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Gauvrit S, Zhao S, Rothbauer U, Stainier DYR. A β-catenin chromobody-based probe highlights endothelial maturation during vascular morphogenesis in vivo. Development 2024; 151:dev202122. [PMID: 38847494 PMCID: PMC11190570 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202122] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Visualization of protein dynamics is a crucial step in understanding cellular processes. Chromobodies, fluorescently labelled single-domain antibodies, have emerged as versatile probes for live cell imaging of endogenous proteins. However, how these chromobodies behave in vivo and how accurately they monitor tissue changes remain poorly explored. Here, we generated an endothelial-specific β-catenin chromobody-derived probe and analyzed its expression pattern during cardiovascular development in zebrafish. Using high-resolution confocal imaging, we show that the chromobody signal correlates with the localization of β-catenin in the nucleus and at cell-cell junctions, and thereby can be used to assess endothelial maturation. Loss of Cadherin 5 strongly affects the localization of the chromobody at the cell membrane, confirming the cadherin-based adherens junction role of β-catenin. Furthermore, using a genetic model to block blood flow, we observed that cell junctions are compromised in most endothelial cells but not in the endocardium, highlighting the heterogeneous response of the endothelium to the lack of blood flow. Overall, our data further expand the use of chromobodies for in vivo applications and illustrate their potential to monitor tissue morphogenesis at high resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Gauvrit
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Shengnan Zhao
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Ulrich Rothbauer
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies’, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
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Yao Y, Gupta D, Yelon D. The MEK-ERK signaling pathway promotes maintenance of cardiac chamber identity. Development 2024; 151:dev202183. [PMID: 38293792 PMCID: PMC10911121 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202183] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Ventricular and atrial cardiac chambers have unique structural and contractile characteristics that underlie their distinct functions. The maintenance of chamber-specific features requires active reinforcement, even in differentiated cardiomyocytes. Previous studies in zebrafish have shown that sustained FGF signaling acts upstream of Nkx factors to maintain ventricular identity, but the rest of this maintenance pathway remains unclear. Here, we show that MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling acts downstream of FGF and upstream of Nkx factors to promote ventricular maintenance. Inhibition of MEK signaling, like inhibition of FGF signaling, results in ectopic atrial gene expression and reduced ventricular gene expression in ventricular cardiomyocytes. FGF and MEK signaling both influence ventricular maintenance over a similar timeframe, when phosphorylated ERK (pERK) is present in the myocardium. However, the role of FGF-MEK activity appears to be context-dependent: some ventricular regions are more sensitive than others to inhibition of FGF-MEK signaling. Additionally, in the atrium, although endogenous pERK does not induce ventricular traits, heightened MEK signaling can provoke ectopic ventricular gene expression. Together, our data reveal chamber-specific roles of MEK-ERK signaling in the maintenance of ventricular and atrial identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Yao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Deepam Gupta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Deborah Yelon
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Boezio GLM, Zhao S, Gollin J, Priya R, Mansingh S, Guenther S, Fukuda N, Gunawan F, Stainier DYR. The developing epicardium regulates cardiac chamber morphogenesis by promoting cardiomyocyte growth. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm049571. [PMID: 36172839 PMCID: PMC9612869 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The epicardium, the outermost layer of the heart, is an important regulator of cardiac regeneration. However, a detailed understanding of the crosstalk between the epicardium and myocardium during development requires further investigation. Here, we generated three models of epicardial impairment in zebrafish by mutating the transcription factor genes tcf21 and wt1a, and ablating tcf21+ epicardial cells. Notably, all three epicardial impairment models exhibited smaller ventricles. We identified the initial cause of this phenotype as defective cardiomyocyte growth, resulting in reduced cell surface and volume. This failure of cardiomyocyte growth was followed by decreased proliferation and increased abluminal extrusion. By temporally manipulating its ablation, we show that the epicardium is required to support cardiomyocyte growth mainly during early cardiac morphogenesis. By transcriptomic profiling of sorted epicardial cells, we identified reduced expression of FGF and VEGF ligand genes in tcf21-/- hearts, and pharmacological inhibition of these signaling pathways in wild type partially recapitulated the ventricular growth defects. Taken together, these data reveal distinct roles of the epicardium during cardiac morphogenesis and signaling pathways underlying epicardial-myocardial crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia L. M. Boezio
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Aulweg 130, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Shengnan Zhao
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Josephine Gollin
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Rashmi Priya
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Aulweg 130, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Shivani Mansingh
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Guenther
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Aulweg 130, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Nana Fukuda
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Felix Gunawan
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Aulweg 130, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Aulweg 130, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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