ventral veinless, a POU domain transcription factor, regulates different transduction pathways required for tracheal branching in Drosophila

Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (17) ◽  
pp. 3273-3281 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Llimargas ◽  
J. Casanova

Cell migration is an important step in a variety of developmental processes in many multicellular organisms. A particularly appropriate model to address the study of cell migration is the tracheal system of Drosophila, whose formation occurs by migration and fusion from clusters of ectodermal cells specified in each side of ten embryonic segments. Morphogenesis of the tracheal tree requires the activity of many genes, among them breathless (btl) and ventral veinless (vvl) whose mutations abolish tracheal cell migration. Activation of the btl receptor by branchless (bnl), its putative ligand, exerts an instructive role in the process of guiding tracheal cell migration. vvl has been shown to be required for the maintenance of btl expression during tracheal tree formation. Here we show that, in addition, vvl is independently required for the specific expression in the tracheal cells of thick veins (tkv) and rhomboid (rho), two genes whose mutations disrupt only particular branches of the tracheal system. Indeed, we show that expression in the tracheal cells of an activated form of tkv, the putative decapentaplegic (dpp) receptor, is able to induce shifts in their migration, asserting the role of the dpp pathway in establishing the branching pattern of the tracheal tree. In addition, by ubiquitous expression of the btl and tkv genes in vvl mutant embryos we show that both genes contribute to vvl function. These results indicate that through activation of its target genes, vvl makes the tracheal cells competent to further signalling and suggest that the btl transduction pathway could collaborate with other transduction pathways also regulated by vvl to specify the tracheal branching pattern.

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (9) ◽  
pp. 1599-1606 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Glazer ◽  
B.Z. Shilo

The elaborate branching pattern of the Drosophila tracheal system originates from ten tracheal placodes on both sides of the embryo, each consisting of about 80 cells. Simultaneous cell migration from each tracheal pit in six different directions gives rise to the stereotyped branching pattern. Each branch contains a fixed number of cells. Previous work has shown that in the dorsoventral axis, localized activation of the Dpp, Wnt and EGF receptor (DER) pathways, subdivides the tracheal pit into distinct domains. We present the role of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling system in patterning the tracheal branches. Hh is expressed in segmental stripes abutting the anterior border of the tracheal placodes. Induction of patched expression, which results from activation by Hh, demonstrates that cells in the anterior half of the tracheal pit are activated. In hh-mutant embryos migration of all tracheal branches is absent or stalled. These defects arise from a direct effect of Hh on tracheal cells, rather than by indirect effects on patterning of the ectoderm. Tracheal cell migration could be rescued by expressing Hh only in the tracheal cells, without rescuing the ectodermal defects. Signaling by several pathways, including the Hh pathway, thus serves to subdivide the uniform population of tracheal cells into distinct cell types that will subsequently be recruited into the different branches.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (24) ◽  
pp. 2561-2569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarik Möröy ◽  
Lothar Vassen ◽  
Brian Wilkes ◽  
Cyrus Khandanpour

AbstractThe DNA-binding zinc finger transcription factors Gfi1 and Gfi1b were discovered more than 20 years ago and are recognized today as major regulators of both early hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cells. Both proteins function as transcriptional repressors by recruiting histone-modifying enzymes to promoters and enhancers of target genes. The establishment of Gfi1 and Gfi1b reporter mice made it possible to visualize their cell type–specific expression and to understand their function in hematopoietic lineages. We now know that Gfi1 is primarily important in myeloid and lymphoid differentiation, whereas Gfi1b is crucial for the generation of red blood cells and platelets. Several rare hematologic diseases are associated with acquired or inheritable mutations in the GFI1 and GFI1B genes. Certain patients with severe congenital neutropenia carry mutations in the GFI1 gene that lead to the disruption of the C-terminal zinc finger domains. Other mutations have been found in the GFI1B gene in families with inherited bleeding disorders. In addition, the Gfi1 locus is frequently found to be a proviral integration site in retrovirus-induced lymphomagenesis, and new, emerging data suggest a role of Gfi1 in human leukemia and lymphoma, underlining the role of both factors not only in normal hematopoiesis, but also in a wide spectrum of human blood diseases.


Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (11) ◽  
pp. 2355-2364 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Llimargas

The Drosophila tracheal system consists of a stereotyped network of epithelial tubes formed by several tracheal cell types. By the end of embryogenesis, when the general branching pattern is established, some specialised tracheal cells then mediate branch fusion while others extend fine terminal branches. Here evidence is presented that the Notch signalling pathway acts directly in the tracheal cells to distinguish individual fates within groups of equivalent cells. Notch helps to single out those tracheal cells that mediate branch fusion by blocking their neighbours from adopting the same fate. This function of Notch would require the restricted activation of the pathway in specific cells. In addition, and probably later, Notch also acts in the selection of those tracheal cells that extend the terminal branches. Both the localised expression and the mutant phenotypes of Delta, a known ligand for Notch, suggest that Delta may activate Notch to specify cell fates at the tips of the developing tracheal branches.


Endocrinology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (3) ◽  
pp. 1496-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie R Jonak ◽  
Nancy M Lainez ◽  
Ulrich Boehm ◽  
Djurdjica Coss

Abstract Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus regulates synthesis and secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the anterior pituitary gonadotropes. LH and FSH are heterodimers composed of a common α-subunit and unique β-subunits, which provide biological specificity and are limiting components of mature hormone synthesis. Gonadotrope cells respond to GnRH via specific expression of the GnRH receptor (Gnrhr). GnRH induces the expression of gonadotropin genes and of the Gnrhr by activation of specific transcription factors. The JUN (c-Jun) transcription factor binds to AP-1 sites in the promoters of target genes and mediates induction of the FSHβ gene and of the Gnrhr in gonadotrope-derived cell lines. To analyze the role of JUN in reproductive function in vivo, we generated a mouse model that lacks JUN specifically in GnRH receptor‒expressing cells (conditional JUN knockout; JUN-cKO). JUN-cKO mice displayed profound reproductive anomalies such as reduced LH levels resulting in lower gonadal steroid levels, longer estrous cycles in females, and diminished sperm numbers in males. Unexpectedly, FSH levels were unchanged in these animals, whereas Gnrhr expression in the pituitary was reduced. Steroidogenic enzyme expression was reduced in the gonads of JUN-cKO mice, likely as a consequence of reduced LH levels. GnRH receptor‒driven Cre activity was detected in the hypothalamus but not in the GnRH neuron. Female, but not male, JUN-cKO mice exhibited reduced GnRH expression. Taken together, our results demonstrate that GnRH receptor‒expression levels depend on JUN and are critical for reproductive function.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7468
Author(s):  
Anna A. Ogienko ◽  
Lyubov A. Yarinich ◽  
Elena V. Fedorova ◽  
Natalya V. Dorogova ◽  
Sergey I. Bayborodin ◽  
...  

Collective cell migration is a complex process that happens during normal development of many multicellular organisms, as well as during oncological transformations. In Drosophila oogenesis, a small set of follicle cells originally located at the anterior tip of each egg chamber become motile and migrate as a cluster through nurse cells toward the oocyte. These specialized cells are referred to as border cells (BCs) and provide a simple and convenient model system to study collective cell migration. The process is known to be complexly regulated at different levels and the product of the slow border cells (slbo) gene, the C/EBP transcription factor, is one of the key elements in this process. However, little is known about the regulation of slbo expression. On the other hand, the ubiquitously expressed transcription factor GAGA, which is encoded by the Trithorax-like (Trl) gene was previously demonstrated to be important for Drosophila oogenesis. Here, we found that Trl mutations cause substantial defects in BC migration. Partially, these defects are explained by the reduced level of slbo expression in BCs. Additionally, a strong genetic interaction between Trl and slbo mutants, along with the presence of putative GAGA binding sites within the slbo promoter and enhancer, suggests the direct regulation of this gene by GAGA. This idea is supported by the reduction in the slbo-Gal4-driven GFP expression within BC clusters in Trl mutant background. However, the inability of slbo overexpression to compensate defects in BC migration caused by Trl mutations suggests that there are other GAGA target genes contributing to this process. Taken together, the results define GAGA as another important regulator of BC migration in Drosophila oogenesis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 212 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Scarpa ◽  
Roberto Mayor

