Project description:Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the transcriptome expression profiles of E13.5 Foxf2-/-;Osr2RFP/+ and control palatal mesenchyme by using RNA-seq analysis. Methods: Foxf2+/- female mice were crossed with Foxf2+/-;Osr2RFP/+ male mice.The embryos were harvested at E13.5. The pair of palatal shelves were dissected from each Osr2-RFP+ embryo. The RFP+ palatal mesenchyme cells were isolated by using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). RNA-seq analysis was carried out using the FACS-isolated palatal mesenchyme from Foxf2-/-;Osr2RFP/+, Foxf2+/-;Osr2RFP/+ and Osr2RFP/+embryos, respectively.
Project description:Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the transcriptome expression profiles of E12.5 and E13.5 Osr2RFP/- and Osr2RFP/+ palatal mesenchyme by using RNA-seq analysis. Methods: Osr2RFP/+ male mice were crossed with Osr2+/- female mice. The embryos were harvested at E12.5 and E13.5. The pair of palatal shelves were dissected from each Osr2-RFP positive embryo. The RFP+ palatal mesenchyme cells were isolated by using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). RNA-seq analysis was carried out using the FACS-isolated palatal mesenchyme from Osr2RFP/- and Osr2RFP/+ embryos, respectively.
Project description:Cleft palate is among the most common structural birth defects in humans. Previous studies have shown that mutations in FOXF2 are associated with cleft palate in humans and mice and that Foxf2 acts in a Shh-Foxf-Fgf18-Shh molecular network controlling palatal shelf growth. In this study, we generated mice carrying 3xFLAG epitope-tagged endogenous Foxf2 protein using the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing technology and characterized genome-wide Foxf2 binding sites in the developing palatal shelves using chromatin immunoprecipitation and genome sequencing (ChIP-seq). By combined analysis of ChIP-seq and RNA-seq datasets we identified a large list of Foxf2 target genes. Further analyses demonstrate that Foxf2 directly regulate expression of several genes encoding ECM or ECM modifiers during palate development. Moreover, our ChIP-seq and RNA-seq datasets provide an excellent resource for comprehensive understanding of the molecular network controlling palate development.
Project description:We created mice, which are deficient for Myc specifically in cardiac myocytes by crossing crossed Myc-floxed mice (Mycfl/fl) and MLC-2VCre/+ mice. Serial analysis of earlier stages of gestation revealed that Myc-deficient mice died prematurely at E13.5-14.5. Morphological analyses of E13.5 Myc-null embryos showed normal ventricular size and structure; however, decreased cardiac myocyte proliferation and increased apoptosis was observed. BrdU incorporation rates were also decreased significantly in Myc-null myocardium. Myc-null mice displayed a 3.67-fold increase in apoptotic cardiomyocytes by TUNEL assay. We examined global gene expression using oligonucleotide microarrays. Numerous genes involved in mitochondrial death pathways were dysregulated including Bnip3L and Birc2. Keywords: wildtype vs Myc-null
Project description:PGCs undergo two distinct stages of demethylation before reaching a hypomethylated ground state at E13.5. Stage 1 occurs between E7.25- E9.5 in which PGCs experience a global loss of cytosine methylation. However, discreet loci escape this global loss of methylation and between E10.5-E13.5, stage 2 of demethylation takes place. In this stage these loci are targeted by Tet1 and Tet2 leading to the loss of the remaining methylation and resulting in the epigenetic ground state. Our data shows that Dnmt1 is responsible for maintaining the methylation of loci that escape stage 1 demethylation, and that it functions in a UHRF1 independent manner. Our data further demonstrates that when these loci lose methylation prior to stage 2 it results in early activation of the meiotic program, which leads to precocious differentiation of the germ line resulting in a decreased pool of PGCs in the embryo and subsequent infertility in adult mice.
