ABSTRACT: We co-isolated hair follicle placode and dermal condensate cells along with other specific cell types from E14.5 embryonic mouse skin. With next-generation RNA-sequencing we defined gene expression patterns in the context of the entire embryonic skin. FACS was used to isolate specific cell types from E14.5 embryonic mouse skin.
Project description:We co-isolated hair follicle placode and dermal condensate cells along with other specific cell types from E14.5 embryonic mouse skin. With next-generation RNA-sequencing we defined gene expression patterns in the context of the entire embryonic skin.
Project description:Canonical WNT-signaling is essential for placode formation irrespective of appendage type. At sites of placode initiation, Although WNT-signaling occurs in both epithelium and mesenchyme, the site of most intense activity as revealed by the WNT reporter Axin2-LacZ was in a zone just below the epithelial-mesenchymal interface. In ventral foot-skin, this WNT activity peaked at E17.5, concomitant with sweat bud fate commitment, while in dorsal back-skin, it began at E14.5, concomitant with HF fate specification.
Project description:In this study, we analysed early embryonic skin development (mus musculus; C57BL/6J) at the transcriptional level. Major questions concerned the cell type composition of early embryonic skin, and the emergence of transcriptional heterogeneity among epithelial and stromal precursor cells. Cells were isolated from embryonic dorsal skin and randomly sequenced (scRNA-Seq using 10X Genomics v2) without any cell sorting. Data from three embryonic time points (E12.5, E13.5, and E14.5) was integrated and compared to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of early skin development.
Project description:Few families of signaling factors have been implicated in the control of development. Here we identify the neuropeptides nociceptin and somatostatin, a neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine hormone, as a class of developmental signals in chick and zebrafish. We show that signals from the anterior mesendoderm are required for the formation of anterior placode progenitors with one of the signals being somatostatin. Somatostatin controls ectodermal expression of nociceptin and both peptides regulate Pax6 in lens and olfactory progenitors. Consequently, loss of somatostatin and nociceptin signaling leads to severe reduction of lens formation. Our findings not only uncover these neuropeptides as developmental signals, but also identify a long-sought-after mechanism that initiates Pax6 in placode progenitors and may explain the ancient evolutionary origin of neuropeptides, pre-dating a complex nervous system. We used progenitors for anterior and posterior sensory placodes dissected from chick embryos HH5-7; these were either processed immediately or cultured for 5 hrs to hybridise to Affymetrix chick array. We aimed to identify genes that are co regualted with Pax6, a key regulator of lens and olfactory progenitor cells. Pax6 is normally present in anterior, but not posterior placode precursors, but upregulated in both after 5 hrs culture.
Project description:Fgf20 is expressed from the hair follicle placode and is required for development of the dermal condensate. Here we used RNAseq to identify the immediate transcriptional targets of FGF20 in Fgf20-/- dermis at E13.5, a timepoint immediately prior to dermal condensate initiation.
Project description:This experiment depicts RNA-Seq datasets from wild type XY male and XX female, as well as sex chromosomally abnormal XO female (Turner syndrome) and XX male (Klinefelter variant syndrome) mouse germ cells before, during and after germline reprogramming. This range from E6.5 epiblasts, fluorescence activated cell sorted (FACS) highly purified populations of germ cells (EGFP-positive) and gonadal somatic cells (EGFP-negative) from both sexes at E9.5, E11.5, E12.5, E14.5, E15.5, E16.5 and E18.5, as well as purified spermatogonia and leptotene / zygotene spermatocytes from P2 and P11 males, respectively. Non-gonadal somatic cell control datasets were generated from male and female E14.5 liver and tail. Germ cells from individual embryos were processed to make cDNA libraries and served as biological replicates. We generated in total 184 libraries for our analysis from 60 separate conditions.
Project description:Wnt signaling in early eye development, specifically the lens placode shows expression of 12 out of 19 Wnt ligands. We these Wnt activities were suppressed using conditional deletion of Wntless, dramatic phenotypic changes in morphogensis occurred. Microarray analysis of the genes that were changed in response to deletion of Wnt ligands in the developing eye region show direct or indirect responses from the surface ectoderm to the developing RPE and optic cup curvature, creating an overal shape change phenotype in the bilayerd epithelium of the optic cup. Mouse embryos at embryonic stage e10.5 were disected into pbs and eye regions were disected and removed for RNA extraction and hybridization to Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to identify the genes that were changed in response to deletion of Wls from the developing surface ectoderm of the eye region. Genes changed could be the direct or indirect result from deleltion of Wls from the surface ectoderm using the LeCre recombinase gene as a tool for analysis.
Project description:Forkhead transcription factors are essential for diverse processes in early embryonic development and organogenesis. Foxd1 is required during kidney development and its inactivation results in failure of nephron progenitor cell differentiation. Foxd1 is expressed in interstitial cells adjacent to nephron progenitor cells, suggesting an essential role for the progenitor cell niche in nephrogenesis. To better understand how cortical interstitial cells in general, and FOXD1 in particular, influence the progenitor cell niche, we examined the differentiation states of two progenitor cell subtypes in Foxd1-/- tissue. We found that while nephron progenitor cells are retained in a primitive CITED1-expressing compartment, cortical interstitial cells prematurely differentiate. To identify pathways regulated by FOXD1, we used microarray analysis and screened for target genes by comparison of Foxd1 null and wild type tissues. We chose the E14.5 timepoint because at this stage nephron differentiation is present in wild type kidneys but absent from Foxd1 null kidneys. We examined genes that were upregulated or downregulated in the Foxd1 null compared to wild type. Embryonic kidneys were harvested from Foxd1-/- and wild type littermates from three E14.5 litters. Three biological replicates were generated per genotype, each containing two non-littermate kidney pairs. Sex of embryos was not determined.
Project description:Early mouse development is accompanied by dynamic changes in chromatin modifications, including G9a-mediated histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), which is essential for embryogenesis. Here we show that H3K9me2 directs repression of 2-cell stage specific genes in nascent embryos to facilitate preimplantation development. Thereafter, genome-wide accumulation of H3K9me2 is crucial for postimplantation development, and coincides with redistribution of EZH2-dependent histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Loss of G9a or EZH2 results in upregulation of distinct gene sets involved in processes such as cell cycle regulation as well as germline and embryonic development. Accumulation of H3K9me2 not only occurs at promoters and gene bodies, but also extends to active enhancer elements to promote their developmentally-linked silencing. This epigenetic mechanism is important for priming gene regulatory networks in epiblast cells undergoing rapid cell proliferation in preparation for critical cell fate decisions. Examination of 2 histone modification in 3 cell types and transcriptional analysis of G9a and Ezh2 KO epiblasts and Whole genome bisulfite sequencing in two cell types
Project description:This study analyzes gene expression in beta-thalassemic fetal liver erythroblasts in the Th3 murine model. FACS-purified wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous stage-matched erythroblasts from E14.5 fetal livers are compared. We used FACS to purify CD71+Ter119+FSChigh matched populations from E14.5 fetal livers of wild-type, Th3/+, and Th3/Th3 embryos