1
|
Mok CH, Hu D, Losa M, Risolino M, Selleri L, Marcucio RS. PBX1 and PBX3 transcription factors regulate SHH expression in the Frontonasal Ectodermal Zone through complementary mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.597450. [PMID: 38895322 PMCID: PMC11185640 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.597450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling from the frontonasal ectodermal zone (FEZ) is a key regulator of craniofacial morphogenesis. Along with SHH, pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox (PBX) transcription factors regulate midfacial development. PBXs act in the epithelium during fusion of facial primordia, but their specific interactions with SHH have not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that PBX1/3 regulate SHH expression in the FEZ by activating or repressing transcription. The hypothesis was tested by manipulating PBX1/3 expression in chick embryos and profiling epigenomic landscapes at early developmental stages. PBX1/3 expression was perturbed in the chick face beginning at stage 10 (HH10) using RCAS viruses, and the resulting SHH expression was assessed at HH22. Overexpressing PBX1 expanded SHH expression, while overexpressing PBX3 decreased SHH expression. Conversely, reducing PBX1 expression decreased SHH expression, but reducing PBX3 induced ectopic SHH expression. We performed ATAC-seq and mapped binding of PBX1 and PBX3 with ChIP-seq on the FEZ at HH22 to assess direct interactions of PBX1/3 with the SHH locus. These multi-omics approaches uncovered a 400 bp PBX1-enriched element within intron 1 of SHH (chr2:8,173,222-8,173,621). Enhancer activity of this element was demonstrated by electroporation of reporter constructs in ovo and luciferase reporter assays in vitro . When bound by PBX1, this element upregulates transcription, while it downregulates transcription when bound by PBX3. The present study identifies a cis- regulatory element, named SFE1, that interacts with PBX1/3 to modulate SHH expression in the FEZ and establishes that PBX1 and PBX3 play complementary roles in SHH regulation during embryonic development.
Collapse
|
2
|
Duke VR, Philippon MJ, Lind DRG, Kasler H, Yamaura K, Huard M, Czachor M, Hollenbeck J, Brown J, Garcia A, Fukase N, Marcucio RS, Nelson AL, Hambright WS, Snapper DM, Huard J, Bahney CS. Murine Progeria Model Exhibits Delayed Fracture Healing with Dysregulated Local Immune Response. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596277. [PMID: 38854043 PMCID: PMC11160782 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Bone fracture is one of the most globally prevalent injuries, with an estimated 189 million bone fractures occurring annually. Delayed union or nonunion occurs in up to 15% of fractures and involves the interruption or complete failure of bone continuity following fracture. Preclinical testing is essential to support the translation of novel strategies to promote improved fracture repair treatment, but there is a paucity of small animal models that recapitulate clinical attributes associated with delayed fracture healing. This study explores whether the Zmpste24 -/- (Z24 -/- ) knockout mouse model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome presents with delayed fracture healing. Leveraging the previously characterized Z24 -/- phenotype of genomic instability, epigenetic changes, and fragility, we hypothesize that these underlying alterations will lead to significantly delayed fracture healing relative to age-matched wild type (WT) controls. Methods WT and Z24 -/- mice received intramedullary fixed tibia fractures at ∼12 weeks of age. Mice were sacrificed throughout the time course of repair for the collection of organs that would provide information regarding the local (fracture callus, bone marrow, inguinal lymph nodes) versus peripheral (peripheral blood, contralateral tibia, abdominal organs) tissue microenvironments. Analyses of these specimens include histomorphometry, μCT, mechanical strength testing, protein quantification, gene expression analysis, flow cytometry for cellular senescence, and immunophenotyping. Results Z24 -/- mice demonstrated a significantly delayed rate of healing compared to WT mice with consistently smaller fracture calli containing higher proportion of cartilage and less bone after injury. Cellular senescence and pro-inflammatory cytokines were elevated in the Z24 -/- mice before and after fracture. These mice further presented with a dysregulated immune system, exhibiting generally decreased lymphopoiesis and increased myelopoiesis locally in the bone marrow, with more naïve and less memory T cell but greater myeloid activation systemically in the peripheral blood. Surprisingly, the ipsilateral lymph nodes had increased T cell activation and other pro-inflammatory NK and myeloid cells, suggesting that elevated myeloid abundance and activation contributes to an injury-specific hyperactivation of T cells. Conclusion Taken together, these data establish the Z24 -/- progeria mouse as a model of delayed fracture healing that exhibits decreased bone in the fracture callus, with weaker overall bone quality, immune dysregulation, and increased cellular senescence. Based on this mechanism for delayed healing, we propose this Z24 -/- progeria mouse model could be useful in testing novel therapeutics that could address delayed healing. The Translational Potential of this Article This study employs a novel animal model for delayed fracture healing that researchers can use to screen fracture healing therapeutics to address the globally prevalent issue of aberrant fracture healing.
Collapse
|
3
|
Andrade F, Howell L, Percival CJ, Richtsmeier JT, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B, Cheverud JM. Genetic architecture of trait variance in craniofacial morphology. Genetics 2024; 226:iyae028. [PMID: 38386896 PMCID: PMC11090463 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae028] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetic architecture of trait variance has long been of interest in genetics and evolution. One of the earliest attempts to understand this architecture was presented in Lerner's Genetic Homeostasis (1954). Lerner proposed that heterozygotes should be better able to tolerate environmental perturbations because of functional differences between the alleles at a given locus, with each allele optimal for slightly different environments. This greater robustness to environmental variance, he argued, would result in smaller trait variance for heterozygotes. The evidence for Lerner's hypothesis has been inconclusive. To address this question using modern genomic methods, we mapped loci associated with differences in trait variance (vQTL) on 1,101 individuals from the F34 of an advanced intercross between LG/J and SM/J mice. We also mapped epistatic interactions for these vQTL in order to understand the influence of epistasis for the architecture of trait variance. We did not find evidence supporting Lerner's hypothesis, that heterozygotes tend to have smaller trait variances than homozygotes. We further show that the effects of most mapped loci on trait variance are produced by epistasis affecting trait means and that those epistatic effects account for about a half of the differences in genotypic-specific trait variances. Finally, we propose a model where the different interactions between the additive and dominance effects of the vQTL and their epistatic partners can explain Lerner's original observations but can also be extended to include other conditions where heterozygotes are not the least variable genotype.
Collapse
|
4
|
Hankenson K, Zondervan R, Capobianco C, Jenkins D, Reicha J, Frederick L, Lam C, Isenberg J, Ahn J, Marcucio RS. CD47 is Required for Mesenchymal Progenitor Proliferation and Fracture Repair. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4022423. [PMID: 38562718 PMCID: PMC10984034 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4022423/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
CD47 is a ubiquitous and pleiotropic cell-surface receptor. Disrupting CD47 enhances injury repair in various tissues but the role of CD47 has not been studied in bone injuries. In a murine closed-fracture model, CD47-null mice showed decreased callus bone volume, bone mineral content, and tissue mineral content as assessed by microcomputed tomography 10 days post-fracture, and increased fibrous volume as determined by histology. To understand the cellular basis for this phenotype, mesenchymal progenitors (MSC) were harvested from bone marrow. CD47-null MSC showed decreased large fibroblast colony formation (CFU-F), significantly less proliferation, and fewer cells in S-phase, although osteoblast differentiation was unaffected. However, consistent with prior research, CD47-null endothelial cells showed increased proliferation relative to WT cells. Similarly, in a murine ischemic fracture model, CD47-null mice showed reduced fracture callus bone volume and bone mineral content relative to WT. Consistent with our In vitro results, in vivo EdU labeling showed decreased cell proliferation in the callus of CD47-null mice, while staining for CD31 and endomucin demonstrated increased endothelial cell mass. Finally, WT mice administered a CD47 morpholino, which blocks CD47 protein production, showed a callus phenotype similar to that of non-ischemic and ischemic fractures in CD47-null mice, suggesting the phenotype was not due to developmental changes in the knockout mice. Thus, inhibition of CD47 during bone healing reduces both non-ischemic and ischemic fracture healing, in part, by decreasing MSC proliferation. Furthermore, the increase in endothelial cell proliferation and early blood vessel density caused by CD47 disruption is not sufficient to overcome MSC dysfunction.
Collapse
|
5
|
Zondervan RL, Capobianco CA, Jenkins DC, Reicha JD, Fredrick LM, Lam C, Isenberg JS, Ahn J, Marcucio RS, Hankenson KD. CD47 is Required for Mesenchymal Progenitor Proliferation and Fracture Repair. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.06.583756. [PMID: 38496546 PMCID: PMC10942414 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.06.583756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
CD47 is a ubiquitous and pleiotropic cell-surface receptor. Disrupting CD47 enhances injury repair in various tissues but the role of CD47 has not been studied in bone injuries. In a murine closed-fracture model, CD47-null mice showed decreased callus bone volume, bone mineral content, and tissue mineral content as assessed by microcomputed tomography 10 days post-fracture, and increased fibrous volume as determined by histology. To understand the cellular basis for this phenotype, mesenchymal progenitors (MSC) were harvested from bone marrow. CD47-null MSC showed decreased large fibroblast colony formation (CFU-F), significantly less proliferation, and fewer cells in S-phase, although osteoblast differentiation was unaffected. However, consistent with prior research, CD47-null endothelial cells showed increased proliferation relative to WT cells. Similarly, in a murine ischemic fracture model, CD47-null mice showed reduced fracture callus bone volume and bone mineral content relative to WT. Consistent with our in vitro results, in vivo EdU labeling showed decreased cell proliferation in the callus of CD47-null mice, while staining for CD31 and endomucin demonstrated increased endothelial cell mass. Finally, WT mice administered a CD47 morpholino, which blocks CD47 protein production, showed a callus phenotype similar to that of non-ischemic and ischemic fractures in CD47-null mice, suggesting the phenotype was not due to developmental changes in the knockout mice. Thus, inhibition of CD47 during bone healing reduces both non-ischemic and ischemic fracture healing, in part, by decreasing MSC proliferation. Furthermore, the increase in endothelial cell proliferation and early blood vessel density caused by CD47 disruption is not sufficient to overcome MSC dysfunction.
