Histone demethylase Lsd1 is required for the differentiation of neural cells in Nematostella vectensis.

ABSTRACT: Chromatin regulation is a key process in development but its contribution to the evolution of animals is largely unexplored. Chromatin is regulated by a diverse set of proteins, which themselves are tightly regulated in a cell/tissue-specific manner. Using the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a basal metazoan model, we explore the function of one such chromatin regulator, Lysine specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1). We generated an endogenously tagged allele and show that NvLsd1 expression is developmentally regulated and higher in differentiated neural cells than their progenitors. We further show, using a CRISPR/Cas9 generated mutant that loss of NvLsd1 leads to developmental abnormalities. This includes the almost complete loss of differentiated cnidocytes, cnidarian-specific neural cells,

SUBMITTER: Gahan JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8786827 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature