bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Src family of protein tyrosine kinases: regulation and functions
Authors: Courtneidge Sara A. , Fumagalli Stefano , Koegl Manfred , Superti-Furga Giulio , Twamley-Stein Geraldine M.
Published: April 2021

Most of the nine members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases are restricted in their expression, often to cells of the haematopoietic lineage, while some, particularly Src, Fyn and Yes, are more ubiquitously expressed. We have been studying the functions of Src, Fyn and Yes in fibroblasts. We have shown that stimulation of quiescent fibroblasts with platelet-derived growth factor (I’DGF) causes Src, Fyn and Yes to become activated, and to associate transiently with the I’DGF receptor. To address the role of Src, Fyn and Yes in the response to I’DGF, we have used a dominant negative approach, in which cells were engineered to express catalytically inactive forms of Src kinases. These cells were unable to enter S phase in response to I’DGF, and we therefore conclude that Src family tyrosine kinases are required in order for the I’DGF receptor to transmit a mitogenic signal.

It has previously been shown that the kinase activity of Src is negatively regulated by phosphorylation of tyr 527 in its carboxy-terminal tail. A kinase, Csk, that phosphorylates tyr 527 has recently been identified. We expressed Src in yeast to test the model that phosphorylation of tyr 527 represses activity by promoting intramolecular association between the tail and the SH2 domain. Inducible expression of Src in .S’. pombe caused cell death. Co-expression of Csk counteracted this effect. Src proteins mutated in the SH2 domain were as lethal as wild-type Src, but were insensitive to Csk. We interpret these results in favour of an SH2 domain : phosphorylated tail interaction repressing Src activity. However, we have also found that Src molecules containing mutations in the SH3 domain are not regulated by Csk. suggesting that the SH3 domain also functions in the intramolecular regulation of Src activity.
The Drosophila EGF receptor homologue (DER) is required for Malpighian tubule development
Authors: Baumann Peter , Skaer Helen
Published: April 2021

Defects in the locus Egfr, encoding the Drosophila EG F receptor homologue (DER), affect the development of the Malpighian tubules. They form as much shorter structures than in wild-type embryos, containing a reduced number of cells. The severity of this phenotype in seven alleles that we have analysed correlates with other embryonic defects caused by Egfr mutations. Interestingly the two pairs of tubules arc affected with different severity, with a greater reduction in cell number in the posterior pair than in the anterior. Temperature shift experiments indicate a role for this receptor in the regulation of tubule cell division. We also suggest that an additional role for DER in the allocation of cells to the tubule primordio is possible.
Molecular genetics of cell interactions in Arabidopsis
Authors: Pruitt Robert E. , Hülskamp Martin , Kopczak Steven D. , Ploense Sara E. , Schneitz Kay
Published: April 2021

Many events in plant development are regulated by the interactions of neighboring cells. We are interested in determining what sorts of molecules act as signals and/or receptors in these interactions and how these mechanisms relate to those used in animals and fungi. We are presently working on two different types of systems to try to address this question. In one case we are starting at the molecular level and characterizing a family of receptor protein kinase genes which seem natural candidates for mediating cellular interactions. By analyzing the expression patterns of these genes as well as the phenotypes of transgenic plants bearing altered genes we hope to determine what roles these proteins play in plant development. In the second case we are starting from the organismic level and using genetics to identify genes essential to a whole range of cellular interactions which are required for proper male gametophyte development during reproduction. These interactions involve both recognition of the pollen grain to verify that it is from the correct species and also a transfer of positional information from the female to the male which first allows the pollen tube to determine the polarity of the stigmatic cell on which it has germinated and later provides ‘guidance* for the elongating tube to find the ovule.
The initial synthesis of haemoglobin in de-embryonated chick blastoderms.
Authors: Hell Anna
Published: April 2021

Enormous progress has been made in the last few years towards the elucidation of the mechanism of protein synthesis, and great interest is centred on the steps leading to cellular differentiation and specific protein synthesis. We know that genetic information is passed on from one generation of cells to the next by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and that this material directs all protein synthesis by the intermediary of the different types of ribonucleic acid (RNA).
The initial synthesis of haemoglobin in de-embryonated chick blastoderms.
Authors: Hell Anna
Published: April 2021

The effects of fluorophenylalanine, bromodeoxyuridine, azaguanine, Actinomycin D and X-rays on the initial synthesis of haemoglobin in the de-embryonated chick blastoderm have been studied. Morphological observations were made in sections of treated tissues. Determinations of haemoglobin, total protein, RNA and DNA in the vascular area were made. None of these agents proved to inhibit haemoglobin synthesis specifically. With fluorophenylalanine, X-rays and Actinomycin D, the inhibition of haemo-globin production was the same whether treatment was begun at 1 or 10 somites, while with bromodeoxyuridine and azaguanine the inhibition was greater the earlier the substance was applied. Inhibition of haemoglobin, total protein and RNA synthesis were parallel in all cases. The results are discussed in relation to the time of synthesis of ‘messenger’ RNA for haemoglobin production, the time of appearance of globin and haemoglobin, and the probable effective life of the ‘messenger’ RNA.
Characterization of a homolog of human bone morphogenetic protein 1 in the embryo of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Authors: Hwang Sheng-Ping L. , Partin Jacqueline S. , Lennarz William J.
Published: April 2021