Collapse
|
6
|
Richbourg HA, Vidal-García M, Brakora KA, Devine J, Takenaka R, Young NM, Gong SG, Neves A, Hallgrímsson B, Marcucio RS. Dosage-dependent effects of FGFR2 W290R mutation on craniofacial shape and cellular dynamics of the basicranial synchondroses. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024:10.1002/ar.25398. [PMID: 38409943 PMCID: PMC11345876 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Craniosynostosis is a common yet complex birth defect, characterized by premature fusion of the cranial sutures that can be syndromic or nonsyndromic. With over 180 syndromic associations, reaching genetic diagnoses and understanding variations in underlying cellular mechanisms remains a challenge. Variants of FGFR2 are highly associated with craniosynostosis and warrant further investigation. Using the missense mutation FGFR2W290R , an effective mouse model of Crouzon syndrome, craniofacial features were analyzed using geometric morphometrics across developmental time (E10.5-adulthood, n = 665 total). Given the interrelationship between the cranial vault and basicranium in craniosynostosis patients, the basicranium and synchondroses were analyzed in perinates. Embryonic time points showed minimal significant shape differences. However, hetero- and homozygous mutant perinates and adults showed significant differences in shape and size of the cranial vault, face, and basicranium, which were associated with cranial doming and shortening of the basicranium and skull. Although there were also significant shape and size differences associated with the basicranial bones and clear reductions in basicranial ossification in cleared whole-mount samples, there were no significant alterations in chondrocyte cell shape, size, or orientation along the spheno-occipital synchondrosis. Finally, shape differences in the cranial vault and basicranium were interrelated at perinatal stages. These results point toward the possibility that facial shape phenotypes in craniosynostosis may result in part from pleiotropic effects of the causative mutations rather than only from the secondary consequences of the sutural defects, indicating a novel direction of research that may shed light on the etiology of the broad changes in craniofacial morphology observed in craniosynostosis syndromes.
Collapse
|
7
|
Devine J, Vidal-García M, Liu W, Neves A, Lo Vercio LD, Green RM, Richbourg HA, Marchini M, Unger CM, Nickle AC, Radford B, Young NM, Gonzalez PN, Schuler RE, Bugacov A, Rolian C, Percival CJ, Williams T, Niswander L, Calof AL, Lander AD, Visel A, Jirik FR, Cheverud JM, Klein OD, Birnbaum RY, Merrill AE, Ackermann RR, Graf D, Hemberger M, Dean W, Forkert ND, Murray SA, Westerberg H, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B. Author Correction: MusMorph, a database of standardized mouse morphology data for morphometric meta-analyses. Sci Data 2023; 10:420. [PMID: 37380661 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02320-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
|
8
|
Rivera KO, Cuylear DL, Duke VR, O’Hara KM, Zhong JX, Elghazali NA, Finbloom JA, Kharbikar BN, Kryger AN, Miclau T, Marcucio RS, Bahney CS, Desai TA. Encapsulation of β-NGF in injectable microrods for localized delivery accelerates endochondral fracture repair. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1190371. [PMID: 37284244 PMCID: PMC10241161 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1190371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Currently, there are no non-surgical FDA-approved biological approaches to accelerate fracture repair. Injectable therapies designed to stimulate bone healing represent an exciting alternative to surgically implanted biologics, however, the translation of effective osteoinductive therapies remains challenging due to the need for safe and effective drug delivery. Hydrogel-based microparticle platforms may be a clinically relevant solution to create controlled and localized drug delivery to treat bone fractures. Here, we describe poly (ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA)-based microparticles, in the shape of microrods, loaded with beta nerve growth factor (β-NGF) for the purpose of promoting fracture repair. Methods: Herein, PEGDMA microrods were fabricated through photolithography. PEGDMA microrods were loaded with β-NGF and in vitro release was examined. Subsequently, bioactivity assays were evaluated in vitro using the TF-1 tyrosine receptor kinase A (Trk-A) expressing cell line. Finally, in vivo studies using our well-established murine tibia fracture model were performed and a single injection of the β-NGF loaded PEGDMA microrods, non-loaded PEGDMA microrods, or soluble β-NGF was administered to assess the extent of fracture healing using Micro-computed tomography (µCT) and histomorphometry. Results: In vitro release studies showed there is significant retention of protein within the polymer matrix over 168 hours through physiochemical interactions. Bioactivity of protein post-loading was confirmed with the TF-1 cell line. In vivo studies using our murine tibia fracture model show that PEGDMA microrods injected at the site of fracture remained adjacent to the callus for over 7 days. Importantly, a single injection of β-NGF loaded PEGDMA microrods resulted in improved fracture healing as indicated by a significant increase in the percent bone in the fracture callus, trabecular connective density, and bone mineral density relative to soluble β-NGF control indicating improved drug retention within the tissue. The concomitant decrease in cartilage fraction supports our prior work showing that β-NGF promotes endochondral conversion of cartilage to bone to accelerate healing. Discussion: We demonstrate a novel and translational method wherein β-NGF can be encapsulated within PEGDMA microrods for local delivery and that β-NGF bioactivity is maintained resulting in improved bone fracture repair.
