitylase complex controls signaling strength in Drosophila. By reducing Arrow ubiquitylation and turnover, the Usp46 complex increases cell surface levels of Arrow and enhances the sensitivity of target cells to stimulation by the Wingless morphogen, thereby increasing the amplitude and spatial range of signaling responses. Usp46 inactivation in Wingless-responding cells destabilizes Arrow, reduces cytoplasmic accumulation of the transcriptional coactivator Armadillo/β-catenin, and attenuates or abolishes Wingless target gene activation, which prevents the concentration-dependent regulation of signaling strength. Consequently, Wingless-dependent developmental patterning and tissue homeostasis are disrupted. These results reveal an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that mediates Wnt/Wingless receptor stabilization and underlies the precise activation of signaling throughout the spatial range of the morphogen gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Spencer
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Victoria H Ng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Hassina Benchabane
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Ghalia Saad Siddiqui
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Deepesh Duwadi
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Ben Maines
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Jamal M Bryant
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Anna Schwarzkopf
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Kai Yuan
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Sara N Kassel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Anant Mishra
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Ashley Pimentel
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Andres M Lebensohn
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rajat Rohatgi
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Scott A Gerber
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA
| | - David J Robbins
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Ethan Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| | - Yashi Ahmed
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
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17
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Godneeva B, Ninova M, Fejes Tóth K, Aravin AA. SUMOylation of Bonus, the Drosophila homolog of Transcription Intermediary Factor 1, safeguards germline identity by recruiting repressive chromatin complexes to silence tissue-specific genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.14.536936. [PMID: 37645991 PMCID: PMC10461926 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.14.536936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The conserved family of Transcription Intermediary Factors (TIF1) proteins consists of key transcriptional regulators that control transcription of target genes by modulating chromatin state. Unlike mammals that have four TIF1 members, Drosophila only encodes one member of the family, Bonus. Bonus has been implicated in embryonic development and organogenesis and shown to regulate several signaling pathways, however, its targets and mechanism of action remained poorly understood. We found that knockdown of Bonus in early oogenesis results in severe defects in ovarian development and in ectopic expression of genes that are normally repressed in the germline, demonstrating its essential function in the ovary. Recruitment of Bonus to chromatin leads to silencing associated with accumulation of the repressive H3K9me3 mark. We show that Bonus associates with the histone methyltransferase SetDB1 and the chromatin remodeler NuRD and depletion of either component releases Bonus-induced repression. We further established that Bonus is SUMOylated at a single site at its N-terminus that is conserved among insects and this modification is indispensable for Bonus's repressive activity. SUMOylation influences Bonus's subnuclear localization, its association with chromatin and interaction with SetDB1. Finally, we showed that Bonus SUMOylation is mediated by the SUMO E3-ligase Su(var)2-10, revealing that although SUMOylation of TIF1 proteins is conserved between insects and mammals, both the mechanism and specific site of modification is different in the two taxa. Together, our work identified Bonus as a regulator of tissue-specific gene expression and revealed the importance of SUMOylation as a regulator of complex formation in the context of transcriptional repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baira Godneeva
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Maria Ninova
- University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Katalin Fejes Tóth
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Alexei A. Aravin
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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18
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Chen X, Perry S, Wang B, Wang S, Hu J, Loxterkamp E, Dickman D, Han C. Tissue-specific knockout in Drosophila neuromuscular system reveals ESCRT's role in formation of synapse-derived extracellular vesicles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.25.559303. [PMID: 37808853 PMCID: PMC10557614 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.25.559303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-specific gene knockout by CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful approach for characterizing gene functions in animal development. However, this approach has been successfully applied in only a small number of Drosophila tissues. The Drosophila motor nervous system is an excellent model system for studying the biology of neuromuscular junction (NMJ). To expand tissue-specific CRISPR to the Drosophila motor system, here we present a CRISPR-mediated tissue-restricted mutagenesis (CRISPR-TRiM) toolkit for knocking out genes in motoneurons, muscles, and glial cells. We validated the efficacy of this toolkit by knocking out known genes in each tissue, demonstrated its orthogonal use with the Gal4/UAS binary expression system, and showed simultaneous knockout of multiple redundant genes. Using these tools, we discovered an essential role for SNARE pathways in NMJ maintenance. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the canonical ESCRT pathway suppresses NMJ bouton growth by downregulating the retrograde Gbb signaling. Lastly, we found that axon termini of motoneurons rely on ESCRT-mediated intra-axonal membrane trafficking to lease extracellular vesicles at the NMJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinchen Chen
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sarah Perry
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Bei Wang
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Shuran Wang
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jiayi Hu
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Elizabeth Loxterkamp
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Dion Dickman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Chun Han
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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19
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Doll RM, Boutros M, Port F. A temperature-tolerant CRISPR base editor mediates highly efficient and precise gene editing in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj1568. [PMID: 37647411 PMCID: PMC10468138 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj1568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR nucleases generate a broad spectrum of mutations that includes undesired editing outcomes. Here, we develop optimized C-to-T base editing systems for the generation of precise loss- or gain-of-function alleles in Drosophila and identify temperature as a crucial parameter for efficiency. We find that a variant of the widely used APOBEC1 deaminase has attenuated activity at 18° to 29°C and shows considerable dose-dependent toxicity. In contrast, the temperature-tolerant evoCDA1 domain mediates editing of typically more than 90% of alleles and is substantially better tolerated. Furthermore, formation of undesired mutations is exceptionally rare in Drosophila compared to other species. The predictable editing outcome, high efficiency, and product purity enables near homogeneous induction of STOP codons or alleles encoding protein variants in vivo. Last, we demonstrate how optimized expression enables conditional base editing in marked cell populations. This work substantially facilitates creation of precise alleles in Drosophila and provides key design parameters for developing efficient base editing systems in other ectothermic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman M. Doll
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and BioQuant & Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Biosciences/Cancer Biology Program, Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and BioQuant & Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fillip Port
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics and BioQuant & Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Hu Qian S, Shi MW, Wang DY, Fear JM, Chen L, Tu YX, Liu HS, Zhang Y, Zhang SJ, Yu SS, Oliver B, Chen ZX. Integrating massive RNA-seq data to elucidate transcriptome dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad177. [PMID: 37232385 PMCID: PMC10505420 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad177] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The volume of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-seq data has increased exponentially, providing numerous new insights into various biological processes. However, due to significant practical challenges, such as data heterogeneity, it is still difficult to ensure the quality of these data when integrated. Although some quality control methods have been developed, sample consistency is rarely considered and these methods are susceptible to artificial factors. Here, we developed MassiveQC, an unsupervised machine learning-based approach, to automatically download and filter large-scale high-throughput data. In addition to the read quality used in other tools, MassiveQC also uses the alignment and expression quality as model features. Meanwhile, it is user-friendly since the cutoff is generated from self-reporting and is applicable to multimodal data. To explore its value, we applied MassiveQC to Drosophila RNA-seq data and generated a comprehensive transcriptome atlas across 28 tissues from embryogenesis to adulthood. We systematically characterized fly gene expression dynamics and found that genes with high expression dynamics were likely to be evolutionarily young and expressed at late developmental stages, exhibiting high nonsynonymous substitution rates and low phenotypic severity, and they were involved in simple regulatory programs. We also discovered that human and Drosophila had strong positive correlations in gene expression in orthologous organs, revealing the great potential of the Drosophila system for studying human development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Hu Qian
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Meng-Wei Shi
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Dan-Yang Wang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Justin M Fear
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Tu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hong-Shan Liu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuai-Jie Zhang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Brian Oliver
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhen-Xia Chen
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Interdisciplinary Sciences Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
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21
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Richhariya S, Shin D, Le JQ, Rosbash M. Dissecting neuron-specific functions of circadian genes using modified cell-specific CRISPR approaches. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303779120. [PMID: 37428902 PMCID: PMC10629539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303779120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian behavioral rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster are regulated by about 75 pairs of brain neurons. They all express the core clock genes but have distinct functions and gene expression profiles. To understand the importance of these distinct molecular programs, neuron-specific gene manipulations are essential. Although RNAi based methods are standard to manipulate gene expression in a cell-specific manner, they are often ineffective, especially in assays involving smaller numbers of neurons or weaker Gal4 drivers. We and others recently exploited a neuron-specific CRISPR-based method to mutagenize genes within circadian neurons. Here, we further explore this approach to mutagenize three well-studied clock genes: the transcription factor gene vrille, the photoreceptor gene Cryptochrome (cry), and the neuropeptide gene Pdf (pigment dispersing factor). The CRISPR-based strategy not only reproduced their known phenotypes but also assigned cry function for different light-mediated phenotypes to discrete, different subsets of clock neurons. We further tested two recently published methods for temporal regulation in adult neurons, inducible Cas9 and the auxin-inducible gene expression system. The results were not identical, but both approaches successfully showed that the adult-specific knockout of the neuropeptide Pdf reproduces the canonical loss-of-function mutant phenotypes. In summary, a CRISPR-based strategy is a highly effective, reliable, and general method to temporally manipulate gene function in specific adult neurons.
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22
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Oramas R, Knapp EM, Zeng B, Sun J. The bHLH-PAS transcriptional complex Sim:Tgo plays active roles in late oogenesis to promote follicle maturation and ovulation. Development 2023; 150:dev201566. [PMID: 37218521 PMCID: PMC10281258 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201566] [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: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Across species, ovulation is a process induced by a myriad of signaling cascades that ultimately leads to the release of encapsulated oocytes from follicles. Follicles first need to mature and gain ovulatory competency before ovulation; however, the signaling pathways regulating follicle maturation are incompletely understood in Drosophila and other species. Our previous work has shown that the bHLH-PAS transcription factor Single-minded (Sim) plays important roles in follicle maturation downstream of the nuclear receptor Ftz-f1 in Drosophila. Here, we demonstrate that Tango (Tgo), another bHLH-PAS protein, acts as a co-factor of Sim to promote follicle cell differentiation from stages 10 to 12. In addition, we discover that re-upregulation of Sim in stage-14 follicle cells is also essential to promote ovulatory competency by upregulating octopamine receptor in mushroom body (OAMB), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (Mmp2) and NADPH oxidase (NOX), either independently of or in conjunction with the zinc-finger protein Hindsight (Hnt). All these factors are crucial for successful ovulation. Together, our work indicates that the transcriptional complex Sim:Tgo plays multiple roles in late-stage follicle cells to promote follicle maturation and ovulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Oramas
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN 06269, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Knapp
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN 06269, USA
| | - Baosheng Zeng
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN 06269, USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN 06269, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN 06269, USA
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23
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Currier TA, Pang MM, Clandinin TR. Visual processing in the fly, from photoreceptors to behavior. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad064. [PMID: 37128740 PMCID: PMC10213501 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Originally a genetic model organism, the experimental use of Drosophila melanogaster has grown to include quantitative behavioral analyses, sophisticated perturbations of neuronal function, and detailed sensory physiology. A highlight of these developments can be seen in the context of vision, where pioneering studies have uncovered fundamental and generalizable principles of sensory processing. Here we begin with an overview of vision-guided behaviors and common methods for probing visual circuits. We then outline the anatomy and physiology of brain regions involved in visual processing, beginning at the sensory periphery and ending with descending motor control. Areas of focus include contrast and motion detection in the optic lobe, circuits for visual feature selectivity, computations in support of spatial navigation, and contextual associative learning. Finally, we look to the future of fly visual neuroscience and discuss promising topics for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Currier
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michelle M Pang
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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24
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Schneider BK, Sun S, Lee M, Li W, Skvir N, Neretti N, Vijg J, Secombe J. Expression of retrotransposons contributes to aging in Drosophila. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad073. [PMID: 37084379 PMCID: PMC10213499 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad073] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are a class of transposable elements capable of self-replication and insertion into new genomic locations. Across species, the mobilization of retrotransposons in somatic cells has been suggested to contribute to the cell and tissue functional decline that occurs during aging. Retrotransposons are broadly expressed across cell types, and de novo insertions have been observed to correlate with tumorigenesis. However, the extent to which new retrotransposon insertions occur during normal aging and their effect on cellular and animal function remains understudied. Here, we use a single nucleus whole genome sequencing approach in Drosophila to directly test whether transposon insertions increase with age in somatic cells. Analyses of nuclei from thoraces and indirect flight muscles using a newly developed pipeline, Retrofind, revealed no significant increase in the number of transposon insertions with age. Despite this, reducing the expression of two different retrotransposons, 412 and Roo, extended lifespan, but did not alter indicators of health such as stress resistance. This suggests a key role for transposon expression and not insertion in regulating longevity. Transcriptomic analyses revealed similar changes to gene expression in 412 and Roo knockdown flies and highlighted changes to genes involved in proteolysis and immune function as potential contributors to the observed changes in longevity. Combined, our data show a clear link between retrotransposon expression and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair K Schneider
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Ullmann 809 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Shixiang Sun
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Ave., Price 468 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Moonsook Lee
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Ave., Price 468 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Wenge Li
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Ullmann 909 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Nicholas Skvir
- Department of Molecular biology, Cell biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship St., Providence 02903, USA
| | - Nicola Neretti
- Department of Molecular biology, Cell biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship St., Providence 02903, USA
| | - Jan Vijg
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Ave., Price 468 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Julie Secombe
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Ullmann 809 Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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25