A cDNA clone encoding a protein homologous to human bone morphogenetic protein 1 (huBMP1) was isolated from a sea urchin embryo cDNA library. This sea urchin gene, named suBMP, encodes a protein of Mr of 72×103. The deduced amino acid sequence of suBMP shares 72% sequence similarity (55% identity) with that of huBMP1. Like huBMP1 it also contains an N-terminal metalloendo-protease domain that shares sequence similarity with the astacin protease from crayfish, a C-terminal domain that is similar to the repeat domain found in C1r or C1s serine proteases, and an EGF-like segment. Although suBMP mRNA was detectable at a low level in the unfertilized egg, maximal expression of mRNA was observed at hatched blastula stage, with only a modest decrease in level at later stages of development. In situ hybridization studies revealed that suBMP mRNA is found in both ectodermal and primary mesenchyme cells in hatched blastula-stage embryos. Maximal expression of suBMP was observed at mesenchyme blastula, just before the onset of primitive skeleton (spicule) formation. SuBMP was found by immunoelectronmicroscopy in all cell types in late gastrula stage embryos. The antibody gold particles appeared in small clusters in the cytoplasm, on the surface of the cells and within the blastocoel. This distribution of suBMP, coupled with the finding that it was associated with membranes but was released by sodium carbonate treatment, suggests that the protein is secreted, and subsequently associates with a cell surface component. Two models for the possible function of suBMP in spiculogenesis in the sea urchin embryo are discussed.
Induction of a second neural axis by the mouse node
Authors: Beddington Rosa S. P.
Published: April 2021

The anterior aspect of the mouse primitive streak resembles the organizer of Xenopus and chick in terms of its developmental fate, ability to alter pattern in the chick limb bud and with respect to the repertoire of genes that its constituent cells express. However, until now there has been no direct evidence that the mouse node organizes pattern during gastrulation, nor that the exceptionally small mouse embryonic egg cylinder can be induced to form a second axis. Grafts of transgenically marked mid-gastrulation mouse node, or node labelled with DiI, to a posterolateral location in a host embryo of the same developmental stage results in the induction of a second neural axis and the formation of ectopic somites. The graft gives rise predominantly to notochord and endoderm tissue whereas the neurectoderm and somites are mainly of host origin. The ectopic notochord formed is derived solely from the donor node which suggests that the node can serve as a ‘stem cell’ source of axial mesoderm. This is corroborated by the observation that labelling in situ the population of cells on the outer surface of the mid-gastrulation node with DiI results in continuous labelling of the notochord. DiI-labelled cells are present throughout the notochord from a rostral boundary in the cranial region to its most caudal extreme and the node itself always remains labelled.
Abnormal embryonic cerebellar development and patterning of postnatal foliation in two mouse Engrailed-2 mutants
Authors: Millen Kathleen J. , Wurst Wolfgang , Herrup Karl , Joyner Alexandra L.
Published: April 2021

The cerebellum is an ideal system to study pattern formation in the central nervous system because of its simple cytoarchitecture and regular organization of folds and neural circuitry. Engrailed-2 (En-2) is expressed in a spatially restricted broad band around the mesencephalic-metencephalic junction, a region from which the cerebellum is derived. Mice homozygous for a targeted deletion of the En-2 homeobox, En-2hd, previously have been shown to have an altered adult cerebellar foliation pattern. To address whether the En-2hd allele was hypomorphic, we generated a putative null mutation that makes an N-terminal deletion (ntd). Mice homozygous for this new mutation, En-2ntd, display an identical cerebellar patterning defect, suggesting that both alleles represent null alleles. We also examined the developmental profile of En-2 homozygous mutant cerebellar foliation. This revealed a complex phenotype of general developmental delay and abnormal formation of specific fissures with the most severe morphological disruptions being limited to the posterior region of the cerebellum. The expression of two transgenes, which express lacZ in lobe-specific patterns in the cerebellum, also was found to be altered in En-2 homozygotes, suggesting possible lobe transformations. Finally, during embryogenesis there was a clear delay in fusion of the cerebellar rudiments at the midline by 15.5 d.p.c. This and the expression pattern of En-2 suggests that although cerebellar foliation is largely a postnatal process, the patterning of the cerebellum may begin during embryogenesis and that En-2 plays a critical role in this early process.
The Caenorhabditis elegans gene lin-44 controls the polarity of asymmetric cell divisions
Authors: Herman Michael A. , Horvitz H. Robert
Published: April 2021

The generation and orientation of cellular and organismic polarity are fundamental aspects of development. Mutations in the gene lin-44 of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans reverse both the relative positions of specific sister cells and the apparent polarities of these cells. Thus, lin-44 mutants appear to generate polar cells but to misorient these cells along the body axis of the animal. We postulate that lin-44 acts to specify the orientation of polar cells.
Inhibition of myogenic differentiation in myoblasts expressing a truncated type II TGF-β receptor
Authors: Filvaroff Ellen H. , Ebner Reinhard , Derynck Rik
Published: April 2021