Collapse
|
9
|
Green RM, Lo Vercio LD, Dauter A, Barretto EC, Devine J, Vidal-García M, Marchini M, Robertson S, Zhao X, Mahika A, Shakir MB, Guo S, Boughner JC, Dean W, Lander AD, Marcucio RS, Forkert ND, Hallgrímsson B. Quantifying the relationship between cell proliferation and morphology during development of the face. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.12.540515. [PMID: 37214859 PMCID: PMC10197725 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.12.540515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Morphogenesis requires highly coordinated, complex interactions between cellular processes: proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, along with physical tissue interactions. How these cellular and tissue dynamics drive morphogenesis remains elusive. Three dimensional (3D) microscopic imaging poses great promise, and generates elegant images. However, generating even moderate through-put quantified images is challenging for many reasons. As a result, the association between morphogenesis and cellular processes in 3D developing tissues has not been fully explored. To address this critical gap, we have developed an imaging and image analysis pipeline to enable 3D quantification of cellular dynamics along with 3D morphology for the same individual embryo. Specifically, we focus on how 3D distribution of proliferation relates to morphogenesis during mouse facial development. Our method involves imaging with light-sheet microscopy, automated segmentation of cells and tissues using machine learning-based tools, and quantification of external morphology via geometric morphometrics. Applying this framework, we show that changes in proliferation are tightly correlated to changes in morphology over the course of facial morphogenesis. These analyses illustrate the potential of this pipeline to investigate mechanistic relationships between cellular dynamics and morphogenesis during embryonic development.
Collapse
|
10
|
Zbasnik N, Dolan K, Buczkowski SA, Green RM, Hallgrímsson B, Marcucio RS, Moon AM, Fish JL. Fgf8 dosage regulates jaw shape and symmetry through pharyngeal-cardiac tissue relationships. Dev Dyn 2022; 251:1711-1727. [PMID: 35618654 PMCID: PMC9529861 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asymmetries in craniofacial anomalies are commonly observed. In the facial skeleton, the left side is more commonly and/or severely affected than the right. Such asymmetries complicate treatment options. Mechanisms underlying variation in disease severity between individuals as well as within individuals (asymmetries) are still relatively unknown. RESULTS Developmental reductions in fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) have a dosage dependent effect on jaw size, shape, and symmetry. Further, Fgf8 mutants have directionally asymmetric jaws with the left side being more affected than the right. Defects in lower jaw development begin with disruption to Meckel's cartilage, which is discontinuous. All skeletal elements associated with the proximal condensation are dysmorphic, exemplified by a malformed and misoriented malleus. At later stages, Fgf8 mutants exhibit syngnathia, which falls into two broad categories: bony fusion of the maxillary and mandibular alveolar ridges and zygomatico-mandibular fusion. All of these morphological defects exhibit both inter- and intra-specimen variation. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that these asymmetries are linked to heart development resulting in higher levels of Fgf8 on the right side of the face, which may buffer the right side to developmental perturbations. This mouse model may facilitate future investigations of mechanisms underlying human syngnathia and facial asymmetry.