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Migunova E, Rajamani S, Bonanni S, Wang F, Zhou C, Dubrovsky EB. Cardiac RNase Z edited via CRISPR-Cas9 drives heart hypertrophy in Drosophila. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286214. [PMID: 37228086 PMCID: PMC10212119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathy (CM) is a group of diseases distinguished by morphological and functional abnormalities in the myocardium. It is etiologically heterogeneous and may develop via cell autonomous and/or non-autonomous mechanisms. One of the most severe forms of CM has been linked to the deficiency of the ubiquitously expressed RNase Z endoribonuclease. RNase Z cleaves off the 3'-trailer of both nuclear and mitochondrial primary tRNA (pre-tRNA) transcripts. Cells mutant for RNase Z accumulate unprocessed pre-tRNA molecules. Patients carrying RNase Z variants with reduced enzymatic activity display a plethora of symptoms including muscular hypotonia, microcephaly and severe heart hypertrophy; still, they die primarily due to acute heart decompensation. Determining whether the underlying mechanism of heart malfunction is cell autonomous or not will provide an opportunity to develop novel strategies of more efficient treatments for these patients. In this study, we used CRISPR-TRiM technology to create Drosophila models that carry cardiomyopathy-linked alleles of RNase Z only in the cardiomyocytes. We found that this modification is sufficient for flies to develop heart hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction. These observations support the idea that the RNase Z linked CM is driven by cell autonomous mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Migunova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Saathvika Rajamani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Stefania Bonanni
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Chao Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Edward B. Dubrovsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
- Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases, and Gene Regulation, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
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26
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Heigwer F, Scheeder C, Bageritz J, Yousefian S, Rauscher B, Laufer C, Beneyto-Calabuig S, Funk MC, Peters V, Boulougouri M, Bilanovic J, Miersch T, Schmitt B, Blass C, Port F, Boutros M. A global genetic interaction network by single-cell imaging and machine learning. Cell Syst 2023; 14:346-362.e6. [PMID: 37116498 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Cellular and organismal phenotypes are controlled by complex gene regulatory networks. However, reference maps of gene function are still scarce across different organisms. Here, we generated synthetic genetic interaction and cell morphology profiles of more than 6,800 genes in cultured Drosophila cells. The resulting map of genetic interactions was used for machine learning-based gene function discovery, assigning functions to genes in 47 modules. Furthermore, we devised Cytoclass as a method to dissect genetic interactions for discrete cell states at the single-cell resolution. This approach identified an interaction of Cdk2 and the Cop9 signalosome complex, triggering senescence-associated secretory phenotypes and immunogenic conversion in hemocytic cells. Together, our data constitute a genome-scale resource of functional gene profiles to uncover the mechanisms underlying genetic interactions and their plasticity at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Heigwer
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Bingen, Bingen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Christian Scheeder
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Josephine Bageritz
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Center of Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Schayan Yousefian
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benedikt Rauscher
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christina Laufer
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sergi Beneyto-Calabuig
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maja Christina Funk
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vera Peters
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Boulougouri
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jana Bilanovic
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thilo Miersch
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmitt
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Blass
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fillip Port
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division Signaling and Functional Genomics and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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27
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Ilan Y. Making use of noise in biological systems. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 178:83-90. [PMID: 36640927 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Disorder and noise are inherent in biological systems. They are required to provide systems with the advantages required for proper functioning. Noise is a part of the flexibility and plasticity of biological systems. It provides systems with increased routes, improves information transfer, and assists in response triggers. This paper reviews recent studies on noise at the genome, cellular, and whole organ levels. We focus on the need to use noise in system engineering. We present some of the challenges faced in studying noise. Optimizing the efficiency of complex systems requires a degree of variability in their functions within certain limits. Constrained noise can be considered a method for improving system robustness by regulating noise levels in continuously dynamic settings. The digital pill-based artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform is the first to implement second-generation AI comprising variability-based signatures. This platform enhances the efficacy of the therapeutic regimens. Systems requiring variability and mechanisms regulating noise are mandatory for understanding biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Ilan
- Hebrew University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, POB 1200, IL91120, Jerusalem, Israel.
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28
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Abstract
Intercellular communication by Wnt proteins governs many essential processes during development, tissue homeostasis and disease in all metazoans. Many context-dependent effects are initiated in the Wnt-producing cells and depend on the export of lipidated Wnt proteins. Although much focus has been on understanding intracellular Wnt signal transduction, the cellular machinery responsible for Wnt secretion became better understood only recently. After lipid modification by the acyl-transferase Porcupine, Wnt proteins bind their dedicated cargo protein Evi/Wntless for transport and secretion. Evi/Wntless and Porcupine are conserved transmembrane proteins, and their 3D structures were recently determined. In this Review, we summarise studies and structural data highlighting how Wnts are transported from the ER to the plasma membrane, and the role of SNX3-retromer during the recycling of its cargo receptor Evi/Wntless. We also describe the regulation of Wnt export through a post-translational mechanism and review the importance of Wnt secretion for organ development and cancer, and as a future biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Wolf
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics and Heidelberg University, BioQuant and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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29
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Fischer FP, Karge RA, Weber YG, Koch H, Wolking S, Voigt A. Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies: An overview. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1116000. [PMID: 36873106 PMCID: PMC9978166 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1116000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting more than 45 million people worldwide. Recent advances in genetic techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, have driven genetic discovery and increased our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind many epilepsy syndromes. These insights prompt the development of personalized therapies tailored to the genetic characteristics of an individual patient. However, the surging number of novel genetic variants renders the interpretation of pathogenetic consequences and of potential therapeutic implications ever more challenging. Model organisms can help explore these aspects in vivo. In the last decades, rodent models have significantly contributed to our understanding of genetic epilepsies but their establishment is laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. Additional model organisms to investigate disease variants on a large scale would be desirable. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a model organism in epilepsy research since the discovery of "bang-sensitive" mutants more than half a century ago. These flies respond to mechanical stimulation, such as a brief vortex, with stereotypic seizures and paralysis. Furthermore, the identification of seizure-suppressor mutations allows to pinpoint novel therapeutic targets. Gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are a convenient way to generate flies carrying disease-associated variants. These flies can be screened for phenotypic and behavioral abnormalities, shifting of seizure thresholds, and response to anti-seizure medications and other substances. Moreover, modification of neuronal activity and seizure induction can be achieved using optogenetic tools. In combination with calcium and fluorescent imaging, functional alterations caused by mutations in epilepsy genes can be traced. Here, we review Drosophila as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies, especially as 81% of human epilepsy genes have an orthologous gene in Drosophila. Furthermore, we discuss newly established analysis techniques that might be used to further unravel the pathophysiological aspects of genetic epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian P Fischer