During embryonic development, tissues undergo major rearrangements that lead to germ layer positioning, patterning, and organ morphogenesis. Often these morphogenetic movements are accomplished by the coordinated and cooperative migration of the constituent cells, referred to as collective cell migration. The molecular and biomechanical mechanisms underlying collective migration of developing tissues have been investigated in a variety of models, including border cell migration, tracheal branching, blood vessel sprouting, and the migration of the lateral line primordium, neural crest cells, or head mesendoderm. Here we review recent advances in understanding collective migration in these developmental models, focusing on the interaction between cells and guidance cues presented by the microenvironment and on the role of cell–cell adhesion in mechanical and behavioral coupling of cells within the collective.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hironobu Yamashita ◽  
Manisha Tripathi ◽  
Jerome Jourquin ◽  
Yoonseok Kam ◽  
Shanshan Liu ◽  
...  

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive phospholipid that affects various biological functions, such as cell proliferation, migration, survival, wound healing, and tumor invasion through LPA receptors. Previously, we reported that LPA induces A431 colony dispersal, accompanied by disruption of cell-cell contacts and cell migration. However, it remains unclearhowLPA affects cell migration and gene expression during A431 colony dispersal. In this paper, we performed cDNA microarray analysis to investigate this question by comparing gene expression between untreated and LPA-treated A431 cells. Interestingly, these results revealed that LPA treatment upregulates several TGF-β1 target genes, including laminin-332 (Ln-332) components (α3,β3, andγ2 chains). Western blot analysis also showed that LPA increased phosphorylation of Smad2, an event that is carried out by TGF-β1 interactions. Among the genes upregulated, we further addressed the role of Ln-332. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed the transcriptional upregulation of allα3,β3, andγ2 chains of Ln-332 by LPA, corresponding to the protein level increases revealed by western blot. Further, the addition of anti-Ln-332 antibody prevented LPA-treated A431 colonies from dispersing. Taken together, our results suggest that LPA-induced Ln-332 plays a significant role in migration of individual cells from A431 colonies.


1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Reichman-Fried ◽  
B Dickson ◽  
E Hafen ◽  
B Z Shilo

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 2185-2196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Subtil-Rodríguez ◽  
Elena Vázquez-Chávez ◽  
María Ceballos-Chávez ◽  
Manuel Rodríguez-Paredes ◽  
José I. Martín-Subero ◽  
...  

Abstract The precise regulation of S-phase–specific genes is critical for cell proliferation. How the repressive chromatin configuration mediated by the retinoblastoma protein and repressor E2F factors changes at the G1/S transition to allow transcription activation is unclear. Here we show ChIP-on-chip studies that reveal that the chromatin remodeller CHD8 binds ∼2000 transcriptionally active promoters. The spectrum of CHD8 target genes was enriched in E2F-dependent genes. We found that CHD8 binds E2F-dependent promoters at the G1/S transition but not in quiescent cells. Consistently, CHD8 was required for G1/S-specific expression of these genes and for cell cycle re-entry on serum stimulation of quiescent cells. We also show that CHD8 interacts with E2F1 and, importantly, loading of E2F1 and E2F3, but not E2F4, onto S-specific promoters, requires CHD8. However, CHD8 recruiting is independent of these factors. Recruiting of MLL histone methyltransferase complexes to S-specific promoters was also severely impaired in the absence of CHD8. Furthermore, depletion of CHD8 abolished E2F1 overexpression-dependent S-phase stimulation of serum-starved cells, highlighting the essential role of CHD8 in E2F-dependent transcription activation.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1246
Author(s):  
Ayat S. Hammad ◽  
Khaled Machaca

Ca2+ signaling is ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells and modulates many cellular events including cell migration. Directional cell migration requires the polarization of both signaling and structural elements. This polarization is reflected in various Ca2+ signaling pathways that impinge on cell movement. In particular, store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) plays important roles in regulating cell movement at both the front and rear of migrating cells. SOCE represents a predominant Ca2+ influx pathway in non-excitable cells, which are the primary migrating cells in multicellular organisms. In this review, we summarize the role of Ca2+ signaling in cell migration with a focus on SOCE and its diverse functions in migrating cells and cancer metastasis. SOCE has been implicated in regulating focal adhesion turnover in a polarized fashion and the mechanisms involved are beginning to be elucidated. However, SOCE is also involved is other aspects of cell migration with a less well-defined mechanistic understanding. Therefore, much remains to be learned regarding the role and regulation of SOCE in migrating cells.


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