Collapse
|
11
|
Lo Vercio LD, Green RM, Robertson S, Guo S, Dauter A, Marchini M, Vidal-GARCíA M, Zhao X, Mahika A, Marcucio RS, HALLGRíMSSON B, Forkert ND. Segmentation of Tissues and Proliferating Cells in Light-Sheet Microscopy Images of Mouse Embryos Using Convolutional Neural Networks. IEEE ACCESS : PRACTICAL INNOVATIONS, OPEN SOLUTIONS 2022; 10:105084-105100. [PMID: 36660260 PMCID: PMC9848387 DOI: 10.1109/access.2022.3210542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A variety of genetic mutations affect cell proliferation during organism development, leading to structural birth defects. However, the mechanisms by which these alterations influence the development of the face remain unclear. Cell proliferation and its relation to shape variation can be studied using Light-Sheet Microscopy (LSM) imaging across a range of developmental time points using mouse models. The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate accurate automatic methods based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for: (i) tissue segmentation (neural ectoderm and mesenchyme), (ii) cell segmentation in nuclear-stained images, and (iii) segmentation of proliferating cells in phospho-Histone H3 (pHH3)-stained LSM images of mouse embryos. For training and evaluation of the CNN models, 155 to 176 slices from 10 mouse embryo LSM images with corresponding manual segmentations were available depending on the segmentation task. Three U-net CNN models were trained optimizing their loss functions, among other hyper-parameters, depending on the segmentation task. The tissue segmentation achieved a macro-average F-score of 0.84, whereas the inter-observer value was 0.89. The cell segmentation achieved a Dice score of 0.57 and 0.56 for nuclear-stained and pHH3-stained images, respectively, whereas the corresponding inter-observer Dice scores were 0.39 and 0.45, respectively. The proposed pipeline using the U-net CNN architecture can accelerate LSM image analysis and together with the annotated datasets can serve as a reference for comparison of more advanced LSM image segmentation methods in future.
Collapse
|
12
|
Devine J, Vidal-García M, Liu W, Neves A, Lo Vercio LD, Green RM, Richbourg HA, Marchini M, Unger CM, Nickle AC, Radford B, Young NM, Gonzalez PN, Schuler RE, Bugacov A, Rolian C, Percival CJ, Williams T, Niswander L, Calof AL, Lander AD, Visel A, Jirik FR, Cheverud JM, Klein OD, Birnbaum RY, Merrill AE, Ackermann RR, Graf D, Hemberger M, Dean W, Forkert ND, Murray SA, Westerberg H, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B. MusMorph, a database of standardized mouse morphology data for morphometric meta-analyses. Sci Data 2022; 9:230. [PMID: 35614082 PMCID: PMC9133120 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex morphological traits are the product of many genes with transient or lasting developmental effects that interact in anatomical context. Mouse models are a key resource for disentangling such effects, because they offer myriad tools for manipulating the genome in a controlled environment. Unfortunately, phenotypic data are often obtained using laboratory-specific protocols, resulting in self-contained datasets that are difficult to relate to one another for larger scale analyses. To enable meta-analyses of morphological variation, particularly in the craniofacial complex and brain, we created MusMorph, a database of standardized mouse morphology data spanning numerous genotypes and developmental stages, including E10.5, E11.5, E14.5, E15.5, E18.5, and adulthood. To standardize data collection, we implemented an atlas-based phenotyping pipeline that combines techniques from image registration, deep learning, and morphometrics. Alongside stage-specific atlases, we provide aligned micro-computed tomography images, dense anatomical landmarks, and segmentations (if available) for each specimen (N = 10,056). Our workflow is open-source to encourage transparency and reproducible data collection. The MusMorph data and scripts are available on FaceBase ( www.facebase.org , https://doi.org/10.25550/3-HXMC ) and GitHub ( https://github.com/jaydevine/MusMorph ).
Collapse
|
13
|
Vavrušová Z, Hu D, Liu W, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B, Young NM. Developmental Morphospace of Embryonic Brain and Face Growth in the Chicken (
Gallus gallus
). FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.r5204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
14
|
Aponte JD, Katz DC, Roth DM, Vidal-García M, Liu W, Andrade F, Roseman CC, Murray SA, Cheverud J, Graf D, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B. Relating multivariate shapes to genescapes using phenotype-biological process associations for craniofacial shape. eLife 2021; 10:68623. [PMID: 34779766 PMCID: PMC8631940 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Realistic mappings of genes to morphology are inherently multivariate on both sides of the equation. The importance of coordinated gene effects on morphological phenotypes is clear from the intertwining of gene actions in signaling pathways, gene regulatory networks, and developmental processes underlying the development of shape and size. Yet, current approaches tend to focus on identifying and localizing the effects of individual genes and rarely leverage the information content of high-dimensional phenotypes. Here, we explicitly model the joint effects of biologically coherent collections of genes on a multivariate trait – craniofacial shape – in a sample of n = 1145 mice from the Diversity Outbred (DO) experimental line. We use biological process Gene Ontology (GO) annotations to select skeletal and facial development gene sets and solve for the axis of shape variation that maximally covaries with gene set marker variation. We use our process-centered, multivariate genotype-phenotype (process MGP) approach to determine the overall contributions to craniofacial variation of genes involved in relevant processes and how variation in different processes corresponds to multivariate axes of shape variation. Further, we compare the directions of effect in phenotype space of mutations to the primary axis of shape variation associated with broader pathways within which they are thought to function. Finally, we leverage the relationship between mutational and pathway-level effects to predict phenotypic effects beyond craniofacial shape in specific mutants. We also introduce an online application that provides users the means to customize their own process-centered craniofacial shape analyses in the DO. The process-centered approach is generally applicable to any continuously varying phenotype and thus has wide-reaching implications for complex trait genetics.