Project description:Cleft palate is one of the most prevalent birth defects. Mice are useful for studying palate development because of their morphological and genetic similarities to humans. In mice, palate development occurs between embryonic days (E)11.5 to 15.5. Single cell transcriptional profiles of palate cell populations have been a valuable resource for the craniofacial research community, but we lack a single cell transcriptional profile for anterior palate at E13.5, at the transition from proliferation to shelf elevation. Here, a detailed single cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals heterogeneity in expression profiles of the cell populations of the E13.5 anterior palate. Mesenchymal populations spatially segregate into four domains. One of these mesenchymal populations expresses ligands and receptors distinct from the rest of the mesenchyme, suggesting that these cells have a unique function. RNAVelocity analysis shows two terminal cell states that contribute to either the proximal or distal palatal regions emerge from a single progenitor pool. This single cell resolution expression data and detailed analysis from E13.5 anterior palate provides a powerful resource for mechanistic insight into secondary palate morphogenesis for the craniofacial research community.
Project description:We created mice, which are deficient for Myc specifically in cardiac myocytes by crossing crossed Myc-floxed mice (Mycfl/fl) and MLC-2VCre/+ mice. Serial analysis of earlier stages of gestation revealed that Myc-deficient mice died prematurely at E13.5-14.5. Morphological analyses of E13.5 Myc-null embryos showed normal ventricular size and structure; however, decreased cardiac myocyte proliferation and increased apoptosis was observed. BrdU incorporation rates were also decreased significantly in Myc-null myocardium. Myc-null mice displayed a 3.67-fold increase in apoptotic cardiomyocytes by TUNEL assay. We examined global gene expression using oligonucleotide microarrays. Numerous genes involved in mitochondrial death pathways were dysregulated including Bnip3L and Birc2. Hearts were taken from wide type and Myc-null Mouse embryos at E13.5 under the dissecting scope. Cardiac myocyte RNA was isolated using TRIZOL®Reagent Total RNA (100 ng) was hybridized to the Sentrix® MouseRef-8 Expression BeadChip that contains probes for ~24,000 transcripts. GeneChips were scanned using the Hewlett-Packard GeneArray Scanner G2500A. The data were analyzed with Illumina Inc. BeadStudio version 1.5.0.34 and normalized by rank invariant method.
Project description:We identify a role for two evolutionarily related, secreted metalloproteases of the ADAMTS family (A disintegrin-like and metalloprotease domain with thrombospondin type-1 motif), ADAMTS20 and ADAMTS9, in palatogenesis. Adamts20 mutations cause the mouse white spotting mutant belted (bt), whereas Adamts9 is essential for survival beyond 7.5 days of gestation (E7.5). Functional overlap of Adamts9 with Adamts20 was established in bt/bt:Adamts9+/- mice, which have increased white spotting relative to bt mice, as previously reported, and a fully penetrant cleft palate. Palatal closure was delayed, although eventually completed, in both bt/+;Adamts9+/- and bt/bt mice, demonstrating a cooperative role of these related genes. Adamts9 and Adamts20 are both expressed in palatal mesenchyme, with Adamts9 expressed exclusively in microvascular endothelial cells. Palatal shelves from bt/bt:Adamts9+/- mice fused in culture, suggesting an intact TGF signaling pathway in palatal epithelium, and indicating a temporally specific delay in palatal shelf elevation and growth toward the midline. Palatal shelf mesenchymal cells showed a statistically significant decrease of cell proliferation at E13.5 and E14.5, as well as decreased processing of versican, an ADAMTS substrate, at these stages. Vcan haploinsufficiency led to a greater penetrance of cleft palate in bt mice, and impaired proliferation was also seen in palatal mesenchymal cells of these mice, suggesting a role for ADAMTS-mediated versican proteolysis in palatal closure. In a parallel with recent work identifying a role for a bioactive ADAMTS-generated versican fragment in regulating apoptosis during interdigital web regression, we propose that versican proteolysis may influence palatal mesenchymal cell proliferation. Palatal shelves were dissected from four E13.75 Adamts9+/-:bt/bt embyos (correspond to the 4 samples: Palate_Adamts9+/-:bt/bt_Rep1, Palate_Adamts9+/-:bt/bt_Rep2, Palate_Adamts9+/-:bt/bt_Rep3 and Palate_Adamts9+/-:bt/bt_Rep4) and age-matched 3 wild-type C57Bl/6 embryos (correspond to the 3 samples: Palate_WT_Rep1, Palate_WT_Rep2, and Palate_WT_Rep3) that were used as the controls