Formal proof of the requirement of MESP1 and MESP2 in mesoderm specification and their transcriptional control via specific enhancers in mice

Development ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 148 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rieko Ajima ◽  
Yuko Sakakibara ◽  
Noriko Sakurai-Yamatani ◽  
Masafumi Muraoka ◽  
Yumiko Saga

ABSTRACT MESP1 and MESP2 are transcriptional factors involved in mesoderm specification, somite boundary formation and somite polarity regulation. However, Mesp quadruple mutant zebrafish displayed only abnormal somite polarity without mesoderm specification defects. In order to re-evaluate Mesp1/Mesp2 mutants in mice, Mesp1 and Mesp2 single knockouts (KOs), and a Mesp1/Mesp2 double KO were established using genome-editing techniques without introducing selection markers commonly used before. The Mesp1/Mesp2 double KO embryos exhibited markedly severe mesoderm formation defects that were similar to the previously reported Mesp1/Mesp2 double KO embryos, indicating species differences in the function of MESP family proteins. However, the Mesp1 KO did not display any phenotype, including heart formation defects, which have been reported previously. We noted upregulation of Mesp2 in the Mesp1 KO embryos, suggesting that MESP2 rescues the loss of MESP1 in mesoderm specification. We also found that Mesp1 and Mesp2 expression in the early mesoderm is regulated by the cooperation of two independent enhancers containing T-box- and TCF/Lef-binding sites. Deletion of both enhancers caused the downregulation of both genes, resulting in heart formation defects. This study suggests dose-dependent roles of MESP1 and MESP2 in early mesoderm formation.

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungnam Cho ◽  
Jerzy Paszkowski

It is well documented that transposable elements (TEs) can regulate the expression of neighbouring genes. However, their ability to act in trans and influence ectopic loci has been reported rarely. We searched in rice transcriptomes for tissue-specific expression of TEs and found them to be regulated developmentally. They often shared sequence homology with co-expressed genes and contained potential microRNA-binding sites, which suggested possible contributions to gene regulation. In fact, we have identified a retrotransposon that is highly transcribed in roots and whose spliced transcript constitutes a target mimic for miR171. miR171 destabilizes mRNAs encoding the root-specific family of SCARECROW-Like transcription factors. We demonstrate that retrotransposon-derived transcripts act as decoys for miR171, triggering its degradation and thus results in the root-specific accumulation of SCARECROW-Like mRNAs. Such transposon-mediated post-transcriptional control of miR171 levels is conserved in diverse rice species.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (20) ◽  
pp. 6928-6935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valley Stewart ◽  
Peggy J. Bledsoe

ABSTRACT Periplasmic nitrate reductase (napFDAGHBC operon product) functions in anaerobic respiration. Transcription initiation from the Escherichia coli napF operon control region is activated by the Fnr protein in response to anaerobiosis and by the NarQ-NarP two-component regulatory system in response to nitrate or nitrite. The binding sites for the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins are centered at positions −64.5 and −44.5, respectively, with respect to the major transcription initiation point. The E. coli napF operon is a rare example of a class I Fnr-activated transcriptional control region, in which the Fnr protein binding site is located upstream of position −60. To broaden our understanding of napF operon transcriptional control, we studied the Haemophilus influenzae Rd napF operon control region, expressed as a napF-lacZ operon fusion in the surrogate host E. coli. Mutational analysis demonstrated that expression required binding sites for the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins centered at positions −81.5 and −42.5, respectively. Transcription from the E. coli napF operon control region is activated by phospho-NarP but antagonized by the orthologous protein, phospho-NarL. By contrast, expression from the H. influenzae napF-lacZ operon fusion in E. coli was stimulated equally well by nitrate in both narP and narL null mutants, indicating that phospho-NarL and -NarP are equally effective regulators of this promoter. Overall, the H. influenzae napF operon control region provides a relatively simple model for studying synergistic transcription by the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins acting from class I and class II locations, respectively.


Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (19) ◽  
pp. 4193-4200 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.S. Casey ◽  
M. Tada ◽  
L. Fairclough ◽  
C.C. Wylie ◽  
J. Heasman ◽  
...  