Collapse
|
15
|
Wong SA, Hu DP, Slocum J, Lam C, Nguyen M, Miclau T, Marcucio RS, Bahney CS. Chondrocyte-to-osteoblast transformation in mandibular fracture repair. J Orthop Res 2021; 39:1622-1632. [PMID: 33140859 PMCID: PMC8451921 DOI: 10.1002/jor.24904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The majority of fracture research has been conducted using long bone fracture models, with significantly less research into the mechanisms driving craniofacial repair. However, craniofacial bones differ from long bones in both their developmental mechanism and embryonic origin. Thus, it is possible that their healing mechanisms could differ. In this study we utilize stabilized and unstabilized mandible fracture models to investigate the pathways regulating repair. Whereas fully stable trephine defects in the ramus form bone directly, mechanical motion within a transverse fracture across the same anatomical location promoted robust cartilage formation before boney remodeling. Literature investigating long bone fractures show chondrocytes are a direct precursor of osteoblasts during endochondral repair. Lineage tracing with Aggrecan-CreERT2 ::Ai9 tdTomato mice demonstrated that mandibular callus chondrocytes also directly contribute to the formation of new bone. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed that chondrocytes located at the chondro-osseous junction expressed Sox2, suggesting that plasticity of these chondrocytes may facilitate this chondrocyte-to-osteoblast transformation. Based on the direct role chondrocytes play in bone repair, we tested the efficacy of cartilage grafts in healing critical-sized mandibular defects. Whereas empty defects remained unbridged and filled with fibrous tissue, cartilage engraftment produced bony-bridging and robust marrow cavity formation, indicating healthy vascularization of the newly formed bone. Engrafted cartilage directly contributed to new bone formation since a significant portion of the newly formed bone was graft/donor-derived. Taken together these data demonstrate the important role of chondrocyte-to-osteoblast transformation during mandibular endochondral repair and the therapeutic promise of using cartilage as a tissue graft to heal craniofacial defects.
Collapse
|
16
|
Lackner I, Weber B, Haffner-Luntzer M, Hristova S, Gebhard F, Lam C, Morioka K, Marcucio RS, Miclau T, Kalbitz M. Systemic and local cardiac inflammation after experimental long bone fracture, traumatic brain injury and combined trauma in mice. J Orthop Translat 2021; 28:39-46. [PMID: 33717980 PMCID: PMC7906881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jot.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, especially in the young population. Cardiac injuries are an independent predictor for a poor overall outcome after trauma. The aim of the present study was to analyze systemic inflammation as well as local cardiac inflammation after experimental limb-, neuro- and combined trauma in mice. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice received either a closed tibia fracture (Fx), isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a combination of both (Fx + TBI). Control animals underwent sham procedure. After 6 and 24 h, systemic levels of inflammatory mediators were analyzed, respectively. Locally, cardiac inflammation and cardiac structural alterations were investigated in left ventricular tissue of mice 6 and 24 h after trauma. Results Mice showed enhanced systemic inflammation after combined trauma, which was manifested by increased levels of KC, MCP-1 and G-CSF. Locally, mice exhibited increased expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF) in heart tissue, which was probably mediated via toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. Furthermore, mice demonstrated a redistribution of connexin 43 in cardiac tissue, which appeared predominantly after combined trauma. Besides inflammation and structural cardiac alterations, expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) mRNA was increased in the heart early after TBI and after combination of TBI and limb fracture, indicating a modification of energy metabolism. Early after combination of TBI and tibia fracture, nitrosative stress was increased, manifested by elevation of nitrotyrosine in cardiac tissue. Finally, mice showed a trend of increased systemic levels of cardiac troponin I and heart-fatty acid binding protein (HFABP) after combined trauma, which was associated with a significant decrease of troponin I and HFABP mRNA expression in cardiac tissue after TBI and combination of TBI and limb fracture. Conclusion Mice exhibited early cardiac alterations as well as alterations in cardiac glucose transporter expression, indicating a modification of energy metabolism, which might be linked to increased systemic- and local cardiac inflammation after limb-, neuro- and combined trauma. These cardiac alterations might predispose individuals for secondary cardiac damage after trauma that might compromise cardiac function after TBI and long bone fracture. Translational potential statement Injuries to the head and extremities frequently occur after severe trauma. In our study, we analyzed the effects of closed tibia fracture, isolated TBI, and the combination of both injuries with regard to the development of post-traumatic secondary cardiac injuries.