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Robin A Karge
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yvonne G Weber
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wolking
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Voigt
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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30
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Destefanis F, Manara V, Santarelli S, Zola S, Brambilla M, Viola G, Maragno P, Signoria I, Viero G, Pasini ME, Penzo M, Bellosta P. Reduction of nucleolar NOC1 leads to the accumulation of pre-rRNAs and induces Xrp1, affecting growth and resulting in cell competition. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:285861. [PMID: 36314272 PMCID: PMC9789402 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
NOC1 is a nucleolar protein necessary in yeast for both transport and maturation of ribosomal subunits. Here, we show that Drosophila NOC1 (annotated CG7839) is necessary for rRNAs maturation and for a correct animal development. Its ubiquitous downregulation results in a dramatic decrease in polysome level and of protein synthesis. NOC1 expression in multiple organs, such as the prothoracic gland and the fat body, is necessary for their proper functioning. Reduction of NOC1 in epithelial cells from the imaginal discs results in clones that die by apoptosis, an event that is partially rescued in a Minute/+ background, suggesting that reduction of NOC1 induces the cells to become less fit and to acquire a 'loser' state. NOC1 downregulation activates the pro-apoptotic Eiger-JNK pathway and leads to an increase of Xrp1, which results in the upregulation of DILP8, a member of the insulin/relaxin-like family known to coordinate organ growth with animal development. Our data underline NOC1 as an essential gene in ribosome biogenesis and highlight its novel functions in the control of growth and cell competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Destefanis
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Valeria Manara
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefania Santarelli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Sheri Zola
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Marco Brambilla
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Giacomo Viola
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Maragno
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Ilaria Signoria
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Gabriella Viero
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Maria Enrica Pasini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marianna Penzo
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy,Center for Applied Biomedical Research, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy,Department of Medicine, NYU Langone School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, 10016 NY, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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31
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Shapiro-Kulnane L, Selengut M, Salz HK. Safeguarding Drosophila female germ cell identity depends on an H3K9me3 mini domain guided by a ZAD zinc finger protein. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010568. [PMID: 36548300 PMCID: PMC9822104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
H3K9me3-based gene silencing is a conserved strategy for securing cell fate, but the mechanisms controlling lineage-specific installation of this epigenetic mark remain unclear. In Drosophila, H3K9 methylation plays an essential role in securing female germ cell fate by silencing lineage inappropriate phf7 transcription. Thus, phf7 regulation in the female germline provides a powerful system to dissect the molecular mechanism underlying H3K9me3 deposition onto protein coding genes. Here we used genetic studies to identify the essential cis-regulatory elements, finding that the sequences required for H3K9me3 deposition are conserved across Drosophila species. Transposable elements are also silenced by an H3K9me3-mediated mechanism. But our finding that phf7 regulation does not require the dedicated piRNA pathway components, piwi, aub, rhino, panx, and nxf2, indicates that the mechanisms of H3K9me3 recruitment are distinct. Lastly, we discovered that an uncharacterized member of the zinc finger associated domain (ZAD) containing C2H2 zinc finger protein family, IDENTITY CRISIS (IDC; CG4936), is necessary for H3K9me3 deposition onto phf7. Loss of idc in germ cells interferes with phf7 transcriptional regulation and H3K9me3 deposition, resulting in ectopic PHF7 protein expression. IDC's role is likely to be direct, as it localizes to a conserved domain within the phf7 gene. Collectively, our findings support a model in which IDC guides sequence-specific establishment of an H3K9me3 mini domain, thereby preventing accidental female-to-male programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Shapiro-Kulnane
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Micah Selengut
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Helen K. Salz
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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Chilian M, Vargas Parra K, Sandoval A, Ramirez J, Yoon WH. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated tissue-specific knockout and cDNA rescue using sgRNAs that target exon-intron junctions in Drosophila melanogaster. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101465. [PMID: 35719725 PMCID: PMC9204798 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this protocol, we take CRISPR/Cas9 and Gal4/UAS approaches to achieve tissue-specific knockout in parallel with rescue of the knockout by cDNA expression in Drosophila. We demonstrate that guide RNAs targeting the exon-intron junction of target genes cleave the genomic locus of the genes, but not UAS-cDNA transgenes, in a tissue where Gal4 drives Cas9 expression. The efficiency of this approach enables the determination of pathogenicity of disease-associated variants in human genes in a tissue-specific manner in Drosophila. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yap et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Chilian
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Karen Vargas Parra
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Abigail Sandoval
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Juan Ramirez
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Wan Hee Yoon
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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Loker R, Mann RS. Divergent expression of paralogous genes by modification of shared enhancer activity through a promoter-proximal silencer. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3545-3555.e4. [PMID: 35853455 PMCID: PMC9398998 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The duplication of genes and their associated cis-regulatory elements, or enhancers, is a key contributor to genome evolution and biological complexity. Moreover, many paralogs, particularly tandem duplicates, are fixed for long periods of time under the control of shared enhancers. However, in most cases, the mechanism by which gene expression and function diverge following duplication is not known. Here, we dissect the regulation and function of the paralogous nubbin/pdm2 genes during wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. We show that these paralogs play a redundant role in the wing and that their expression relies on a single shared wing enhancer. However, the two genes differ in their ability to respond to this enhancer, with nub responding in all wing progenitor cells and pdm2 only in a small subset. This divergence is a result of a pdm2-specific silencer element at the pdm2 promoter that receives repressive input from the transcription factor Rotund. Repression through this silencer also depends on nub, allowing pdm2 to fully respond to the wing enhancer when nub expression is perturbed and functional compensation to occur. Thus, expression divergence downstream of a shared enhancer arises as a consequence of silencing the promoter of one paralog.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Loker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard S Mann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Department of Systems Biology, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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34
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Keesey IW. Sensory neuroecology and multimodal evolution across the genus Drosophila. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.932344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis and genetic mechanisms for sensory evolution are increasingly being explored in depth across many closely related members of the Drosophila genus. This has, in part, been achieved due to the immense efforts toward adapting gene-editing technologies for additional, non-model species. Studies targeting both peripheral sensory variations, as well as interspecies divergence in coding or neural connectivity, have generated numerous, tangible examples of how and where the evolution of sensory-driven animal behavior has occurred. Here, we review and discuss studies that each aim to identify the neurobiological and genetic components of sensory system evolution to provide a comparative overview of the types of functional variations observed across both perceptual input and behavioral output. In addition, we examined the roles neuroecology and neuroevolution play in speciation events, such as courtship and intraspecies communication, as well as those aspects related to behavioral divergence in host navigation or egg-laying preferences. Through the investigation of comparative, large-scale trends and correlations across diverse, yet closely related species within this highly ecologically variable genus of flies, we can begin to describe the underlying pressures, mechanisms, and constraints that have guided sensory and nervous system evolution within the natural environments of these organisms.
