Defects in heart and lung development in compound heterozygotes for two different targeted mutations at the N-myc locus

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 485-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.B. Moens ◽  
B.R. Stanton ◽  
L.F. Parada ◽  
J. Rossant
Keyword(s):  
Lung Development ◽  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Null Allele ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Compound Heterozygote ◽  
Compact Layer ◽  
Subepicardial Layer ◽  
The Times ◽  
Compound Heterozygotes

Two types of mutant allele, one leaky and one null, have been generated by gene targeting at the N-myc locus in embryonic stem cells and the phenotypes of mice homozygous for these mutations have been described. These mutations have shown that N-myc has a number of functions during development, including a role in branching morphogenesis in the lung, which manifests itself at birth in mice homozygous for the leaky allele, and roles in the development of the mesonephric tubules, the neuroepithelium, the sensory ganglia, the gut and the heart, which become evident at midgestation in embryos homozygous for the null allele. In an attempt to define roles for N-myc at other stages of development, we have combined the two types of N-myc mutant allele in a compound heterozygote that as a result contains approximately 15% of normal levels of N-Myc protein. Compound heterozygotes died during gestation at a time intermediate to the times of death of embryos homozygous for either mutation individually, and their death appeared to result from cardiac failure stemming from hypoplasia of the compact subepicardial layer of the myocardium. Investigation of the expression pattern of N-myc and various markers of differentiation in wild-type and compound heterozygote mutant hearts has suggested that N-myc may function in maintaining the proliferation and/or preventing the differentiation of compact layer myocytes. This study illustrates the importance of generating different mutations at a given locus to elucidate fully the function of a particular gene during development.

scholarly journals Survival of, and competition between, oligodendrocytes expressing different alleles of the Plp gene

2002 ◽  
Vol 158 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Edgar ◽  
T.J. Anderson ◽  
P.J. Dickinson ◽  
J.A. Barrie ◽  
M.C. McCulloch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Null Allele ◽  
Compound Heterozygote ◽  
Null Alleles ◽  
Stable Population ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
Compound Heterozygotes

Mutations in the X-linked Plp gene lead to dysmyelinating phenotypes and oligodendrocyte cell death. Here, we exploit the X inactivation phenomenon to show that a hierarchy exists in the influence of different mutant Plp alleles on oligodendrocyte survival. We used compound heterozygote mice to study the long-term fate of oligodendrocytes expressing either the jimpy or rumpshaker allele against a background of cells expressing a Plp-null allele. Although mutant and null oligodendrocytes were generated in equal numbers, the proportion expressing the mutant allele subsequently declined, but whereas those expressing the rumpshaker allele formed a reduced but stable population, the number of jimpy cells fell progressively. The age of decline in the jimpy cells in different regions of the CNS correlated with the temporal sequence of myelination. In compound heterozygotes expressing rumpshaker and jimpy alleles, oligodendrocytes expressing the former predominated and were more abundant than when the rumpshaker and null alleles were in competition. Thus, oligodendrocyte survival is not determined solely by cell intrinsic factors, such as the conformation of the misfolded PLP, but is influenced by neighboring cells, possibly competing for cell survival factors.

scholarly journals In vitro models of fetal lung development to enhance research into congenital lung diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soichi Shibuya ◽  
Jessica Allen-Hyttinen ◽  
Paolo De Coppi ◽  
Federica Michielin
Keyword(s):  
Lung Development ◽  
Lung Diseases ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Pseudoglandular Stage

Abstract Purpose This paper aims to build upon previous work to definitively establish in vitro models of murine pseudoglandular stage lung development. These can be easily translated to human fetal lung samples to allow the investigation of lung development in physiologic and pathologic conditions. Methods Lungs were harvested from mouse embryos at E12.5 and cultured in three different settings, i.e., whole lung culture, mesenchyme-free epithelium culture, and organoid culture. For the whole lung culture, extracted lungs were embedded in Matrigel and incubated on permeable filters. Separately, distal epithelial tips were isolated by firstly removing mesothelial and mesenchymal cells, and then severing the tips from the airway tubes. These were then cultured either in branch-promoting or self-renewing conditions. Results Cultured whole lungs underwent branching morphogenesis similarly to native lungs. Real-time qPCR analysis demonstrated expression of key genes essential for lung bud formation. The culture condition for epithelial tips was optimized by testing different concentrations of FGF10 and CHIR99021 and evaluating branching formation. The epithelial rudiments in self-renewing conditions formed spherical 3D structures with homogeneous Sox9 expression. Conclusion We report efficient protocols for ex vivo culture systems of pseudoglandular stage mouse embryonic lungs. These models can be applied to human samples and could be useful to paediatric surgeons to investigate normal lung development, understand the pathogenesis of congenital lung diseases, and explore novel therapeutic strategies.