The maternal T-box gene VegT, whose transcripts are restricted to the vegetal hemisphere of the Xenopus embryo, plays an essential role in early development. Depletion of maternal VegT transcripts causes embryos to develop with no endoderm, while vegetal blastomeres lose the ability to induce mesoderm (Zhang, J., Houston, D. W., King, M. L., Payne, C., Wylie, C. and Heasman, J. (1998) Cell 94, 515–524). The targets of VegT, a transcription activator, must therefore include genes involved both in the specification of endoderm and in the production of mesoderm-inducing signals. We recently reported that the upstream regulatory region of the homeobox-containing gene Bix4 contains T-box binding sites. Here we show that expression of Bix4 requires maternal VegT and that two T-box binding sites are necessary and sufficient for mesodermal and endodermal expression of reporter genes driven by the Bix4 promoter in transgenic Xenopus embryos. Remarkably, a single T-box binding site is able to act as a mesoderm-specific enhancer when placed upstream of a minimal promoter. Finally, we show that Bix4 rescues the formation of endodermal markers in embryos in which VegT transcripts have been ablated but does not restore the ability of vegetal pole blastomeres to induce mesoderm. These results demonstrate that Bix4 acts directly downstream of VegT to specify endodermal differentiation in Xenopus embryos.


1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (5) ◽  
pp. C888-C895 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Coezy ◽  
I. Darby ◽  
J. Mizrahi ◽  
B. Cantau ◽  
M. H. Donnadieu ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to examine in Hep G2, a human hepatoma-derived cell line, the presence of angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors and the effect of ANG II and its analogues on angiotensinogen production. The presence of ANG II receptors was demonstrated using a long-acting ANG II analogue, 125I-labeled [Sar1]ANG II. A single class of specific binding sites was identified in these cells with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 2 nM. The number and affinity of these binding sites were not changed by [Sar1]ANG II treatment over 24 h. ANG II showed an inhibitory effect on angiotensinogen production. [Sar1]ANG II also exhibited a similar inhibitory effect as that of ANG II but to a greater extent and therefore was used throughout these studies. [Sar1]ANG II inhibited angiotensinogen production in a dose-dependent manner, exhibiting a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2 nM. Other ANG II analogues showed similar effects on angiotensinogen production. In order of decreasing ability, they were [Sar1]ANG II greater than [Sar1-Ala8]ANG II greater than [Sar1-Val8]ANG II greater than [Sar1-Val5-(Br5)-Phe8]ANG II greater than [Sar1-Val5-DPhe8]ANG II. Results of these studies show that the Hep G2 cell possesses specific ANG II receptors and that [Sar1]ANG II induces a dose-dependent inhibition of angiotensinogen production in this system.


1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
S E D’Souza ◽  
M H Ginaberg ◽  
S Lam ◽  
E A Plow

The platelet adhesive proteins, fibrinogen, fibronectin and von WillebrandFactor, contain RGD amino acid sequences; RGD-containing peptides inhibit the binding of these adhesive proteins to platelets; and a membrane receptor for these adhesive proteins binds to Arg-Gly-Asp and contains GPIIb-IIIa. The present study was undertaken to characterize the interaction of RGDpeptides with GPIIb-IIIa using a chemical crosslinking approach. A radioiodinated RGD-containing heptapeptide was bound to washed human platelets under conditions at which ≥ 85% of theinteraction was inhibited by excess nonlabeled peptide. After binding of the peptide to platelets for 45 min at22°, a homobifunctional crosslinking reagent was added, and the platelets were extracted and analyzed on polyacrylamide gels. With resting platelets,autoradiography of the gels revealedthat the peptide crosslinked tobothGPIIb and GPIIIa. This interaction wasinhibited by excess nonlabeled peptide but not by certain conservatively substituted RGD peptides. Stimulation of the platelets caused a dramatic increase in crosslinking of the peptide to only one of the two subunitsof GPIIb-IIIa. The stimulus dependentincrease in the crosslinking reactionwas specific and saturable as it was inhibited by RGD peptides in a dose dependent manner. In addition, peptides corresponding in structure to the carboxy terminus of the γ chain of fibrinogen also produced concentration dependent inhibition of the interaction. The increase in crosslinking induced by platelet stimulation was divalent ion dependent. Similar results werealso obtained with a second, larger RGD-containing peptide and with asecond chemical crosslinking reagent.Theseresults indicate that platelet stimulation in the presence of divalent ions causes a change which permitsmoreefficient crosslinking of RGD-containing peptides to only one of the two subunits of GPIIb-IIIa. The results are also compatible with a proximalrelationship of both subunits tothe RGD binding sites on the plateletmembrane.


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1229-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Xue ◽  
Edwin Madison ◽  
Lindsey Miles

SummaryLp(a) binds directly to fibrin and competes for the interaction of plasminogen with this substrate. This competition may play a role in the proatherothrombogenic consequences of high Lp(a) levels. Previous studies by us and others showed that apo(a) Kringle IV-10 competes for the interaction of Lp(a) with plasmin-treated fibrinogen. However, kringle IV-10 cannot account for the entire high affinity interaction of Lp(a) with fibrinogen. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the apo(a) kringle V protease-like domain (KV-PD) could interact with plasmin-treated fibrinogen. We cloned the apo(a) KV-PD region from a human liver cDNA library. Fusion apo(a) KV-PD was expressed in COS 7 cells and purified from the conditioned media. Western blotting of the apo(a) KV-PD protein revealed two bands migrating with apparent molecular weights of 45K and 48K. When fusion apo(a) KV-PD was treated with O-glycosidase and neuraminidase, the higher molecular weight band disappeared suggesting that the apo(a) KV-PD was O-glycosylated. Apo(a) KV-PD bound to plasmin-treated fibrinogen in a dose-dependent fashion. An EC50 of 3.9 ± 0.2 μM was determined for this interaction. Treatment of the apo(a) KV-PD with O-glycosidase did not significantly affect its ability to bind to plasmin-treated fibrinogen. In addition, apo(a) KV-PD competed for the binding of 125I-Lp(a) to plasmin-treated fibrinogen. An IC50 of 7.90 ± 0.95 μM was obtained. Our data suggest that the KV-PD of apo(a) shares binding sites on plasmin-treated fibrinogen with Lp(a) and also may participate in the interaction of the Lp(a) particle with plasmin-treated fibrinogen.


1982 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. BÍRÓ

Globulin preparations from the sera of 104 untreated patients with Graves's disease have been tested for their thyroid-stimulating antibody (TSAb) activities. Eighty-one of the samples (78%) were positive in the assay for the thyrotrophin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulins, 48 samples (46%) contained human thyroid adenyl cyclase stimulators (HTACS) and 71 (68%) contained human thyroid stimulators (HTS) measured as stimulation of colloid droplet formation in human thyroid slices. All 104 samples were positive in one or other of the assays, 29 (28%) were positive in all three assays and 38 (37%) in two. All samples were tested for their specific TSH-binding characteristics, 40 (38%) possessed 'B-type' binding sites (previously characterized as TSH-binding sites with low affinity but high capacity for the ligand) but the remaining 64 samples (62%) were no different from normal control samples and had 'A-type' binding sites (high affinity but low capacity binding sites for TSH). Samples without detectable thyrotrophin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin did not contain B-type TSH-binding globulins. Globulins exhibiting B-type binding were more active in the HTACS and HTS assays. The B-type TSH-binding globulins have a characteristic, dose-dependent reducing effect on the human thyroid adenyl cyclase stimulation by TSH whereas A-type globulins do not. Globulins exhibiting B-type TSH-binding may therefore have a significant effect on assays for TSAb activities. The methods used to measure TSAb have been reviewed from this point of view.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (13) ◽  
pp. 4430-4443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah M. Ramsey ◽  
Patricia J. Baynham ◽  
Daniel J. Wozniak

ABSTRACT Mucoid variants of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce the exopolysaccharide alginate and colonize the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis patients. The genes encoding the alginate biosynthetic enzymes are clustered in a single operon, which is under tight transcriptional control. One essential activator of the alginate operon is AlgZ, a proposed ribbon-helix-helix DNA binding protein that shares 30% amino acid identity with the Mnt repressor of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteriophage P22. In the current study, we examined the role of AlgZ as an autoregulator. Using single-copy algZ-lacZ transcription fusions, an increase in algZ transcription was observed in an algZ mutant compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, suggesting that AlgZ may have an additional role as a repressor. To identify the AlgZ binding site, overlapping regions upstream of algZ were incubated with AlgZ and analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Specific binding activity was localized to a region spanning from 66 to 185 base pairs upstream of the algZ transcriptional start site. Two AlgZ binding sites were defined using copper-phenanthroline footprinting and deletion analyses, with one site centered at 93 base pairs and the other centered at 161 base pairs upstream of the algZ promoter. Deletion of both binding sites resulted in the loss of AlgZ binding. These results indicate that AlgZ represses algZ transcription, and this activity is mediated by multiple AlgZ-DNA interactions.


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