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35
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Wang G, Li Q, Xu J, Zhao S, Zhou R, Chen Z, Jiang W, Gao X, Zhou S, Chen Z, Sun Q, Ma C, Chen L, Shi B, Guo Y, Wang H, Wang X, Li H, Cai T, Wang Y, Chen Z, Wang F, Liu Q. Somatic Genetics Analysis of Sleep in Adult Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5617-5640. [PMID: 35667851 PMCID: PMC9295845 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0089-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical forward and reverse mouse genetics require germline mutations and, thus, are unwieldy to study sleep functions of essential genes or redundant pathways. It is also time-consuming to conduct EEG/EMG-based mouse sleep screening because of labor-intensive surgeries and genetic crosses. Here, we describe a highly accurate SleepV (video) system and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based adult brain chimeric (ABC)-expression/KO platform for somatic genetics analysis of sleep in adult male or female mice. A pilot ABC screen identifies CREB and CRTC1, of which constitutive or inducible expression significantly reduces quantity and/or quality of non-rapid eye movement sleep. Whereas ABC-KO of exon 13 of Sik3 by AAV-Cre injection in Sik3-E13flox/flox adult mice phenocopies Sleepy (Sik3 Slp/+ ) mice, ABC-CRISPR of Slp/Sik3 reverses hypersomnia of Sleepy mice, indicating a direct role of SLP/SIK3 kinase in sleep regulation. Multiplex ABC-CRISPR of both orexin/hypocretin receptors causes narcolepsy episodes, enabling one-step analysis of redundant genes in adult mice. Therefore, this somatic genetics approach should facilitate high-throughput analysis of sleep regulatory genes, especially for essential or redundant genes, in adult mice by skipping mouse development and minimizing genetic crosses.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The molecular mechanisms of mammalian sleep regulation remain unclear. Classical germline mouse genetics are unwieldy to study sleep functions of essential genes or redundant pathways. The EEG/EMG-based mouse sleep screening is time-consuming because of labor-intensive surgeries and lengthy genetic crosses. To overcome these "bottlenecks," we developed a highly accurate video-based sleep analysis system and adeno-associated virus-mediated ABC-expression/KO platform for somatic genetics analysis of sleep in adult mice. These methodologies facilitate rapid identification of sleep regulatory genes, but also efficient mechanistic studies of the molecular pathways of sleep regulation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Qi Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Junjie Xu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agriculture University, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Zhenkang Chen
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235
| | - Wentong Jiang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xue Gao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Zhiyu Chen
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Quanzhi Sun
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Chengyuan Ma
- Chinese Institute of Brain Science, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lin Chen
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Bihan Shi
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ying Guo
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xia Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Huaiye Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Tao Cai
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhineng Chen
- Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Fengchao Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8575, Japan
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Molina E, Cataldo VF, Eggers C, Muñoz-Madrid V, Glavic Á. p53 Related Protein Kinase is Required for Arp2/3-Dependent Actin Dynamics of Hemocytes in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:859105. [PMID: 35721516 PMCID: PMC9201722 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.859105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells extend membrane protrusions like lamellipodia and filopodia from the leading edge to sense, to move and to form new contacts. The Arp2/3 complex sustains lamellipodia formation, and in conjunction with the actomyosin contractile system, provides mechanical strength to the cell. Drosophila p53-related protein kinase (Prpk), a Tsc5p ortholog, has been described as essential for cell growth and proliferation. In addition, Prpk interacts with proteins associated to actin filament dynamics such as α-spectrin and the Arp2/3 complex subunit Arpc4. Here, we investigated the role of Prpk in cell shape changes, specifically regarding actin filament dynamics and membrane protrusion formation. We found that reductions in Prpk alter cell shape and the structure of lamellipodia, mimicking the phenotypes evoked by Arp2/3 complex deficiencies. Prpk co-localize and co-immunoprecipitates with the Arp2/3 complex subunit Arpc1 and with the small GTPase Rab35. Importantly, expression of Rab35, known by its ability to recruit upstream regulators of the Arp2/3 complex, could rescue the Prpk knockdown phenotypes. Finally, we evaluated the requirement of Prpk in different developmental contexts, where it was shown to be essential for correct Arp2/3 complex distribution and actin dynamics required for hemocytes migration, recruitment, and phagocytosis during immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Molina
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente F. Cataldo
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristián Eggers
- Department for Chemistry and Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Muñoz-Madrid
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Álvaro Glavic
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Álvaro Glavic,
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37
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Denecke S, Bảo Lương HN, Koidou V, Kalogeridi M, Socratous R, Howe S, Vogelsang K, Nauen R, Batterham P, Geibel S, Vontas J. Characterization of a novel pesticide transporter and P-glycoprotein orthologues in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220625. [PMID: 35582794 PMCID: PMC9114944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pesticides remain one of the most effective ways of controlling agricultural and public health insects, but much is still unknown regarding how these compounds reach their targets. Specifically, the role of ABC transporters in pesticide absorption and excretion is poorly understood, especially compared to the detailed knowledge about mammalian systems. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of pesticide transporters in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster. An RNAi screen was performed, which knocked down individual ABCs in specific epithelial tissues and examined the subsequent changes in sensitivity to the pesticides spinosad and fipronil. This implicated a novel ABC drug transporter, CG4562, in spinosad transport, but also highlighted the P-glycoprotein orthologue Mdr65 as the most impactful ABC in terms of chemoprotection. Further characterization of the P-glycoprotein family was performed via transgenic overexpression and immunolocalization, finding that Mdr49 and Mdr50 play enigmatic roles in pesticide toxicology perhaps determined by their different subcellular localizations within the midgut. Lastly, transgenic Drosophila lines expressing P-glycoprotein from the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae were used to establish a system for in vivo characterization of this transporter in non-model insects. This study provides the basis for establishing Drosophila as a model for toxicology research on drug transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Denecke
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, 100N. Plastira Street, 700 13 Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Hằng Ngọc Bảo Lương
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, 100N. Plastira Street, 700 13 Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Venetia Koidou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, 100N. Plastira Street, 700 13 Heraklion Crete, Greece,Department of Biology, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Maria Kalogeridi
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Rafaella Socratous
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Steven Howe
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Kathrin Vogelsang
- Bayer AG, CropScience Division, R&D Pest Control, D-40789 Monheim, Germany
| | - Ralf Nauen
- Bayer AG, CropScience Division, R&D Pest Control, D-40789 Monheim, Germany
| | - Philip Batterham
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Sven Geibel