Abrogation of mesenchyme-specific TGF-β signaling results in lung malformation with prenatal pulmonary cysts in mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Miao ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Yongfeng Luo ◽  
Joanne Chiu ◽  
Ling Chu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Development ◽  
Muscle Growth ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Mouse Lung ◽  
Cystic Lesions ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Pulmonary Cysts ◽  
Β Receptor ◽  
Airway Branching

The TGF-β signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in controlling organogenesis during fetal development. Although the role of TGF-β signaling in promoting lung alveolar epithelial growth has been determined, mesenchymal TGF-β signaling in regulating lung development has not been studied in vivo due to a lack of genetic tools for specifically manipulating gene expression in lung mesenchymal cells. Therefore, the integral roles of TGF-β signaling in regulating lung development and congenital lung diseases are not completely understood. Using a Tbx4 lung enhancer-driven Tet-On inducible Cre transgenic mouse system, we have developed a mouse model in which lung mesenchyme-specific deletion of TGF-β receptor 2 gene (Tgfbr2) is achieved. Reduced airway branching accompanied by defective airway smooth muscle growth and later peripheral cystic lesions occurred when lung mesenchymal Tgfbr2 was deleted from embryonic day 13.5 to 15.5, resulting in postnatal death due to respiratory insufficiency. Although cell proliferation in both lung epithelium and mesenchyme was reduced, epithelial differentiation was not significantly affected. Tgfbr2 downstream Smad-independent ERK1/2 may mediate these mesenchymal effects of TGF-β signaling through the GSK3β--β-catenin--Wnt canonical pathway in fetal mouse lung. Our study suggests that Tgfbr2-mediated TGF-β signaling in prenatal lung mesenchyme is essential for lung development and maturation, and defective TGF-β signaling in lung mesenchyme may be related to abnormal airway branching morphogenesis and congenital airway cystic lesions.

scholarly journals Maternal Dppa2 and Dppa4 are dispensable for zygotic genome activation but important for offspring survival

Development ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 148 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Kubinyecz ◽  
Fatima Santos ◽  
Deborah Drage ◽  
Wolf Reik ◽  
Melanie A. Eckersley-Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Null Allele ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Offspring Survival ◽  
Zygotic Genome Activation ◽  
Molecular Events ◽  
Genome Activation ◽  
Mitotic Chromatin ◽  
Zygotic Genome

ABSTRACT Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) represents the initiation of transcription following fertilisation. Despite its importance, we know little of the molecular events that initiate mammalian ZGA in vivo. Recent in vitro studies in mouse embryonic stem cells have revealed developmental pluripotency associated 2 and 4 (Dppa2/4) as key regulators of ZGA-associated transcription. However, their roles in initiating ZGA in vivo remain unexplored. We reveal that Dppa2/4 proteins are present in the nucleus at all stages of preimplantation development and associate with mitotic chromatin. We generated conditional single and double maternal knockout mouse models to deplete maternal stores of Dppa2/4. Importantly, Dppa2/4 maternal knockout mice were fertile when mated with wild-type males. Immunofluorescence and transcriptome analyses of two-cell embryos revealed that, although ZGA took place, there were subtle defects in embryos that lacked maternal Dppa2/4. Strikingly, heterozygous offspring that inherited the null allele maternally had higher preweaning lethality than those that inherited the null allele paternally. Together, our results show that although Dppa2/4 are dispensable for ZGA transcription, maternal stores have an important role in offspring survival, potentially via epigenetic priming of developmental genes.

scholarly journals Amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles promote fetal lung branching and cell differentiation in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasra Khalaj ◽  
Rebeca Lopes Figueira ◽  
Lina Antounians ◽  
Sree Gandhi ◽  
Matthew Wales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Pulmonary Hypoplasia ◽  
Fetal Lung ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Beta Catenin

Pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by impaired branching morphogenesis and differentiation. We have previously demonstrated that administration of extracellular vesicles derived from rat amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC-EVs) rescues development of hypoplastic lungs at the pseudoglandular and alveolar stages in rodent models of CDH. Herein, we tested whether AFSC-EVs exert their regenerative effects at the canalicular and saccular stages, as these are translationally relevant for clinical intervention. To induce fetal pulmonary hypoplasia, we gavaged rat dams with nitrofen at embryonic day 9.5 and demonstrated that nitrofen-exposed lungs had impaired branching morphogenesis, dysregulated signaling pathways relevant to lung development (FGF10/FGFR2, ROBO/SLIT, Ephrin, Neuropilin 1, beta-catenin) and impaired epithelial and mesenchymal cell marker expression at both stages. AFSC-EVs administered to nitrofen-exposed lung explants rescued airspace density and increased the expression levels of key factors responsible for branching morphogenesis. Moreover, AFSC-EVs rescued the expression of alveolar type 1 and 2 cell markers at both canalicular and saccular stages, and restored markers of club, ciliated epithelial, and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells at the saccular stage. AFSC-EV treated lungs also had restored markers of lipofibroblasts and PDGFRA+ cells to control levels at both stages. EV tracking showed uptake of AFSC-EV RNA cargo throughout the fetal lung and an mRNA-miRNA network analysis identified that several miRNAs responsible for regulating lung development processes were contained in the AFSC-EV cargo. These findings suggest that AFSC-EV based therapies hold potential for restoring fetal lung growth and maturation in babies with pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to CDH.