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β? is thought to play a role in mesenchymal cell development and, specifically, in muscle differentiation, yet its precise role in the latter process remains unclear. TGF-β has been shown to both inhibit and induce myoblast maturation in vitro, depending on the culture conditions. Whether the type I or type II TGF-β receptor mediates the various TGF-β effects on myogenesis is not known. In the present study, C2C12 myoblasts were transfected with an expression vector for a truncated type II TGF-β receptor, which has been shown to act as a dominant negative inhibitor of type II receptor signaling. In contrast to the parental cells, the transfected clones did not efficiently form myotubes or induce expression of MyoD, myogenin and several other differentiation markers following incubation in low serum media. However, some muscle differentiation markers continued to be expressed in the transfected cells suggesting that at least two pathways are involved in muscle cell differentiation. These cells could still growth arrest in low serum media, showing that decreased proliferation can be dissociated from differentiation. Unlike several oncogenes known to block myogenic differentiation, expression of the truncated TGF-β receptor did not result in myoblast transformation. Injection of the parental or the transfected C2C12 cells into the limb muscle of nude mice revealed quantitative and qualitative differences in their behavior, and suggested that myoblasts expressing the truncated TGF-β receptor cannot fuse in vivo. Finally, retrovirusmediated expression of MyoD in the transfected cells restored their ability to form myotubes in vitro, indicating that inhibition of myoblast differentiation by the truncated TGF-β receptor may depend on decreased MyoD expression. We propose that TGF-β signaling through the type II receptor is required for several distinct aspects of myogenic differentiation and that TGF-β acts as a competence factor in this multistep process.
The cleavage stage origin of Spemann’s Organizer: analysis of the movements of blastomere clones before and during gastrulation in Xenopus
Authors: Bauer Daniel V. , Huang Sen , Moody Sally A.
Published: April 2021

Recent investigations into the roles of early regulatory genes, especially those resulting from mesoderm induction or first expressed in the gastrula, reveal a need to elucidate the developmental history of the cells in which their transcripts are expressed. Although fates both of the early blastomeres and of regions of the gastrula have been mapped, the relationship between the two sets of fate maps is not clear and the clonal origin of the regions of the stage 10 embryo are not known. We mapped the positions of each blastomere clone during several late blastula and early gastrula stages to show where and when these clones move. We found that the dorsal animal clone (A1) begins to move away from the animal pole at stage 8, and the dorsal animal marginal clone (B1) leaves the animal cap by stage 9. The ventral animal clones (A4 and B4) spread into the dorsal animal cap region as the dorsal clones recede. At stage 10, the ventral animal clones extend across the entire dorsal animal cap. These changes in the blastomere constituents of the animal cap during epiboly may contribute to the changing capacity of the cap to respond to inductive growth factors. Pregastrulation movements of clones also result in the B1 clone occupying the vegetal marginal zone to become the primary progenitor of the dorsal lip of the blastopore (Spemann’s Organizer). This report provides the fundamental descriptions of clone locations during the important periods of axis formation, mesoderm induction and neural induction. These will be useful for the correct targeting of genetic manipulations of early regulatory events.
A role for cytoplasmic determinants in mesoderm patterning: cell-autonomous activation of the goosecoid and Xwnt-8 genes along the dorsoventral axis of early Xenopus embryos
Authors: Lemaire P. , Gurdon J. B.
Published: April 2021

Although an induction event is required for the formation of mesoderm in Xenopus embryos, it is not clear that this induction is wholly sufficient to give rise to a correctly patterned mesodermal layer. We have studied the expression of the two genes, goosecoid and Xwnt-8, in Xenopus gastrulae in which cell-cell communication, and therefore mesoderm induction, has been prevented by frequent cell dispersion. Although neither the early panmesodermal marker Xbra nor the muscle-specific α-actin gene were activated under these conditions, goosecoid and Xwnt-8 were activated in cells of dorsal and ventrolateral origin respectively, thus correctly reflecting their distribution during normal development. We also show that the spatial pattern of expression of these two genes along the animal-vegetal axis is similar in normal and in dissociated early gastrulae: goosecoid is mainly expressed in future mesoderm while the domain of expression of Xwnt-8 spans the mesoderm-endoderm boundary. These results show that, during the blastula and early gastrula stages, gene activation can be controlled cell-autonomously along both the animal-vegetal and dorsoventral embryo axes. This suggests that the inheritance of localised maternal cytoplasmic determinants is a key event for the patterning of mesoderm. We present a modified model of mesoderm formation in which the different mesoderm cell types are produced as a result of cooperation between inductiondependent and induction-independent immediate-early genes.
Null alleles reveal novel requirements for Bic-D during Drosophila oogenesis and zygotic development
Authors: Ran Bing , Bopp Rita , Suter Beat
Published: April 2021