- Bayer AG, CropScience Division, R&D Pest Control, D-40789 Monheim, Germany
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, 100N. Plastira Street, 700 13 Heraklion Crete, Greece,Laboratory of Pesticide Science, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
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38
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Flaven-Pouchon J, Moussian B. Fluorescent Microscopy-Based Detection of Chitin in Intact Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2022; 13:856369. [PMID: 35557963 PMCID: PMC9086190 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.856369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chitin is the major scaffolding component of the insect cuticle. Ultrastructural analyses revealed that chitin adopts a quasi-crystalline structure building sheets of parallel running microfibrils. These sheets called laminae are stacked either helicoidally or with a preferred orientation of the microfibrils. Precise control of chitin synthesis is mandatory to ensure the correct chitin assembly and in turn proper function of cuticular structures. Thus, evaluation of chitin-metabolism deficient phenotypes is a key to our understanding of the function of the proteins and enzymes involved in cuticle architecture and more generally in cuticle biology in insects. Usually, these phenotypes have been assessed using electron microscopy, which is time-consuming and labor intensive. This stresses the need for rapid and straightforward histological methods to visualize chitin at the whole tissue level. Here, we propose a simple method of chitin staining using the common polysaccharide marker Fluorescent brightener 28 (FB28) in whole-mount Drosophila melanogaster. To overcome the physical barrier of FB28 penetration into the cuticle, staining is performed at 65°C without affecting intactness. We quantify FB28 fluorescence in three functionally different cuticular structures namely wings, dorsal abdomens and forelegs by fluorescence microscopy. We find that, as expected, cuticle pigmentation may interfere with FB28 staining. Down-regulation of critical genes involved in chitin metabolism, including those coding for chitin synthase or chitinases, show that FB28 fluorescence reflects chitin content in these organs. We think that this simple method could be easily applied to a large variety of intact insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Flaven-Pouchon
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Instituto de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile
| | - B Moussian
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,INRAE, CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
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39
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Mathew S, Sivasubbu S. Long Non Coding RNA Based Regulation of Cerebrovascular Endothelium. Front Genet 2022; 13:834367. [PMID: 35495157 PMCID: PMC9043600 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.834367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid and high throughput discovery of long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has far outstripped the functional annotation of these novel transcripts in their respective cellular contexts. The cells of the blood brain barrier (BBB), especially the cerebrovascular endothelial cells (CVECs), are strictly regulated to maintain a controlled state of homeostasis for undisrupted brain function. Several key pathways are understood in CVEC function that lead to the development and maintenance of their barrier properties, the dysregulation of which leads to BBB breakdown and neuronal injury. Endothelial lncRNAs have been discovered and functionally validated in the past decade, spanning a wide variety of regulatory mechanisms in health and disease. We summarize here the lncRNA-mediated regulation of established pathways that maintain or disrupt the barrier property of CVECs, including in conditions such as ischemic stroke and glioma. These lncRNAs namely regulate the tight junction assembly/disassembly, angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and so on. The identification of these lncRNAs suggests a less understood mechanistic layer, calling for further studies in appropriate models of the blood brain barrier to shed light on the lncRNA-mediated regulation of CVEC function. Finally, we gather various approaches for validating lncRNAs in BBB function in human organoids and animal models and discuss the therapeutic potential of CVEC lncRNAs along with the current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samatha Mathew
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sridhar Sivasubbu
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi, India,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India,*Correspondence: Sridhar Sivasubbu,
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40
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Zipper L, Batchu S, Kaya NH, Antonello ZA, Reiff T. The MicroRNA miR-277 Controls Physiology and Pathology of the Adult Drosophila Midgut by Regulating the Expression of Fatty Acid β-Oxidation-Related Genes in Intestinal Stem Cells. Metabolites 2022; 12:315. [PMID: 35448502 PMCID: PMC9028014 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12040315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division, growth, and differentiation are energetically costly and dependent processes. In adult stem cell-based epithelia, cellular identity seems to be coupled with a cell's metabolic profile and vice versa. It is thus tempting to speculate that resident stem cells have a distinct metabolism, different from more committed progenitors and differentiated cells. Although investigated for many stem cell types in vitro, in vivo data of niche-residing stem cell metabolism is scarce. In adult epithelial tissues, stem cells, progenitor cells, and their progeny have very distinct functions and characteristics. In our study, we hypothesized and tested whether stem and progenitor cell types might have a distinctive metabolic profile in the intestinal lineage. Here, taking advantage of the genetically accessible adult Drosophila melanogaster intestine and the availability of ex vivo single cell sequencing data, we tested that hypothesis and investigated the metabolism of the intestinal lineage from stem cell (ISC) to differentiated epithelial cell in their native context under homeostatic conditions. Our initial in silico analysis of single cell RNAseq data and functional experiments identify the microRNA miR-277 as a posttranscriptional regulator of fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) in the intestinal lineage. Low levels of miR-277 are detected in ISC and progressively rising miR-277 levels are found in progenitors during their growth and differentiation. Supporting this, miR-277-regulated fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes progressively declined from ISC towards more differentiated cells in our pseudotime single-cell RNAseq analysis and in functional assays on RNA and protein level. In addition, in silico clustering of single-cell RNAseq data based on metabolic genes validates that stem cells and progenitors belong to two independent clusters with well-defined metabolic characteristics. Furthermore, studying FAO genes in silico indicates that two populations of ISC exist that can be categorized in mitotically active and quiescent ISC, of which the latter relies on FAO genes. In line with an FAO dependency of ISC, forced expression of miR-277 phenocopies RNAi knockdown of FAO genes by reducing ISC size and subsequently resulting in stem cell death. We also investigated miR-277 effects on ISC in a benign and our newly developed CRISPR-Cas9-based colorectal cancer model and found effects on ISC survival, which as a consequence affects tumor growth, further underlining the importance of FAO in a pathological context. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the basal metabolic requirements of intestinal stem cell on β-oxidation of fatty acids evolutionarily implemented by a sole microRNA. Gaining knowledge about the metabolic differences and dependencies affecting the survival of two central and cancer-relevant cell populations in the fly and human intestine might reveal starting points for targeted combinatorial therapy in the hope for better treatment of colorectal cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zipper
- Institute of Genetics, Department of Biology, The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Sai Batchu
- Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; (S.B.); (Z.A.A.)
| | - Nida Hatice Kaya
- Institute for Zoology and Organismic Interactions, Department of Biology, The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Zeus Andrea Antonello
- Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; (S.B.); (Z.A.A.)
