Differential gene expression along the animal-vegetal axis in the ascidian embryo is maintained by a dual functional protein Foxd

PLoS Genetics
Shin-Ichi TokuhiroYutaka Satou

Abstract

In many animal embryos, a specific gene expression pattern is established along the animal-vegetal axis soon after zygotic transcription begins. In the embryo of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, soon after the division that separates animal and vegetal hemispheres into distinct blastomeres, maternal Gata.a and β-catenin activate specific genes in the animal and vegetal blastomeres, respectively. On the basis of these initial distinct gene expression patterns, gene regulatory networks promote animal cells to become ectodermal tissues and vegetal cells to become endomesodermal tissues and a part of the nerve cord. In the vegetal hemisphere, β-catenin directly activates Foxd, an essential transcription factor gene for specifying endomesodermal fates. In the present study, we found that Foxd also represses the expression of genes that are activated specifically in the animal hemisphere, including Dmrt1, Prdm1-r.a (Bz1), Prdm1-r.b (Bz2), and Otx. A reporter assay showed that Dmrt1 expression was directly repressed by Foxd, and a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that Foxd was bound to the upstream regions of Dmrt1, Prdm1-r.a, Prdm1-r.b, and Otx. Thus, Foxd has a dual function of activating specific gene expression in the ve...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1977·Developmental Biology·J R WhittakerN Farinella-Ferruzza
Oct 25, 1990·Nucleic Acids Research·T D Schneider, R M Stephens
Apr 1, 1990·Cell Differentiation and Development : the Official Journal of the International Society of Developmental Biologists·T Nishikata, N Satoh
Aug 12, 1993·Nature·H Yasuo, N Satoh
Aug 31, 2000·Journal of Molecular Biology·C NotredameJ Heringa
Feb 13, 2001·Mechanisms of Development·C Hudson, P Lemaire
May 18, 2006·Development Genes and Evolution·Chiharu AnnoShigeki Fujiwara
May 27, 2006·Science·Kaoru S ImaiYutaka Satou
Jan 16, 2007·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution·Jody A White, Janet Heasman
Sep 19, 2008·Genome Biology·Yong ZhangX Shirley Liu
Apr 16, 2010·Development·Atsushi KuboYutaka Satou
Dec 18, 2010·Nature·Eric H Davidson
Sep 10, 2011·Genome Research·Sonia TarazonaAna Conesa
May 26, 2012·Development·Eileen Wagner, Michael Levine
Jan 22, 2013·Cell·Arttu JolmaJussi Taipale
Dec 1, 1996·Development Genes and Evolution·A Yamada, H Nishida
Nov 7, 2013·Development, Growth & Differentiation·Yosuke HorikawaShigeki Fujiwara
Aug 16, 2014·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Developmental Biology·David S Stein, Leslie M Stevens
Sep 16, 2014·Genesis : the Journal of Genetics and Development·Alberto StolfiPatrick Lemaire
Jun 3, 2016·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Developmental Biology·Jun MaWu-Min Deng

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Nov 6, 2020·Science Advances·Tengjiao ZhangZhirong Bao

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Datasets Mentioned

BETA
DRA005206
DRA005285

Methods Mentioned

BETA
RNA-seq
ChIP
immunoprecipitation
ChIP-seq
ChIP-chip
gene knockdown
PCR

Software Mentioned

Homer
sim
Patser
MACS2
NOISeq

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cadherins and Catenins

Cadherins (named for "calcium-dependent adhesion") are a type of cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that is important in the formation of adherens junctions to bind cells with each other. Catenins are a family of proteins found in complexes with cadherin cell adhesion molecules of animal cells: alpha-catenin can bind to β-catenin and can also bind actin. β-catenin binds the cytoplasmic domain of some cadherins. Discover the latest research on cadherins and catenins here.

Adherens Junctions

An adherens junction is defined as a cell junction whose cytoplasmic face is linked to the actin cytoskeleton. They can appear as bands encircling the cell (zonula adherens) or as spots of attachment to the extracellular matrix (adhesion plaques). Adherens junctions uniquely disassemble in uterine epithelial cells to allow the blastocyst to penetrate between epithelial cells. Discover the latest research on adherens junctions here.

CREs: Gene & Cell Therapy

Gene and cell therapy advances have shown promising outcomes for several diseases. The role of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is crucial in the design of gene therapy vectors. Here is the latest research on CREs in gene and cell therapy.