Proprotein Convertase Furina Is Required for Heart Development in Zebrafish

Cardiac looping and trabeculation are key processes during cardiac chamber maturation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we report the isolation, cloning, and characterization of the proprotein convertase furina from the cardiovascular mutant loft in zebrafish. loft is an ethylnitrosourea-induced mutant and has evident defects in the cardiac outflow tract, heart looping and trabeculation, the craniofacial region, and pharyngeal arch arteries. Positional cloning revealed that furina mRNA was barely detectable in loft mutants, and loft failed to complement the TALEN-induced furina mutant pku338, confirming that furina is responsible for the loft mutant phenotypes. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that Notch reporter Tg(tp1:mCherry) signals were largely eliminated in mutant hearts, while over-expression of NICD partially rescued the mutant phenotypes, probably due to the lack of Furina-mediated cleavage processing of Notch1b proteins, the only Notch receptor expressed in the heart. Together, our data suggest a potential post-translational modification of Notch1b proteins via the proprotein convertase Furina in the heart and unveil the function of the Furina-Notch1b axis in cardiac looping and trabeculation in zebrafish and possibly in other organisms.

Pharyngeal pouches provide a niche microenvironment for arch artery progenitor specification

ABSTRACTThe paired pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) are transient blood vessels connecting the heart with the dorsal aorta during embryogenesis. Although PAA malformations often occur along with pharyngeal pouch defects, the functional interaction between these adjacent tissues remains largely unclear. Here, we report that pharyngeal pouches are essential for PAA progenitor specification in zebrafish embryos. We reveal that the segmentation of pharyngeal pouches coincides spatiotemporally with the emergence of PAA progenitor clusters. These pouches physically associate with pharyngeal mesoderm in discrete regions and provide a niche microenvironment for PAA progenitor commitment by expressing BMP proteins. Specifically, pouch-derived BMP2a and BMP5 are the primary niche cues responsible for activating the BMP/Smad pathway in pharyngeal mesoderm, thereby promoting progenitor specification. In addition, BMP2a and BMP5 play an inductive function in the expression of the cloche gene npas4l in PAA progenitors. cloche mutants exhibit a striking failure to specify PAA progenitors and display ectopic expression of head muscle markers in the pharyngeal mesoderm. Therefore, our results support a crucial role for pharyngeal pouches in establishing a progenitor niche for PAA morphogenesis via BMP2a/5 expression.

Cell - ECM Interactions Play Multiple Essential Roles in Aortic Arch Development

Rationale: Defects in the morphogenesis of the 4th pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) give rise to lethal birth defects. Understanding genes and mechanisms regulating PAA formation will provide important insights into the etiology and treatments for congenital heart disease. Objective: Cell-ECM interactions play essential roles in the morphogenesis of PAAs and their derivatives, the aortic arch artery (AAA) and its major branches; however, their specific functions are not well-understood. Previously, we demonstrated that integrin α5β1 and fibronectin (Fn1) expressed in the Isl1 lineages regulate PAA formation. The objective of the current studies was to investigate cellular mechanisms by which integrin α5β1 and Fn1 regulate AAA morphogenesis. Methods and Results: Using temporal lineage tracing, whole-mount confocal imaging, and quantitative analysis of the second heart field (SHF) and endothelial cell (EC) dynamics, we show that the majority of PAA EC progenitors arise by E7.5 in the SHF and contribute to pharyngeal arch endothelium between E7.5 and E9.5. Consequently, SHF-derived ECs in the pharyngeal arches form a uniform plexus of small blood vessels, which remodels into the PAAs by 35 somites. The remodeling of the vascular plexus is orchestrated by signals dependent on the pharyngeal ECM microenvironment, extrinsic to the endothelium. Conditional ablation of integrin α5β1 or Fn1 in the Isl1 lineages showed that signaling by the ECM regulates AAA morphogenesis at multiple steps: 1) accumulation of SHF-derived ECs in the pharyngeal arches, 2) remodeling of the uniform EC plexus in the 4th arches into the PAAs; and 3) differentiation of neural crest-derived cells adjacent to the PAA endothelium into vascular smooth muscle cells. Conclusions: PAA formation is a multi-step process entailing dynamic contribution of SHF-derived ECs to pharyngeal arches, the remodeling of endothelial plexus into the PAAs, and the remodeling of the PAAs into the AAA and its major branches. Cell-ECM interactions regulated by integrin α5β1 and Fn1 play essential roles at each of these developmental stages.