- Cooper University Hospital, Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Tobias Reiff
- Institute of Genetics, Department of Biology, The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
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Hou J, He Z, Liu T, Chen D, Wang B, Wen Q, Zheng X. Evolution of Molecular Targeted Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms of Drug Resistance and Novel Opportunities Identified by CRISPR-Cas9 Screening. Front Oncol 2022; 12:755053. [PMID: 35372044 PMCID: PMC8970599 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.755053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular targeted therapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment due to better therapeutic responses and less systemic toxicity. However, therapeutic resistance is a major challenge in clinical settings that hinders continuous clinical benefits for cancer patients. In this regard, unraveling the mechanisms of drug resistance may identify new druggable genetic alterations for molecularly targeted therapies, thus contributing to improved therapeutic efficacies. The recent rapid development of novel methodologies including CRISPR-Cas9 screening technology and patient-derived models provides powerful tools to dissect the underlying mechanisms of resistance to targeted cancer therapies. In this review, we updated therapeutic targets undergoing preclinical and clinical evaluation for various cancer types. More importantly, we provided comprehensive elaboration of high throughput CRISPR-Cas9 screening in deciphering potential mechanisms of unresponsiveness to molecularly targeted therapies, which will shed light on the discovery of novel opportunities for designing next-generation anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jue Hou
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zongsheng He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Tian Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Dongfeng Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Qinglian Wen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xi Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Marques de Castro G, Hastenreiter Z, Silva Monteiro TA, Martins da Silva TT, Pereira Lobo F. Cross-species prediction of essential genes in insects. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:1504-1513. [PMID: 34999756 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Insects possess a vast phenotypic diversity and key ecological roles. Several insect species also have medical, agricultural and veterinary importance as parasites and disease vectors. Therefore, strategies to identify potential essential genes in insects may reduce the resources needed to find molecular players in central processes of insect biology. However, most predictors of essential genes in multicellular eukaryotes using machine learning rely on expensive and laborious experimental data to be used as gene features, such as gene expression profiles or protein-protein interactions, even though some of this information may not be available for the majority of insect species with genomic sequences available. RESULTS Here, we present and validate a machine learning strategy to predict essential genes in insects using sequence-based intrinsic attributes (statistical and physicochemical data) together with the predictions of subcellular location and transcriptomic data, if available. We gathered information available in public databases describing essential and non-essential genes for Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly, Diptera) and Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle, Coleoptera). We proceeded by computing intrinsic and extrinsic attributes that were used to train statistical models in one species and tested by their capability of predicting essential genes in the other. Even models trained using only intrinsic attributes are capable of predicting genes in the other insect species, including the prediction of lineage-specific essential genes. Furthermore, the inclusion of RNA-Seq data is a major factor to increase classifier performance. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The code, data and final models produced in this study are freely available at https://github.com/g1o/GeneEssentiality/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Marques de Castro
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Zandora Hastenreiter
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thiago Augusto Silva Monteiro
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thieres Tayroni Martins da Silva
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Francisco Pereira Lobo
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Buffry AD, McGregor AP. Micromanagement of Drosophila Post-Embryonic Development by Hox Genes. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:13. [PMID: 35225966 PMCID: PMC8883937 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hox genes function early in development to determine regional identity in animals. Consequently, the loss or gain of Hox gene expression can change this identity and cause homeotic transformations. Over 20 years ago, it was observed that the role of Hox genes in patterning animal body plans involves the fine-scale regulation of cell fate and identity during development, playing the role of 'micromanagers' as proposed by Michael Akam in key perspective papers. Therefore, as well as specifying where structures develop on animal bodies, Hox genes can help to precisely sculpt their morphology. Here, we review work that has provided important insights about the roles of Hox genes in influencing cell fate during post-embryonic development in Drosophila to regulate fine-scale patterning and morphology. We also explore how this is achieved through the regulation of Hox genes, specific co-factors and their complex regulation of hundreds of target genes. We argue that further investigating the regulation and roles of Hox genes in Drosophila post-embryonic development has great potential for understanding gene regulation, cell fate and phenotypic differentiation more generally.
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Port F, Boutros M. Tissue-Specific CRISPR-Cas9 Screening in Drosophila. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2540:157-176. [PMID: 35980577 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2541-5_7] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Over the last century research in Drosophila has resulted in many fundamental contributions to our understanding of the biology of multicellular organisms. Many of these breakthroughs have been based on the identification of novel gene functions in large-scale genetic screens. However, conventional forward-genetic screens have been limited by the random nature of mutagenesis and difficulties in mapping causal mutations, while reverse-genetic RNAi screens suffer from incomplete knockdown of gene expression. Recently developed large-scale CRISPR-Cas9 libraries promise to address these limitations by allowing the induction of targeted mutations in genes with spatial and temporal control. Here, we provide a guide for tissue-specific CRISPR screening in Drosophila, including the characterization of Gal4 UAS-Cas9 lines, selection of sgRNA libraries, and various quality control measures. We also discuss confounding factors that can give rise to false-positive and false-negative results in such experiments and suggest strategies on how to detect and avoid them. Conditional CRISPR screening represents an exciting new approach for functional genomics in vivo and is set to further expand our knowledge of the molecular underpinning of development, homeostasis, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fillip Port
- Division Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- Division Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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di Pietro F, Herszterg S, Huang A, Bosveld F, Alexandre C, Sancéré L, Pelletier S, Joudat A, Kapoor V, Vincent JP, Bellaïche Y. Rapid and robust optogenetic control of gene expression in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2021; 56:3393-3404.e7. [PMID: 34879263 PMCID: PMC8693864 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering gene function requires the ability to control gene expression in space and time. Binary systems such as the Gal4/UAS provide a powerful means to modulate gene expression and to induce loss or gain of function. This is best exemplified in Drosophila, where the Gal4/UAS system has been critical to discover conserved mechanisms in development, physiology, neurobiology, and metabolism, to cite a few. Here we describe a transgenic light-inducible Gal4/UAS system (ShineGal4/UAS) based on Magnet photoswitches. We show that it allows efficient, rapid, and robust activation of UAS-driven transgenes in different tissues and at various developmental stages in Drosophila. Furthermore, we illustrate how ShineGal4 enables the generation of gain and loss-of-function phenotypes at animal, organ, and cellular levels. Thanks to the large repertoire of UAS-driven transgenes, ShineGal4 enriches the Drosophila genetic toolkit by allowing in vivo control of gene expression with high temporal and spatial resolutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia di Pietro
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Anqi Huang
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Floris Bosveld
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Lucas Sancéré
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pelletier
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amina Joudat
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Varun Kapoor
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Yohanns Bellaïche
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France.