In the Drosophila ovary, the Bicaudal-D (Bic-D) gene is required for the differentiation of one of 16 interconnected cystocyte sister cells into an oocyte. A new class of Bic-Dnull alleles reveals a novel requirement for Bic-D for zygotic viability. In the germ line, the null mutations show that developmental processes that take place in germarial region 1, even those that create asymmetry, are independent of Bic-D function. Bic-D is then required to establish oocyte identity in one cystocyte and is essential, not only for the oocyte-specific accumulation of all oocyte markers that we have tested so far, but also for the posterior migration of the oocyte. In addition, normal polarity amongst the nurse cells requires Bic-D, indicating that the creation of different nurse cell identities may depend on oocyte determination. Our results show that different processes in early oogenesis require different amounts of Bic-D in a processspecific way and certain later processes can proceed at low levels of Bic-D. This suggests that the patterning of the female germ line and the development of an oocyte depend on differential responses to a single activity that is capable of initiating distinct oogenesis processes and can establish different cell fates.
Tissue and cellular patterning of the musculature in chick wings
Authors: Robson L. G. , Kara T. , Crawley A. , Tickle C.
Published: April 2021

Development of the musculature involves generation of a precise number of individual muscles arranged in appropriate locations, each with the correct cellular patterning. To find out the rules that govern muscle number and arrangement, the forearm musculature of chick wing buds was analysed following grafts of the polarizing region or application of retinoic acid. Muscle patterns appear symmetrical with ‘posterior’ muscles now forming in the anterior part of the wing. When the number of muscles that develop is reduced, pattern symmetry is maintained, with loss of anterior muscles in the mid-line, especially dorsally. Strict anteroposterior ordering of muscles in duplicated patterns does not always occur. The number of muscles that develops bears some relationship to the number of forearm elements. Each muscle has a characteristic pattern of fast and slow fibres. In duplicated wings, each pair of symmetrically arranged muscles has the same fibre type pattern. Not only are proportions of fast and slow fibres similar, but local variations in fibre type arrangement within the muscle are also reproduced. This suggests that the cellular pattern within the new ‘posterior’ muscles at the anterior of the limb has been re-specified. In manipulated limb buds, which will develop a duplicated muscle pattern, there are no detectable changes in distribution and number of potentially myogenic cells, and fibre type patterning within early muscle masses also appears normal. In contrast, the splitting process that divides up muscle masses is altered. The appropriate fibre type arrangement only emerges after splitting is complete. This suggests that tissue patterning and cellular patterning occur at different times during muscle development.
msd is required for mesoderm induction in mice
Authors: Holdener Bernadette C. , Faust Cynthia , Rosenthal Nancy S. , Magnuson Terry
Published: April 2021

Mesoderm induction is fundamental for establishing the basic body plan of the vertebrate embryo and mutations are critical for dissecting this process. Mouse embryos lacking msd (mesoderm deficiency) do not produce mesoderm but have well-defined extraembryonic and thickened embryonic ectoderm. Distribution of transcripts indicate that temporal regulation of gene expression relevant to gastrulation has begun but primitive-streak formation and mesoderm induction are blocked. Both msd-deficient embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells fail to form highly differentiated structures of mesoderm origin, but are capable of ectodermal differentiation. Thus, the effects of the msd mutation are restricted to mesoderm formation and could result from the inability to respond to an inducing signal.
Mechanisms of cell rearrangement and cell recruitment in Drosophila ovary morphogenesis and the requirement of bric à brac
Authors: Godt Dorothea , Laski Frank A.
Published: April 2021

The Drosophila ovary consists of repeated units, the ovarioles, where oogenesis takes place. The repetitive structure of the ovary develops de novo from a mesenchymal cell mass, a process that is initiated by the formation of a two-dimensional array of cell stacks, called terminal filaments, during the third larval instar. We have studied the morphogenetic process leading to the formation of terminal filaments and find that this involves recruitment, intercalation and sorting of terminal filament cells. Two other types of cell stacks that participate in ovary morphogenesis, the basal stalks and interfollicular stalks, also form by cell rearrangement utilizing a convergence and extension mechanism. Terminal filament formation depends on the Bric à brac protein, which is expressed in the nuclei of terminal filament cells and is cell autonomously required. Disruption of terminal filament formation, together with defects of basal and interfollicular stalk development, leads to disruption of ovariole formation and female sterility in bric à brac mutants.
Neurogenic genes control gene expression at the transcriptional level in early neurogenesis and in mesectoderm specification
Authors: D. Martín-Bermudo María , Carmena Ana , Jiménez Fernando
Published: April 2021

The development of the central nervous system in the Drosophila embryo is initiated by the acquisition of neural potential by clusters of ectodermal cells, promoted by the activity of proneural genes. Proneural gene function is antagonized by neurogenic genes, resulting in the realization of the neural potential in a single cell per cluster. To analyse the relationship between proneural and neurogenic genes, we have studied, in specific proneural clusters and neuroblasts of wild-type and neurogenic mutants embryos, the expression at the RNA and protein levels of lethal of scute, the most important known proneural gene in central neurogenesis. We find that the restriction of lethal of scute expression that accompanies the restriction of the neural potential to the delaminating neuroblast is regulated at the transcriptional level by neurogenic genes.

