Background.Four posterior Hoxd genes, from Hoxd13 to Hoxd10, are collectively regulated during the development of tetrapod digits. Besides the well-documented role of Hoxd13, the function of the neighboring genes has been difficult to evaluate due to the close genetic linkage and potential regulatory interferences. We used a panel of five small nested deletions in cis, involving from two to four consecutive genes, of the Hoxd13 to Hoxd9 loci, in mice, to evaluate their combined functional importance.Results.We show that deletions leading to a gain of function of Hoxd13, via regulatory re-allocation, generate abnormal phenotypes, in agreement with the dominant negative role of this gene. We also show that Hoxd10, Hoxd11 and Hoxd12 all seem to play a genuine role in digit development, though less compelling than that of Hoxd13. In contrast, the nearby Hoxd9 contributed no measurable function in digits.Conclusions.We conclude that a slight and transient deregulation of Hoxd13 expression can readily affect the relative lengths of limb segments and that all posterior Hoxd genes likely contribute to the final limb morphology. We discuss the difficulty to clearly assess the functional share of individual genes within such a gene family, where closely located neighbors, coding for homologous proteins, are regulated by a unique circuitry and all contribute to shape the distal parts of our appendages. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, [...]
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BackgroundAngiogenesis is implicated in many pathological conditions. The role of the proteins involved remains largely unknown, and few vascular-specific drug targets have been discovered. Previously, in a screen for angiogenesis regulators, we identified Paladin (mouse: X99384, human: KIAA1274), a protein containing predicted S/T/Y phosphatase domains.ResultsWe present a mouse knockout allele for Paladin with a β-galactosidase reporter, which in combination with Paladin antibodies demonstrate that Paladin is expressed in the vasculature. During mouse embryogenesis, Paladin is primarily expressed in capillary and venous endothelial cells. In adult mice Paladin is predominantly expressed in arterial pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. Paladin also displays vascular-restricted expression in human brain, astrocytomas, and glioblastomas.ConclusionsPaladin, a novel putative phosphatase, displays a dynamic expression pattern in the vasculature. During embryonic stages it is broadly expressed in endothelial cells, while in the adult it is selectively expressed in arterial smooth muscle cells. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Notch signaling is active in mouse cochlear prosensory progenitors but declines in differentiating sensory hair cells (HCs). Overactivation of the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD) in progenitors blocks HC fate commitment and/or differentiation. However, it is not known whether reactivation of NICD in differentiating HCs also interrupts their developmental program and reactivates its downstream targets. By analyzing Atoh1CreER+; Rosa26-NICDloxp/+ or Atoh1CreER+; Rosa26-NICDloxp/+; RBP-Jloxp/loxp mice, we demonstrated that ectopic NICD in differentiating HCs caused reactivation of Sox2 and Prox1 in an RBP-J–dependent manner. Interestingly, Prox1 reactivation was exclusive to outer HCs (OHCs). In addition, lineage tracing analysis of Prox1CreER/+; Rosa26-EYFPloxp/+ and Prox1CreEGFP/+; Rosa26-EYFPloxp/+ mice showed that nearly all HCs experiencing Prox1 expression were OHCs. Surprisingly, these HCs still matured normally with expression of prestin, wild-type-like morphology and uptake of FM4-64FX dye at adult ages. Our results suggest that the developmental program of cochlear differentiating HCs is refractory to Notch reactivation and that Notch is an upstream regulator of Sox2 and Prox1 in cochlear development. In addition, our results support that Sox2 and Prox1 should not be the main blockers for terminal differentiation of HCs newly regenerated from postnatal cochlear SCs that still maintain Sox2 and Prox1 expression. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Background:Intercellular communication between epithelial and mesenchymal cells is central to mammalian craniofacial development. β-catenin is the gateway of canonical Wnt signaling, one of the major evolutionarily conserved cell-cell communication pathways in metazoa. In this study, we report an unexpected stage- and tissue-specific function of β-catenin during mammalian jaw development.Results:Using a unique mouse genetic tool, we have discovered that epithelial β-catenin is essential for lower jaw formation, while attenuation of β-catenin is required for proper upper jaw development. Changes in β-catenin in vivo alter major epithelial Fgf8, Bmp4, Shh and Edn1 signals, resulting in partial transcriptional reprogramming of the neural crestderived mesenchyme, the primary source of jawbones.Conclusions:The Wnt/β-catenin signal coordinates expression of multiple epithelial signals and has stage-specific asymmetric functions during mammalian upper and lower jaw development. In addition, these findings suggest that evolutionary changes of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may lead to innovation of jaws. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Deterioration of the intervertebral discs is an unfortunate consequence of aging. The intervertebral disc in mammals is composed of three parts: a jelly-like center called the nucleus pulposus, the cartilaginous annulus fibrosus and anterior and posterior endplates that attach the discs to vertebrae. In order to understand the origin of the disc, we have investigated the intervertebral region of chickens. Surprisingly, our comparison of mouse and chicken discs revealed that chicken discs lack nuclei pulposi. In addition, the notochord, which in mice forms nuclei pulposi, was found to persist as a rod-like structure and express Shh throughout chicken embryogenesis. Our fate mapping data indicates that cells originating from the rostral half of each somite are responsible for forming the avian disc while cells in the caudal region of each somite form vertebrae. A histological analysis of mammalian and non-mammalian organisms suggests that nuclei pulposi are only present in mammals. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Background: During gastrulation, an embryo acquires the three primordial germ layers that will give rise to all of the tissues in the body. In amniote embryos, this process occurs via an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epiblast cells at the primitive streak. Although the primitive streak is vital to development, many aspects of how it forms and functions remain poorly understood. Results: Using live, 4 dimensional imaging and immunohistochemistry, we have shown that the posterior epiblast of the pre-streak murine embryo does not display convergence and extension behavior or large scale migration or rearrangement of a cell population. Instead, the primitive streak develops in situ and elongates by progressive initiation EMT in the posterior epiblast. Loss of basal lamina (BL) is the first step of this EMT, and is strictly correlated with ingression of nascent mesoderm. Once the BL is lost in a given region, cells leave the epiblast by apical constriction in order to enter the primitive streak. Conclusions: This is the first description of dynamic cell behavior during primitive streak formation in the mouse embryo, and reveals mechanisms that are quite distinct from those observed in other amniote model systems. Unlike chick and rabbit, the murine primitive streak arises in situ by progressive initiation of EMT beginning in the posterior epiblast, without large-scale movement or convergence and extension of epiblast cells. Developmental Dynamics 241:270–283, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Background: The developing nervous system consists of a variety of cell types. Animal models that allow the visualization of specific classes of neurons are crucial for the study of neuronal networks. Results: We performed an enhancer trap screening in zebrafish and generated a collection of transgenic lines that expressed GFP in a spatially and temporally restricted manner. Among the fish generated, we identified an insertion of the enhancer trap construct in the vicinity of the mnr2b/hlxb9lb gene encoding the mnx class of homeodomain transcription factor. The insertion gave rise to GFP expression predominantly in spinal motor neurons and abducens motor neurons. During embryogenesis, GFP expression was also detected in endodermal and mesodermal tissues, where mnr2b is known to be expressed. Conclusion: These results show that the enhancer trap construct recapitulated the expression pattern of the mnr2b gene and this transgenic line should be useful for the visualization of the spinal and abducens motor neurons in the developing nervous system. Developmental Dynamics 241:327–332, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Background: The function of Notch signaling in murine neural crest–derived cell lineages in vivo was examined. Results: Conditional gain (Wnt1Cre;RosaNotch) or loss (Wnt1Cre;RBP-Jf/f) of Notch signaling in neural crest cells (NCCs) in vivo results in craniofacial, cardiac, and trunk abnormalities. Severe craniofacial malformations are apparent in Wnt1Cre;RosaNotch embryos, while less severe skull abnormalities are evident in Wnt1Cre;RBP-Jf/f mice. Deficient cardiac neural crest migration, resulting in cardiac outflow tract malformations, occurs with increased or decreased Notch signaling in NCCs. Smooth muscle cell differentiation also is impaired in pharyngeal NCC derivatives in both Wnt1Cre;RosaNotch and Wnt1Cre;RBP-Jf/f embryos. Neurogenesis is absent and gliogenesis is increased in the dorsal root ganglia of Wnt1Cre;RosaNotch embryos, while neurogenesis is increased and gliogenesis is decreased in Wnt1Cre;RBP-Jf/f embryos. Conclusions: Together, these studies demonstrate essential cell-autonomous roles for appropriate levels of Notch signaling during NCC migration, proliferation, and differentiation with critical implications in craniofacial, cardiac, and neurogenic development and disease. Developmental Dynamics 241:376–389, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, [...] Background: The cardiac progenitor cells for the outflow tract (OFT) reside in the visceral mesoderm and mesodermal core of the pharyngeal region, which are defined as the secondary and anterior heart fields (SHF and AHF), respectively. Results: Using chick embryos, we injected fluorescent-dye into the SHF or AHF at stage 14, and the destinations of the labeled cells were examined at stage 31. Labeled cells from the right SHF were found in the myocardium on the left dorsal side of the OFT, and cells from the left SHF were detected on the right ventral side of the OFT. Labeled cells from the right and left AHF migrated to regions of the ventral wall of the OFT close to the aortic and pulmonary valves, respectively. Conclusion: These observations indicate that myocardial progenitors from the SHF and AHF contribute to distinct conotruncal regions and that cells from the SHF migrate rotationally while cells from the AHF migrate in a non-rotational manner. Developmental Dynamics 241:284–293, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, [...] |
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