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Zirin J, Bosch J, Viswanatha R, Mohr SE, Perrimon N. State-of-the-art CRISPR for in vivo and cell-based studies in Drosophila. Trends Genet 2021; 38:437-453. [PMID: 34933779 PMCID: PMC9007876 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
For more than 100 years, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has served as a powerful model organism for biological and biomedical research due to its many genetic and physiological similarities to humans and the availability of sophisticated technologies used to manipulate its genome and genes. The Drosophila research community quickly adopted CRISPR technologies and, in the 8 years since the first clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) publications in flies, has explored and innovated methods for mutagenesis, precise genome engineering, and beyond. Moreover, the short lifespan and ease of genetics have made Drosophila an ideal testing ground for in vivo applications and refinements of the rapidly evolving set of CRISPR-associated (CRISPR-Cas) tools. Here, we review innovations in delivery of CRISPR reagents, increased efficiency of cutting and homology-directed repair (HDR), and alternatives to standard Cas9-based approaches. While the focus is primarily on in vivo systems, we also describe the role of Drosophila cultured cells as both an indispensable first step in the process of assessing new CRISPR technologies and a platform for genome-wide CRISPR pooled screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Zirin
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Justin Bosch
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Raghuvir Viswanatha
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephanie E Mohr
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Silva V, Palacios-Muñoz A, Volonté M, Frenkel L, Ewer J, Ons S. Orcokinin neuropeptides regulate reproduction in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 139:103676. [PMID: 34742859 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In animals, neuropeptidergic signaling is essential for the regulation of survival and reproduction. In insects, Orcokinins are poorly studied, despite their high level of conservation among different orders. In particular, there are currently no reports on the role of Orcokinins in the experimental insect model, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In the present work, we made use of the genetic tools available in this species to investigate the role of Orcokinins in the regulation of different innate behaviors including ecdysis, sleep, locomotor activity, oviposition, and courtship. We found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of the orcokinin gene caused a disinhibition of male courtship behavior, including the occurrence of male to male courtship, which is rarely seen in wildtype flies. In addition, orcokinin gene silencing caused a reduction in egg production. Orcokinin is emerging as an important neuropeptide family in the regulation of the physiology of insects from different orders. In the case of the fruit fly, our results suggest an important role in reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Silva
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Angelina Palacios-Muñoz
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Mariano Volonté
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Insectos. Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Argentina.
| | - Lía Frenkel
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias del Tiempo. Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina.
| | - John Ewer
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile; Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Sheila Ons
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Insectos. Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Argentina.
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Beder T, Aromolaran O, Dönitz J, Tapanelli S, Adedeji E, Adebiyi E, Bucher G, Koenig R. Identifying essential genes across eukaryotes by machine learning. NAR Genom Bioinform 2021; 3:lqab110. [PMID: 34859210 PMCID: PMC8634067 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying essential genes on a genome scale is resource intensive and has been performed for only a few eukaryotes. For less studied organisms essentiality might be predicted by gene homology. However, this approach cannot be applied to non-conserved genes. Additionally, divergent essentiality information is obtained from studying single cells or whole, multi-cellular organisms, and particularly when derived from human cell line screens and human population studies. We employed machine learning across six model eukaryotes and 60 381 genes, using 41 635 features derived from the sequence, gene function information and network topology. Within a leave-one-organism-out cross-validation, the classifiers showed high generalizability with an average accuracy close to 80% in the left-out species. As a case study, we applied the method to Tribolium castaneum and Bombyx mori and validated predictions experimentally yielding similar performances. Finally, using the classifier based on the studied model organisms enabled linking the essentiality information of human cell line screens and population studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Beder
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Olufemi Aromolaran
- Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Jürgen Dönitz
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Bioinformatics, University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), 37099 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sofia Tapanelli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Eunice O Adedeji
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Ezekiel Adebiyi
- Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rainer Koenig
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
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Conditional CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing in Drosophila to Generate Intestinal Tumors. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113156. [PMID: 34831379 PMCID: PMC8620722 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas has revolutionized genetics and extensive efforts have been made to enhance its editing efficiency by developing increasingly more elaborate tools. Here, we evaluate the CRISPR-Cas9 system in Drosophila melanogaster to assess its ability to induce stem cell-derived tumors in the intestine. We generated conditional tissue-specific CRISPR knockouts using different Cas9 expression vectors with guide RNAs targeting the BMP, Notch, and JNK pathways in intestinal progenitors such as stem cells (ISCs) and enteroblasts (EBs). Perturbing Notch and BMP signaling increased the proliferation of ISCs/EBs and resulted in the formation of intestinal tumors, albeit with different efficiencies. By assessing both the anterior and posterior regions of the midgut, we observed regional differences in ISC/EB proliferation and tumor formation upon mutagenesis. Surprisingly, high continuous expression of Cas9 in ISCs/EBs blocked age-dependent increase in ISCs/EBs proliferation and when combined with gRNAs targeting tumor suppressors, it prevented tumorigenesis. However, no such effects were seen when temporal parameters of Cas9 were adjusted to regulate its expression levels or with a genetically modified version, which expresses Cas9 at lower levels, suggesting that fine-tuning Cas9 expression is essential to avoid deleterious effects. Our findings suggest that modifications to Cas9 expression results in differences in editing efficiency and careful considerations are required when choosing reagents for CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis studies. In summary, Drosophila can serve as a powerful model for context-dependent CRISPR-Cas based perturbations and to test genome-editing systems in vivo.
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50
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Drosophila Heart as a Model for Cardiac Development and Diseases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113078. [PMID: 34831301 PMCID: PMC8623483 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila heart, also referred to as the dorsal vessel, pumps the insect blood, the hemolymph. The bilateral heart primordia develop from the most dorsally located mesodermal cells, migrate coordinately, and fuse to form the cardiac tube. Though much simpler, the fruit fly heart displays several developmental and functional similarities to the vertebrate heart and, as we discuss here, represents an attractive model system for dissecting mechanisms of cardiac aging and heart failure and identifying genes causing congenital heart diseases. Fast imaging technologies allow for the characterization of heartbeat parameters in the adult fly and there is growing evidence that cardiac dysfunction in human diseases could be reproduced and analyzed in Drosophila, as discussed here for heart defects associated with the myotonic dystrophy type 1. Overall, the power of genetics and unsuspected conservation of genes and pathways puts Drosophila at the heart of fundamental and applied cardiac research.
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