These genes, however, do not control the size of proneural clusters. Morover, available antibodies do not provide evidence for an hypothetical posttranscriptional regulation of proneural proteins by neurogenic genes. We also find that neurogenic genes are required for the specification of the mesectoderm. This has been shown for neuralized and Notch, and could also be the case for Delta and for the Enhancer of split gene complex. Neurogenic genes would control at the transcriptional level the repression of proneural genes and the activation of single-minded in the anlage of the mesectoderm.
The Drosophila orphan nuclear receptor Seven-up requires the Ras pathway for its function in photoreceptor determination
Authors: Begemann Gerrit , Michon Anne-Marie , v.d.Voorn Loesje , Wepf Roger , Mlodzik Marek
Published: April 2021

The Drosophila seven-up (svp) gene specifies outer photoreceptor cell fate in eye development and encodes an orphan nuclear receptor with two isoforms. Transient expression under the sevenless enhancer of either svp isoform leads to a dosage-dependent transformation of cone cells into R7 photoreceptors, and at a lower frequency, R7 cells into outer photoreceptors. To investigate the cellular pathways involved, we have taken advantage of the dosage sensitivity and screened for genes that modify this svp-induced phenotype. We show that an active Ras pathway is essential for the function of both Svp isoforms. Loss-of-function mutations in components of the Ras signal transduction cascade act as dominant suppressors of the cone cell transformation, whilst loss-of-function mutations in negative regulators of Ras-activity act as dominant enhancers. Furthermore, Svp-mediated transformation of cone cells to outer photoreceptors, reminiscent of its wildtype function in specifying R3/4 and R1/6 identity, requires an activated Ras pathway in the same cells, or alternatively dramatic increase in ectopic Svp protein levels. Our results indicate that svp is only fully functional in conjunction with activated Ras. Since we find that mutations in the Egfreceptor are also among the strongest suppressors of svpmediated cone cell transformation, we propose that the Ras activity in cone cells is due to low level Egfr signaling. Several models that could account for the observed svp regulation by the Ras pathway are discussed.
Mitotic delay dependent survival identifies components of cell cycle control in the Drosophila blastoderm
Authors: Ruden Douglas M. , Jäckle Herbert
Published: April 2021

The Drosophila body pattern is laid down by maternal and zygotic factors which act during the early phase of embryonic development. During this period, nascent zygotic transcripts longer than about 6 kilobases are aborted between the rapid mitotic cycles. Resurrector1 (Res1) and Godzilla1 (God1), two newly identified dominant zygotic suppressor mutations, and a heterozygous maternal deficiency of the cyclin B locus, complement the partial loss of function of the segmentation gene knirps (kni) by extending the length of mitotic cycles at blastoderm. The mitotic delay caused by Res1 and God1 zygotically and by the deficiency of the cyclin B locus maternally allows the expression of a much longer transcript of a kni cognate gene normally aborted between the short mitotic cycles and consequently allows survival of kni mutant progeny. In addition to the practical benefits of identifying mutations in Drosophila cell cycle regulatory genes as suppressors of kni, our results have evolutionary implications regarding the flexibility of the genome to meet sudden selective pressures by recruiting cognate genes to function.
Disruption of the mouse RBP-Jк gene results in early embryonic death
Authors: Oka Chio , Nakano Toru , Wakeham Andrew , Pompa Jose Luis de la , Mori Chisato , Sakai Takashi , Okazaki Saeko , Kawaichi Masashi , Shiota Kohei , Mak Tak W. , Honjo Tasuku
Published: April 2021

The RBP-Jк protein is a transcription factor that recog-nizes the sequence C(T)GTGGGGA. The RBP-Jк gene is highly conserved in a wide variety of species and the Drosophila homologue has been shown to be identical to Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)] which plays important roles in the development of the peripheral nervous system. To explore the function of the RBP-Jк gene in mouse embryo-genesis, a mutation was introduced into the functional RBP-Jк gene in embryonic stem (ES) cells by homologous recombination. Null mutant ES cells survived but null mutant mice showed embryonic lethality before 10.5 days of gestation. The mutant mice showed severe growth retar-dation as early as 8.5 days of gestation. Developmental abnormalities, including incomplete turning of the body axis, microencephaly, abnormal placental development, anterior neuropore opening and defective somitogenesis, were observed in the mutant mice at 9.5 days of gestation. RBP-Jк mutant embryos expressed a posterior mesoder-mal marker FGFR1. Their irregularly shaped somites expressed a somite marker gene Mox 1 but failed to express myogenin. The RBP-Jк gene was revealed to be essential for postimplantation development of mice.
A new approach to the study of haematopoietic development in the yolk sac and embryoid bodies
Authors: Guimarães M. Jorge , Bazan J. Fernando , Zlotnik Albert , Wiles Michael V. , Grimaldi J. Christopher , Lee Frank , McClanahan Terrill
Published: April 2021