Abstract 12540: Neural Crest Cell-derived Wnt5a Regulates Planar Cell Polarity in Cranial Second Heart Field Progenitor Cells

Introduction: Wnt5a is a known regulator of planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling in second heart field (SHF) progenitor cells. It is generally believed that Wnt5a ligands are secreted by the SHF; however, SHF-specific conditional deletion of Wnt5a does not recapitulate outflow tract (OFT) defects observed in global Wnt5a mutants. Hypothesis: Given the proximity and interaction between neural crest cells (NCC) and cranial SHF that contributes to the developing OFT, we hypothesize that NCC may serve as an additional source of Wnt5a for SHF progenitors. Methods: Wnt5a was conditionally deleted in the neural crest using transgenic Wnt1-cre mice. Embryos were harvested from control and mutant litter mates and immunofluoresence, in situ hybridization, and hematoxylin-eosin stains were performed on histologic sections using standard techniques. India ink injections were performed to evaluate pharyngeal arch artery and outflow tract morphology in whole mount embryos. Results: Wnt1-cre driven conditional deletion of Wnt5a in NCC did not impact NCC survival or migration into the developing OFT. However, SHF cells in mutant E10.5 embryos showed altered PCP signaling with reduced phalloidin and laminin expression. The resulting loss in polarized directional movement of the SHF led to reduced incorporation into and elongation of the developing OFT. The shortened OFT was mal-aligned resulting in fully penetrant double outlet right ventricle (DORV) at E14.5. In addition, maturation of pharyngeal arch arteries was also impaired such that all mutants express pharyngeal arch artery defects, including aortic arch abnormalities and aberrant right subclavian artery. In contrast, there was no observed effect on PCP in the more caudal SHF cells, and none of the mutant embryos had inflow tract or venous pole defects. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that NCC are a novel source of Wnt5a. NCC-derived Wnt5a is critically required to regulate PCP signals in the most cranial SHF regulating the development of the OFT and pharyngeal arch arteries.

How best to describe the pharyngeal arch arteries when the fifth arch does not exist?

In the accompanying article appearing in this issue of the Journal, Prabhu and his colleagues, from Bengalaru in India, describe their experience with patients having a right aortic arch. They discuss the fact that the anomalous arrangements they encountered can all be interpreted on the basis of the hypothetical double arch proposed by Edwards. They point to the fact that interpretation of the developmental changes underscoring the production of the double arch is currently confused by reference to the so-called Rathke diagram, in which six sets of arteries are shown extending through the mesenchyme of the pharyngeal arches. As the authors point out, Graham and his associates have now shown that the alleged fifth set of pharyngeal arches do not exist. Based on our own observations, we endorse this statement. It means that new explanations must now be provided for the lesions previously described on the basis of persistence of the alleged artery of the fifth pharyngeal arch. We have previously claimed to have observed such an artery in a human fetus. We now believe, on the basis of our latest findings, that our earlier observation is better explained on the basis of presence of a collateral channel. We suggest that the so-called “fifth arch arteries” are themselves then best explained either on the basis of existence of such collateral channels, or remodelling of the aortic sac, which is the manifold, during development, that gives rise to the pharyngeal arch arteries.

