RESUMEN
Germ stem cell (GSC) niches are fundamental for the maintenance of the immortal germ cell lineage across generations. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the simple GSC system has served as an important model for understanding stem cell biology and underlying genetic architecture. GSC niche activity in C. elegans is highly sensitive to subtle environmental and genetic variation. Quantifying variation in the C. elegans GSC niche is therefore essential; however, most methods to do so remain labor-intensive and time-consuming when screening large numbers of individuals. Here, we present a simple and efficient method to estimate the size of the C. elegans GSC niche progenitor pool. This method is ideal for detecting differences in progenitor pool size among different genotypes and environmental treatments during medium- to high-throughput applications such as forward genetic screens and quantitative genetics.
RESUMEN
To study how natural allelic variation explains quantitative developmental system variation, we characterized natural differences in germ stem cell niche activity, measured as progenitor zone (PZ) size, between two Caenorhabditis elegans isolates. Linkage mapping yielded candidate loci on chromosomes II and V, and we found that the isolate with a smaller PZ size harbours a 148 bp promoter deletion in the Notch ligand, lag-2/Delta, a central signal promoting germ stem cell fate. As predicted, introducing this deletion into the isolate with a large PZ resulted in a smaller PZ size. Unexpectedly, restoring the deleted ancestral sequence in the isolate with a smaller PZ did not increase-but instead further reduced-PZ size. These seemingly contradictory phenotypic effects are explained by epistatic interactions between the lag-2/Delta promoter, the chromosome II locus, and additional background loci. These results provide first insights into the quantitative genetic architecture regulating an animal stem cell system.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans , Epistasis Genética , Animales , Nicho de Células Madre , Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Mapeo Cromosómico , Células Germinativas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a serious human birth defect, in which the esophagus ends before reaching the stomach, and is aberrantly connected with the trachea. Several mouse models of EA/TEF have recently demonstrated that proper dorsal/ventral (D/V) patterning of the primitive anterior foregut endoderm is essential for correct compartmentalization of the trachea and esophagus. Here we elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the EA/TEF that occurs in mice lacking the BMP antagonist Noggin, which display correct dorsal/ventral patterning. To clarify the mechanism of this malformation, we use spatiotemporal manipulation of Noggin and BMP receptor 1A conditional alleles during foregut development. Surprisingly, we find that the expression of Noggin in the compartmentalizing endoderm is not required to generate distinct tracheal and esophageal tubes. Instead, we show that Noggin and BMP signaling attenuation are required in the early notochord to correctly resolve notochord cells from the dorsal foregut endoderm, which in turn, appears to be a prerequisite for foregut compartmentalization. Collectively, our findings support an emerging model for a mechanism underlying EA/TEF in which impaired notochord resolution from the early endoderm causes the foregut to be hypo-cellular just prior to the critical period of compartmentalization. Our further characterizations suggest that Noggin may regulate a cell rearrangement process that involves reciprocal E-cadherin and Zeb1 expression in the resolving notochord cells.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Morfogenéticas Óseas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Portadoras/metabolismo , Proteínas Cdh1/metabolismo , Esófago/embriología , Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica , Notocorda/metabolismo , Tráquea/embriología , Alelos , Animales , Tipificación del Cuerpo , Proteínas Portadoras/genética , Muerte Celular , Proliferación Celular , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Genotipo , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Hibridación in Situ , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Mutación , Notocorda/citología , Fenotipo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The mammalian trachea and esophagus share a common embryonic origin. They arise by compartmentalization of a single foregut tube, composed of foregut endoderm (FGE) and surrounding mesenchyme, around midgestation. Aberrant compartmentalization is thought to lead to relatively common human birth defects, such as esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF), which can prevent or disrupt a newborn infant's ability to feed and breathe. Despite its relevance to human health, morphogenesis of the anterior foregut is still poorly understood. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of trachea and esophagus formation from a common precursor, including the embryonic origin of the FGE, current models for foregut morphogenesis, relevant human birth defects, insights from rodent models, and the emerging picture of the mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal foregut compartmentalization. Recent research suggests that a number of intercellular signaling pathways and several intracellular effectors are essential for correct formation of the trachea and esophagus. Different types of defects in the formation of either ventral or dorsal foregut tissues can disrupt compartmentalization in rodent models. This implies that EA/TEF defects in humans may also arise by multiple mechanisms. Although our understanding of foregut compartmentalization is growing rapidly, it is still incomplete. Future research should focus on synthesizing detailed information gleaned from both human patients and rodent models to further our understanding of this enigmatic process.
Asunto(s)
Esófago/embriología , Organogénesis , Tráquea/embriología , Animales , Anomalías del Sistema Digestivo/genética , Anomalías del Sistema Digestivo/metabolismo , Esófago/anomalías , Humanos , Anomalías del Sistema Respiratorio/genética , Anomalías del Sistema Respiratorio/metabolismo , Tráquea/anomalíasRESUMEN
In adult mammalian brains, neurogenesis persists in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Although evidence suggest that adult neurogenesis in these two regions is subjected to differential regulation, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that the RNA-binding protein FXR2 specifically regulates DG neurogenesis by reducing the stability of Noggin mRNA. FXR2 deficiency leads to increased Noggin expression and subsequently reduced BMP signaling, which results in increased proliferation and altered fate specification of neural stem/progenitor cells in DG. In contrast, Noggin is not regulated by FXR2 in the SVZ, because Noggin expression is restricted to the ependymal cells of the lateral ventricles, where FXR2 is not expressed. Differential regulation of SVZ and DG stem cells by FXR2 may be a key component of the mechanism that governs the different neurogenic processes in these two adult germinal zones.