To understand the mechanisms that control the differentiation of uncommitted mesoderm precursors into haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the activation of haematopoiesis, we conducted a study to identify genes expressed at the earliest stages of both in vivo and in vitro haematopoietic development. Our strategy was to utilize Differential Display by means of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (DD-PCR) to compare patterns of gene expression between mRNA populations representing different levels of haematopoietic activity obtained from the mouse embryo, embryoid bodies (EBs) and mouse cell lines. We report the molecular cloning of two groups of genes expressed in the yolk sac: a group of genes expressed in the day-8.5 yolk sac at higher levels than in the day-8.5 embryo proper and up-regulated during EB development, and another group of day-8.5 yolk sac genes not expressed in the day-8.5 embryo proper or in EBs. Specifically, we describe the molecular cloning of the first nucleobase permease gene to be found in vertebrates, yolk sac permease-like molecule 1 (Yspl1). The Yspl1 gene has the unique property of encoding both intracellular, transmembrane and extracellular protein forms, revealing novel aspects of nucleotide metabolism that may be relevant during mammalian development.
Disruption of the mouse MRF4 gene identifies multiple waves of myogenesis in the myotome
Authors: Patapoutian Ardem , Yoon Jeong Kyo , Miner Jeffrey H. , Wang Shuling , Stark Kevin , Wold Barbara
Published: April 2021

MRF4 (herculin/Myf-6) is one of the four member MyoD family of transcription factors identified by their ability to enforce skeletal muscle differentiation upon a wide variety of nonmuscle cell types. In this study the mouse germline MRF4 gene was disrupted by targeted recombination. Animals homozygous for the MRF4bh1 allele, a deletion of the functionally essential bHLH domain, displayed defective axial myogenesis and rib pattern formation, and they died at birth. Differences in somitogenesis between homozygous MRF4bh1 embryos and their wild-type littermates provided evidence for three distinct myogenic regulatory programs (My1-My3) in the somite, which correlate temporally and spatially with three waves of cellular recruitment to the expanding myotome. The first program (My1), marked initially by Myf-5 expression and followed by myogenin, began on schedule in the MRF4bh1/bh1 embryos at day 8 post coitum (E8). A second program (My2) was highly deficient in homozygous mutant MRF4 embryos, and normal expansion of the myotome failed. Moreover, expression of downstream muscle-specific genes, including FGF-6, which is a candidate regulator of inductive interactions, did not occur normally. The onset of MyoD expression around E10.5 in wild-type embryos marks a third myotomal program (My3), the execution of which was somewhat delayed in MRF4 mutant embryos but ultimately led to extensive myogenesis in the trunk. By E15 it appeared to have largely compensated for the defective My2 program in MRF4 mutants. Homozygous MRF4bh1 animals also showed improper rib pattern formation perhaps due to the absence of signals from cells expressing the My2 program. Finally, a later and relatively mild phenotype was detected in intercostal muscles of newborn animals.
Creating a Drosophila wing de novo, the role of engrailed, and the compartment border hypothesis
Authors: Tabata Tetsuya , Schwartz Carol , Gustavson Elizabeth , Ali Zehra , Kornberg Thomas B.
Published: April 2021

Anterior/posterior compartment borders bisect every Drosophila imaginal disc, and the engrailed gene is essential for their function. We analyzed the role of the engrailed and invected genes in wing discs by eliminating or increasing their activity. Removing engrailed/invected from posterior wing cells created two new compartments: an anterior compartment consisting of mutant cells and a posterior compartment that grew from neighboring cells. In some cases, these compartments formed a complete new wing. Increasing engrailed activity also affected patterning. These findings demonstrate that engrailed both directs the posterior compartment pathway and creates the compartment border. These findings also establish the compartment border as the pre-eminent organizational feature of disc growth and patterning.
Establishment of left-right asymmetry in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo: a multistep process involving a series of inductive events
Authors: Hutter Harald , Schnabel Ralf
Published: April 2021

Bilateral pairs of blastomeres derived from the founder cell AB, the anterior blastomere of the 2-cell stage, in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo are initially equivalent in their developmental potential. Recently, we showed that an induction at the 12-cell stage by a blastomere called MS is necessary to establish the differences between left and right pairs of blastomeres in the anterior part of the embryo. Further analysis of the process of creating left-right asymmetry reveals that the induction at the 12-cell stage is only the first of a series of inductions establishing the left- right asymmetry of the embryo. We describe here two further inductions that create additional asymmetries in the posterior part of the embryo. One induction occurs at the 24-cell stage among AB descendants themselves. This induction is restricted to the left side of the embryo as a consequence of the fate changes induced by MS at the 12- cell stage. The second induction requires again blastomeres of the MS lineage and also occurs around the 24-cell stage. Together these inductions establish the fate differences observed in the development of left-right pairs of blastomeres in the embryo.
Effect of polysialic acid on the behavior of retinal ganglion cell axons during growth into the optic tract and tectum
Authors: Yin Xinghua , Watanabe Michiko , Rutishauser Urs
Published: April 2021