Collapse
|
17
|
Hu D, Marcucio RS. Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to assess Facial Development. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 33682859 DOI: 10.3791/62183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The avian embryo has been used as a model system for more than a century and has led to fundamental understanding of vertebrate development. One of the strengths of this model system is that the effect of, and interaction among, tissues can be directly assessed in chimeric embryos. We have previously shown that signals from the forebrain contribute to facial morphogenesis by regulating the shape of the expression domain of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) in the Frontonasal Ectodermal Zone (FEZ). In this article, the method of generating the forebrain chimeras and provide illustrations of the outcomes of these experiments is described.
Collapse
|
18
|
Haffner-Luntzer M, Weber B, Lam C, Fischer V, Lackner I, Ignatius A, Kalbitz M, Marcucio RS, Miclau T. A novel mouse model to study fracture healing of the proximal femur. J Orthop Res 2020; 38:2131-2138. [PMID: 32232999 DOI: 10.1002/jor.24677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The majority of fractures, especially in elderly and osteoporotic patients, occurs in metaphyseal bone. However, only a few experimental models exist to study metaphyseal bone healing in mice. Currently used mouse models of metaphyseal fracture healing are either based on drill hole defects, lacking adequate biomechanical stimulation at the site of fracture and therefore endochondral ossification in the fracture callus, or are introduced into the distal part of the mouse femur stabilized by a locking plate, which is challenging due to the small specimen size. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to develop a new mouse model to study metaphyseal fracture healing of the proximal femur. We chose a combination between an open osteotomy and a closed intramedullary stabilization. A 24 G needle was inserted into the femur in a closed manner, then an osteotomy was made with a 0.4-mm Gigli wire saw between the third and the lesser trochanter of the femur using an open approach. Fractured femurs were analyzed using microcomputed tomography and histology at days 14 and 21 after surgery. No animals were lost due to surgery or anesthesia. All animals displayed normal limb loading and a physiological gait pattern within the first three days after fracture. We found robust endochondral ossification during the fracture healing process with high expression of late chondrocyte and early osteogenic markers at day 14 (d14). By day 21 (d21), all fractures had a bony bridging score of 3 or more, indicating successful healing. Callus volume significantly decreased from d14 to d21, whereas high numbers of osteoclasts appeared at the fracture callus until d21, indicating that callus remodeling had already started at d21. In conclusion, we successfully developed a novel mouse model to study endochondral fracture healing of the proximal femur. This model might be useful for future studies using transgenic animals to unravel molecular mechanisms of osteoporotic metaphyseal fracture healing.
Collapse
|
19
|
Richbourg HA, Hu DP, Xu Y, Barczak AJ, Marcucio RS. miR-199 family contributes to regulation of sonic hedgehog expression during craniofacial development. Dev Dyn 2020; 249:1062-1076. [PMID: 32391617 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The frontonasal ectodermal zone (FEZ) is a signaling center that regulates patterned development of the upper jaw, and Sonic hedgehog (SHH) mediates FEZ activity. Induction of SHH expression in the FEZ results from SHH-dependent signals from the brain and neural crest cells. Given the role of miRNAs in modulating gene expression, we investigated the extent to which miRNAs regulate SHH expression and FEZ signaling. RESULTS In the FEZ, the miR-199 family appears to be regulated by SHH-dependent signals from the brain; expression of this family increased from HH18 to HH22, and upon activation of SHH signaling in the brain. However, the miR-199 family is more broadly expressed in the mesenchyme of the frontonasal process and adjacent neuroepithelium. Downregulating the miR-199 genes expanded SHH expression in the FEZ, resulting in wider faces, while upregulating miR-199 genes resulted in decreased SHH expression and narrow faces. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1A) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP3K4) appear to be potential targets of miR-199b. Reduction of MAP3K4 altered beak development but increased apoptosis, while reducing HIF1A reduced expression of SHH in the FEZ and produced malformations independent of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that this miRNA family appears to participate in regulating SHH expression in the FEZ; however, specific molecular mechanisms remain unknown.