Pharyngeal pouches provide a niche microenvironment for arch artery progenitor specification

The paired pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) are transient blood vessels connecting the heart with the dorsal aorta during embryogenesis. Although PAA malformations often occur along with pharyngeal pouch defects, the functional interaction between these adjacent tissues remains largely unclear. Here we report that the ablation of pouches in zebrafish embryos impairs PAA progenitor specification and leads to the absence of PAA structures. Through time-lapse imaging studies, we reveal that the segmentation of pharyngeal pouches coincides spatiotemporally with the emergence of PAA progenitor clusters. These pouches physically associate with pharyngeal mesoderm in discrete regions and provide a niche microenvironment for PAA progenitor commitment by expressing BMP proteins. Specifically, tissue specific knockdown experiments demonstrate that pouch-derived BMP2a and BMP5 are the primary niche cues responsible for activating the BMP/Smad pathway in pharyngeal mesoderm, thereby promoting progenitor specification. In addition, BMP2a and BMP5 play a primary inductive function in the expression of the cloche gene npas4l in PAA progenitors. Mutation of the cloche locus represses the specification of PAA progenitors and generates ectopic muscle precursors in the pharyngeal mesoderm. Therefore, our results support a critical role of pharyngeal pouches in establishing a progenitor niche for PAA morphogenesis via BMP2a/5 expression.

Folic acid supplement rescues ethanol-induced developmental defects in the zebrafish embryos

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FASD) describes a range of birth defects. Mechanisms of FASD-associated defects are not well understood. It has great significance to investigate whether nutrient supplements like folic acid (FA) can effectively rescue ethanol-induced defects. Moreover, it is very important to determine the optimal time for FA supplementation when it can most effectively antagonize the teratogenic effects of ethanol during embryonic development. Our results indicated that ethanol exposure interrupted the development of zebrafish embryos and induced multiple defects in cardiac function, pharyngeal arch arteries, vessel, craniofacial cartilage, pharyngeal arches, brain, somite and hemoglobin formation. The expressions of critical genes that play important roles in above organs such as tbx1, flk-1, hand2, ngn1, huc, titin, gata-1 and c-myb were reduced, and the apoptosis was increased in ethanol-treated group. FA supplementation could reverse ethanol-induced defects, improve the decreased expressions of above genes and reduce the apoptosis. We also found that giving FA at 6–12 h post-fertilization (hpf), which is at the gastrula period (5.25–10 hpf), can obviously prevent the teratogenicity of ethanol. This research provides clues for elucidating the mechanism of fetal abnormalities caused by alcohol intake and for preventing FASD.

Cell – ECM interactions play distinct and essential roles at multiple stages during the development of the aortic arch

RationaleDefects in the morphogenesis of the 4th pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) give rise to lethal birth defects. Understanding genes and mechanisms regulating PAA formation will provide important insights into the etiology and treatments for congenital heart disease.ObjectiveCell-ECM interactions play essential roles in the morphogenesis of PAAs and their derivatives, the aortic arch artery (AAA) and its major branches; however, their specific functions are not well-understood. Previously, we demonstrated that integrin α5β1 and fibronectin (Fn1) expressed in the Isl1 lineages regulate PAA formation. The objective of these studies was to investigate cellular mechanisms by which integrin α5β1 and Fn1 regulate AAA morphogenesis.Methods and ResultsUsing temporal lineage tracing, whole-mount confocal imaging, and quantitative analysis of the second heart field (SHF) and endothelial cell (EC) dynamics, we show that the majority of PAA EC progenitors arise by E7.5 in the SHF and populate pharyngeal arch mesenchyme between E7.5 and E9.5. Consequently, SHF-derived ECs in the pharyngeal arches become organized into a uniform plexus of small blood vessels, which becomes remodeled into the PAAs between 31 – 35 somites. The remodeling of the vascular plexus is orchestrated by signals dependent on pharyngeal ECM microenvironment extrinsic to the endothelium. Conditional ablation of integrin α5β1 or Fn1 in the Isl1 lineages showed that signaling by the ECM regulates AAA morphogenesis at multiple steps: 1) the recruitment of the SHF-derived ECs into the pharyngeal arches, 2) the remodeling of the uniform EC plexus in the 4th arches into the PAAs; and 3) differentiation of neural crest-derived cells abutting the PAA endothelium into vascular smooth muscle cells.ConclusionsPAA formation is a multi-step process entailing dynamic contribution of SHF-derived ECs to pharyngeal arches, the remodeling of endothelial plexus into the PAAs, and the remodeling of the PAAs into the AAA and its major branches. Cell-ECM interactions regulated by integrin α5β1 and Fn1 play essential roles at each of these developmental stages.