We have demonstrated previously that the polysialic acid (PSA) moiety of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) can regulate peripheral nerve branching during development. In particular, it was found that specific enzymatic removal of PSA from motor axons causes them to form tight fascicles that are less responsive to normal guidance cues. In the present study, the role of PSA in the behavior of axons in the central nervous system has been examined through an analysis of chick optic axons during development. Unlike peripheral axons, which generally grow in a PSA-free environment, PSA was found to be present both on retinal ganglion cell axons and their environment in the tract and tectum. Furthermore, the enzymatic removal of PSA from the optic axons caused them to defasciculate in the tract/tectal region. This response was morphologically similar to targeting corrections made by these axons at a later stage when PSA levels have decreased, suggesting that the PSA may serve to shield them from responding prematurely to some guidance cues in their target region.
A Drosophila insulator protein facilitates dosage compensation of the X chromosome mini-white gene located at autosomal insertion sites
Authors: Roseman Robin R. , Swan Jeffrey M. , Geyer Pamela K.
Published: April 2021

The suppressor of Hairy-wing [su(Hw)] gene encodes a zinc finger protein that binds to a repeated motif in the gypsy retrotransposon. These DNA sequences, called the su(Hw)binding region, have properties of an insulator region because they (1) disrupt enhancer/silencer function in a position-dependent manner and (2) protect the mini-white gene from both euchromatic and heterochromatic position effects. To gain further insights into the types of position effects that can be insulated, we determined the effects of the su(Hw)-binding region on dosage compensation of the X-linked mini-white gene. Dosage compensation is the process that equalizes the unequal content of X-linked genes in males and females by increasing the X-linked transcription level twofold in males. Transposition of X-linked genes to the autosomes commonly results in incomplete dosage compensation, indicating that the distinct male X chromatin environment is important for this process. We found that dosage compensation of autosomally integrated mini-white genes flanked by su(Hw)-binding regions was greatly improved, such that complete or nearly complete compensation was observed at the majority of insertion sites. The su(Hw) protein was essential for this enhanced dosage compensation because in a su(Hw) mutant background compensation was incomplete. These experiments provide evidence that the su(Hw)-binding region facilitates dosage compensation of the mini-white gene on the autosomes. This may result from protection of the miniwhite gene from a negative autosomal chromatin environment.
Neurofibromin-deficient fibroblasts fail to form perineurium in vitro
Authors: Rosenbaum Thorsten , Boissy Ying L. , Kombrinck Keith , Brannan Camilynn I. , Jenkins Nancy A. , Copeland Neal G. , Ratner Nancy
Published: April 2021

To identify cell type(s) that might contribute to nerve sheath tumors (neurofibromas) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, we generated cell cultures containing neurons, Schwann cells and fibroblasts from transgenic mouse embryos in which the type 1 neurofibromatosis gene was disrupted by homologous recombination (Brannan et al. (1994)Genes Development, 8,1019-1029). Normal fascicle formation by perineurial cells failed to occur in the absence of neurofibromin. Fascicles were reduced in number and showed abnormal morphology when normal neurons and Schwann cells were cultured up to 37 days with fibroblasts lacking neurofibromin. Proliferation was increased in a majority of fibroblast cell strains analyzed from embryos lacking neurofibromin. These observations suggest that mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 1 gene affect fibroblast behavior that might contribute to neurofibroma formation in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.
Vertebrate retinal ganglion cells are selected from competent progenitors by the action of Notch
Authors: Austin Christopher P. , Feldman Douglas E. , Ida James A. , Cepko Constance L.
Published: April 2021

The first cells generated during development of the vertebrate retina are the ganglion cells, the projection neurons of the retina. Although they are one of the most intensively studied cell types within the central nervous system, little is known of the mechanisms that determine ganglion cell fate. We demonstrate that ganglion cells are selected from a large group of competent progenitors that comprise the majority of the early embryonic retina and that differentiation within this group is regulated by Notch. Notch activity in vivo was diminished using antisense oligonucleotides or augmented using a retrovirally transduced constitutively active allele of Notch. The number of ganglion cells produced was inversely related to the level of Notch activity. In addition, the Notch ligand Delta inhibited retinal progenitors from differentiating as ganglion cells to the same degree as did activated Notch in an in vitro assay. These results suggest a conserved strategy for neurogenesis in the retina and describe a versatile in vitro and in vivo system with which to examine the action of the Notch pathway in a specific cell fate decision in a vertebrate.
Nodal-related signals induce axial mesoderm and dorsalize mesoderm during gastrulation
Authors: Jones C. Michael , Kuehn Michael R. , Hogan Brigid L. M. , Smith James C. , Wright Christopher V. E.
Published: April 2021

Mouse embryos homozygous for a null mutation in nodal arrest development at early gastrulation and contain little or no embryonic mesoderm. Here, two Xenopus nodalrelated genes (Xnr-1 and Xnr-2) are identified and shown to be expressed transiently during embryogenesis, first within the vegetal region of late blastulae and later in the marginal zone during gastrulation, with enrichment in the dorsal lip. Xnrs and mouse nodal function as dosedependent dorsoanterior and ventral mesoderm inducers in whole embryos and explanted animal caps. Using a plasmid vector to produce Xnr proteins during gastrulation, we show that, in contrast to activin and other TGFβ-like molecules, Xnr-1 and Xnr-2 can dorsalize ventral marginal zone explants and induce muscle differentiation. Xnr signalling also rescues a complete embryonic axis in UV-ventralized embryos. The patterns of Xnr expression, the activities of the proteins and the phenotype of mouse nodal mutants, all argue strongly that a signaling pathway involving nodal, or nodal-related peptides, is an essential conserved element in mesoderm differentiation associated with vertebrate gastrulation and axial patterning.
Segmental migration of trunk neural crest: time-lapse analysis reveals a role for PNA-binding molecules
Authors: Krull Catherine E. , Collazo Andres , Fraser Scott E. , Bronner-Fraser Marianne
Published: April 2021