Collapse
|
20
|
Katz DC, Aponte JD, Liu W, Green RM, Mayeux JM, Pollard KM, Pomp D, Munger SC, Murray SA, Roseman CC, Percival CJ, Cheverud J, Marcucio RS, Hallgrímsson B. Facial shape and allometry quantitative trait locus intervals in the Diversity Outbred mouse are enriched for known skeletal and facial development genes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233377. [PMID: 32502155 PMCID: PMC7274373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The biology of how faces are built and come to differ from one another is complex. Discovering normal variants that contribute to differences in facial morphology is one key to untangling this complexity, with important implications for medicine and evolutionary biology. This study maps quantitative trait loci (QTL) for skeletal facial shape using Diversity Outbred (DO) mice. The DO is a randomly outcrossed population with high heterozygosity that captures the allelic diversity of eight inbred mouse lines from three subspecies. The study uses a sample of 1147 DO animals (the largest sample yet employed for a shape QTL study in mouse), each characterized by 22 three-dimensional landmarks, 56,885 autosomal and X-chromosome markers, and sex and age classifiers. We identified 37 facial shape QTL across 20 shape principal components (PCs) using a mixed effects regression that accounts for kinship among observations. The QTL include some previously identified intervals as well as new regions that expand the list of potential targets for future experimental study. Three QTL characterized shape associations with size (allometry). Median support interval size was 3.5 Mb. Narrowing additional analysis to QTL for the five largest magnitude shape PCs, we found significant overrepresentation of genes with known roles in growth, skeletal and facial development, and sensory organ development. For most intervals, one or more of these genes lies within 0.25 Mb of the QTL's peak. QTL effect sizes were small, with none explaining more than 0.5% of facial shape variation. Thus, our results are consistent with a model of facial diversity that is influenced by key genes in skeletal and facial development and, simultaneously, is highly polygenic.
Collapse
|
21
|
Green RM, Lo Vercio L, Guo S, Dauter A, Marchini M, Xhao X, Marcucio RS, Hallgrimsson B. Mapping the relationship between proliferation and morphology in the developing mouse face. FASEB J 2020. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.03388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
22
|
Hanne NJ, Hu D, Linde-Medina M, Hallgrimsson B, Marcucio RS. Determining the Role of Extracellular Matrix Compliance on Facial Morphogenesis. FASEB J 2020. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
23
|
Hallgrímsson B, Katz DC, Aponte JD, Larson JR, Devine J, Gonzalez PN, Young NM, Roseman CC, Marcucio RS. Integration and the Developmental Genetics of Allometry. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:1369-1381. [PMID: 31199435 PMCID: PMC6934422 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Allometry refers to the ways in which organismal shape is associated with size. It is a special case of integration, or the tendency for traits to covary, in that variation in size is ubiquitous and evolutionarily important. Allometric variation is so commonly observed that it is routinely removed from morphometric analyses or invoked as an explanation for evolutionary change. In this case, familiarity is mistaken for understanding because rarely do we know the mechanisms by which shape correlates with size or understand their significance. As with other forms of integration, allometric variation is generated by variation in developmental processes that affect multiple traits, resulting in patterns of covariation. Given this perspective, we can dissect the genetic and developmental determinants of allometric variation. Our work on the developmental and genetic basis for allometric variation in craniofacial shape in mice and humans has revealed that allometric variation is highly polygenic. Different measures of size are associated with distinct but overlapping patterns of allometric variation. These patterns converge in part on a common genetic basis. Finally, environmental modulation of size often generates variation along allometric trajectories, but the timing of genetic and environmental perturbations can produce deviations from allometric patterns when traits are differentially sensitive over developmental time. These results question the validity of viewing allometry as a singular phenomenon distinct from morphological integration more generally.
Collapse
|
24
|
Green RM, Leach CL, Diewert VM, Aponte JD, Schmidt EJ, Cheverud JM, Roseman CC, Young NM, Marcucio RS, Hallgrimsson B. Nonlinear gene expression-phenotype relationships contribute to variation and clefting in the A/WySn mouse. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:1232-1242. [PMID: 31469941 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common human birth defects, but the underlying etiology is poorly understood. The A/WySn mouse is a spontaneously occurring model of multigenic clefting in which 20% to 30% of individuals develop an orofacial cleft. Recent work has shown altered methylation at a specific retrotransposon insertion downstream of the Wnt9b locus in clefting animals, which results in decreased Wnt9b expression. RESULTS Using a newly developed protocol that allows us to measure morphology, gene expression, and DNA methylation in the same embryo, we relate gene expression in an individual embryo directly to its three-dimensional morphology for the first time. We find that methylation at the retrotransposon relates to Wnt9b expression and morphology. IAP methylation relates to shape of the nasal process in a manner consistent with clefting. Embryos with low IAP methylation exhibit increased among-individual variance in facial shape. CONCLUSIONS Methylation and gene expression relate nonlinearly to nasal process morphology. Individuals at one end of a continuum of phenotypic states display a clinical phenotype and increased phenotypic variation. Variable penetrance and expressivity in this model is likely determined both by among-individual variation in methylation and changes in phenotypic robustness along the underlying liability distribution for orofacial clefting.
Collapse
|
25
|
Hallgrimsson B, Aponte JD, Katz DC, Bannister JJ, Green RM, Young NM, Cheverud JM, Forkert ND, Marcucio RS. Integration and the genetics of variation in facial shape. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.330.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|