Regulation of retinoic acid signaling during lung morphogenesis

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (14) ◽  
pp. 3057-3067 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Malpel ◽  
C. Mendelsohn ◽  
W.V. Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Signaling Center ◽  
Distal Lung ◽  
Immature Lung ◽  
Airway Branching ◽  
Correct Expression

Little is known about how retinoic acid (RA) synthesis, utilization and metabolism are regulated in the embryonic lung and how these activities relate to lung pattern formation. Here we report that early lung bud formation and subsequent branching morphogenesis are characterized by distinct stages of RA signaling. At the onset of lung development RA signaling is ubiquitously activated in primary buds, as shown by expression of the major RA-synthesizing enzyme, RALDH-2 and activation of a RARE-lacZ transgene. Nevertheless, further airway branching appears to require downregulation of RA pathways by decreased synthesis, increased RA degradation in the epithelium via P450RAI-mediated metabolism, and inhibition of RA signaling in the mesenchyme by COUPTF-II expression. These mechanisms controlling local RA signaling may be critical for normal branching, since we show that manipulating RA levels in vitro to maintain RA signaling activated as in the initial stage, leads to an immature lung phenotype characterized by failure to form typical distal buds. We show that this phenotype likely results from RA interfering with the establishment of a distal signaling center, altering levels and distribution of Fgf10 and Bmp4, genes that are essential for distal lung formation. Furthermore, RA upregulates P450RAI expression, suggesting the presence of feedback mechanisms controlling RA availability. Our study illustrates the importance of regional mechanisms that control RA availability and utilization for correct expression of pattern regulators and normal morphogenesis during lung development.

Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) and branching morphogenesis in the embryonic mouse lung

Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (23) ◽  
pp. 4867-4878 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bellusci ◽  
J. Grindley ◽  
H. Emoto ◽  
N. Itoh ◽  
B.L. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Mouse Lung ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Embryonic Mouse ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor 10

During mouse lung morphogenesis, the distal mesenchyme regulates the growth and branching of adjacent endoderm. We report here that fibroblast growth factor 10 (Fgf10) is expressed dynamically in the mesenchyme adjacent to the distal buds from the earliest stages of lung development. The temporal and spatial pattern of gene expression suggests that Fgf10 plays a role in directional outgrowth and possibly induction of epithelial buds, and that positive and negative regulators of Fgf10 are produced by the endoderm. In transgenic lungs overexpressing Shh in the endoderm, Fgf10 transcription is reduced, suggesting that high levels of SHH downregulate Fgf10. Addition of FGF10 to embryonic day 11.5 lung tissue (endoderm plus mesenchyme) in Matrigel or collagen gel culture elicits a cyst-like expansion of the endoderm after 24 hours. In Matrigel, but not collagen, this is followed by extensive budding after 48–60 hours. This response involves an increase in the rate of endodermal cell proliferation. The activity of FGF1, FGF7 and FGF10 was also tested directly on isolated endoderm in Matrigel culture. Under these conditions, FGF1 elicits immediate endodermal budding, while FGF7 and FGF10 initially induce expansion of the endoderm. However, within 24 hours, samples treated with FGF10 give rise to multiple buds, while FGF7-treated endoderm never progresses to bud formation, at all concentrations of factor tested. Although exogenous FGF1, FGF7 and FGF10 have overlapping activities in vitro, their in vivo expression patterns are quite distinct in relation to early branching events. We conclude that, during early lung development, localized sources of FGF10 in the mesoderm regulate endoderm proliferation and bud outgrowth.

scholarly journals Evidence for Overlapping and Distinct Biological Activities and Transcriptional Targets Triggered by Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2b Signaling between Mid- and Early Pseudoglandular Stages of Mouse Lung Development

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1274
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Jones ◽  
Arun Lingampally ◽  
Jin Wu ◽  
Jamschid Sedighi ◽  
Negah Ahmadvand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Alveolar Type ◽  
Fibroblast Growth

Branching morphogenesis is the basic developmental mode common to organs such as the lungs that undergo a process of ramification from a rudimentary tree. However, the precise molecular and cellular bases underlying the formation of branching organs are still unclear. As inactivation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (Fgfr2b) signaling during early development leads to lung agenesis, thereby preventing the analysis of this pathway at later developmental stages, we used transgenic mice to induce expression of a soluble form of Fgfr2b to inactivate Fgfr2b ligands at embryonic day (E) 14.5, corresponding to the mid-pseudoglandular stage of lung development. We identified an Fgfr2b signaling signature comprised of 46 genes enriched in the epithelium, some of which were common to, but most of them distinct from, the previously identified Fgfr2b signaling signature at E12.5. Our results indicate that Fgfr2b signaling at E14.5 controls mostly proliferation and alveolar type 2 cell (AT2) differentiation. In addition, inhibition of Fgfr2b signaling at E14.5 leads to morphological and cellular impairment at E18.5, with defective alveolar lineage formation. Further studies will have to be conducted to elucidate the role of Fgfr2b signaling at successive stages (canalicular/saccular/alveolar) of lung development as well as during homeostasis and regeneration and repair after injury.

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