Trunk neural crest cells migrate through the somites in a striking segmental fashion, entering the rostral but not caudal sclerotome, via cues intrinsic to the somites. Attempts to define the molecular bases of these cues have been hampered by the lack of an accessible assay system. To examine trunk neural crest migration over time and to perturb candidate guiding molecules, we have developed a novel explant preparation. Here, we demonstrate that trunk regions of the chicken embryo, placed in explant culture, continue to develop apparently normally for 2 days. Neural crest cells, recognized by prelabeling with DiI or by poststaining with the HNK-1 antibody, migrate in the somites of the explants in their typical segmental pattern. Furthermore, this paradigm allows us to follow trunk neural crest migration in situ for the first time using lowlight-level videomicroscopy. The trajectories of individual neural crest cells were often complex, with cells migrating in an episodic mode encompassing forward, backward and lateral movements. Frequently, neural crest cells migrated in close-knit groups of 2–4 cells, moving at mean rates of migration of 10–14 μm/hour. Treatment of the explants with the lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA) both slowed the rate and altered the pattern of neural crest migration. Neural crest cells entered both the rostral and caudal halves of the sclerotome with mean rates of migration ranging from 6 to 13 μm/hour. These results suggest that peanut agglutinin-binding molecules are required for the segmental patterning of trunk neural crest migration. Because this approach permits neural crest migration to be both observed and perturbed, it offers the promise of more direct assays of the factors that influence neural crest development.
Role of Notch and achaete-scute complex in the expression of Enhancer of split bHLH proteins
Authors: Jennings Barbara , Celis Jesus de , Delidakis Christos , Preiss Anette , Bray Sarah
Published: April 2021

The proteins encoded by Notch and the Enhancer of split complex are components of a cell-cell interaction mechanism which is important in many cell fate decisions throughout development. One such decision is the formation of the sensory organ precursor cell during the development of the peripheral nervous system in Drosophila. Cells acquire the potential to be neural through the expression of the proneural genes, and the Notch pathway is required to limit neural fate to a single cell from a proneural cluster. However, despite extensive analysis, the precise pathways linking the proneural with Notch and Enhancer of split gene functions remain obscure. For example, it has been suggested that achaete-scute complex proteins directly activate Enhancer of split genes leaving the action of Notch in the pathway unclear. Using monoclonal antibodies that recognise products of the Enhancer of split complex, we show that these proteins accumulate in the cells surrounding the developing sensory organ precursor cell and that their expression is dependent on the activity of Notch and does not directly correlate with expression of Achaete. We further clarify the pathway by showing that ubiquitous expression of an activated Notch receptor leads to widespread accumulation of Enhancer of split proteins even in the absence of achaete-scute complex proteins. Thus Enhancer of split protein expression in response to Notch activity does not require achaete-scute complex proteins.
wingless is required for the formation of a subset of muscle founder cells during Drosophila embryogenesis
Authors: Baylies M. K. , Arias A. Martinez , Bate M.
Published: April 2021

The final pattern of the Drosophila larval body wall muscles depends critically on the prior segregation of muscle founder cells. We would like to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms which ensure the precise allocation and placement of these muscle founder cells. We have begun our analysis by examining the role of the segment polarity genes, known to be involved in the patterning of the ectoderm. Mutations in only one member of this class, wingless (wg), lead to the complete loss of a subset of muscle founder cells characterised by the expression of S59. Using the GAL4-targetted expression system, we find that Wingless, a secreted glycoprotein and well characterized signalling molecule, acts directly on the mesoderm to ensure the formation of S59-expressing founder cells. Moreover, we present evidence that Wg can signal across germ layers and that, in the wild-type embryo, Wg from the ectoderm could constitute an inductive signal for the initiation of the development of a subset of somatic muscles.
The porcupine gene is required for wingless autoregulation in Drosophila
Authors: Manoukian Armen S. , Yoffe Kenneth B. , Wilder Elizabeth L. , Perrimon Norbert
Published: April 2021

The Drosophila segment polarity gene wingless (wg) is required in the regulation of engrailed (en) expression and the determination of cell fates in neighboring cells. This paracrine wg activity also regulates transcription of wg itself, through a positive feedback loop including en activity. In addition, wg has a second, more direct autoregulatory requirement that is distinct from the en-dependent feedback loop. Four gene products, encoded by armadillo (arm), dishevelled (dsh), porcupine (porc) and zeste-white 3 (zw3), have been previously implicated as components of wg paracrine signaling. Here we have used three different assays to assess the requirements of these genes in the more direct wg autoregulatory pathway. While the activities of dsh, zw3 and arm appear to be specific to the paracrine feedback pathway, the more direct autoregulatory pathway requires porc.