Project description:The vertebrate embryo undergoes a series of dramatic morphological changes as the body extends to form the complete anterior-posterior axis during the somite-forming stages. The molecular mechanisms regulating these complex processes are still largely unknown. We show that the Hippo pathway transcriptional coactivators Yap1 and Wwtr1 are specifically localized to the ectoderm and notochord, and play a critical and unexpected role in posterior body extension by regulating the assembly of Fibronectin underneath the ectoderm and surrounding the notochord. We also find that Yap1/Wwtr1, also acting through Fibronectin, have an essential role in the ectodermal morphogenesis necessary to form the initial dorsal and ventral fins, a process that had been thought to involve bending of an epithelial sheet, but which we now show involves active cell migration. Our results reveal how the Hippo pathway transcriptional program, localized to two specific tissues, acts to control essential morphological events in the vertebrate embryo.
Project description:We performed differential DGE analysis on RNA-seq data to determine the genes misregulated in triple mutant embryos (3etv) for etv4, etv5a, and etv5b transcription factors. 3etv mutants had defects in posterior mesoderm formation, somitogenesis, and body axis straightening, as well as other Fgf related phenotypes.
Project description:We performed differential DGE analysis on RNA-seq data to determine the genes misregulated in triple mutant embryos (3etv) for etv4, etv5a, and etv5b transcription factors. 3etv mutants had defects in posterior mesoderm formation, somitogenesis, and body axis straightening, as well as other Fgf related phenotypes.
Project description:This project aimed at identifying developmental stage specific transcript profiles for catecholaminergic neurons in embryos and early larvae of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Catecholaminergic neurons were labeled using transgenic zebrafish strains to drive expression of GFP. At stages 24, 36, 72 and 96 hrs post fertilization, embryos were dissociated and GFP expressing cells sorted by FACS. Isolated RNAs were processed using either polyA selection and libray generation or NanoCAGE. This is the first effort to determine stage specific mRNA profiles of catecholaminergic neurons in zebrafish. Catecholaminergic neurons were labeled by four different strategies: (1) 24 hrs old embryos: we used the ETvmat2:GFP transgenic line (Wen et al. 2007). Visualization of monoaminergic neurons and neurotoxicity of MPTP in live transgenic zebrafish. Dev Biol. 2008 Vol 314 p84-92) which at this early stage labels catecholaminergic neurons in posterior tuberculum and locus coeruleus; (2) 24 hrs old embryos: we used Tg(otpb.A:egfp)zc48 transgenic line (Fujimoto et al. Identification of a dopaminergic enhancer indicates complexity in vertebrate dopamine neuron phenotype specification. Dev Biol 2011, Vol 352, p393–404) which at this stage label ventral diencephalic dopaminergic neurons and some preoptic neurons. (3) For 72 and 96 hrs old zebrafish larvae we used a th:GFP BAC transgenic lines that labels catecholaminergic neurons (Tay et al., Comprehensive catecholaminergic projectome analysis reveals single-neuron integration of zebrafish ascending and descending dopaminergic systems. Nat Comms 2011 Vol 2, 171; also: T. Leng and W. Driever, unpublished). (4) for the 36 and 48 hrs old zebrafish larvae we used a th:Gal4VP16 driver and UAS:EGFP responder transgenic line system to label catecholaminergic cells (Fernandes et al., Deep brain photoreceptors control light-seeking behavior in zebrafish larvae. Curr Biol. 2012 Vol 22 DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.016). We used the different transgenic lines, because lines (3) and (4) do not efficiently label catecholaminergic neurons at early stages, while lines (1) and (2) also have GFP expression in several other non-catecholaminergic populations at later stages of development. Embryos were dissociated and catecholaminergic neurons were FACS sorted from GFP-tagged zebrafish (Manoli and Driever, 2012, Cold Spring Harbor Protoc. DOI 10.1101/pdb.prot069633). RNA was either processed for NanoCAGE, or mRNA was isolated and amplified. cDNA was sequenced by Illumina technique. This data submission is a series of data files consisting of three independent experiments with diffrent RNA-Seq depth: Samples 1-4 (NanoCage): Samples 5-8 (RNA-Seq high read numbers), and SAmples 9-12 (RNA-Seq low read numbers).
Project description:Asymmetrical localization of biomolecules inside the egg, results in uneven cell division and two daughter cells with different fates. This phenomenon is required for the establishment of many biological processes and is particularly responsible for the great variety of cell types formed during developmentand requires strict timing and positional control. The key molecules determining the body plan are the mRNAs, of which many examples have already been discovered to be asymmetrically localized during oogenesis and embryogenesis in both the amphibian and fish models. However, our knowledge about evolutionary conservation or differences of localized mRNAs is still limited to a few candidates. Our goal has been to compare localization profiles along the animal-vegetal axis of mature eggs of four diverse models, Xenopus laevis, Danio rerio, Ambystoma mexicanum and Acipenser ruthenus using the spatial expression analysis method called TOMO-Seq. Surprisingly, we revealed RNAs that code for many known important genes such as germ layer determinants, germ plasm factors and members of key signalling pathways, are localized in completely different profiles among the models and sometimes even missing in their genomes. We determined the transcriptome distribution and found a poor correlation between the vegetally localized genes but a relatively good correlation between the animally localized genes. These findings indicate that the regulation of embryonic development within the animal kingdom is highly diverse and cannot be deduced based on a single model.