PUBLICATION

A Conserved Notochord Enhancer Controls Pancreas Development in Vertebrates

Authors
Amorim, J.P., Gali-Macedo, A., Marcelino, H., Bordeira-Carriço, R., Naranjo, S., Rivero-Gil, S., Teixeira, J., Galhardo, M., Marques, J., Bessa, J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-200710-12
Date
2020
Source
Cell Reports   32: 107862 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bessa, Jose, Naranjo, Silvia
Keywords
notochord, pancreas development, signaling diffusion, transcriptional regulation, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Conserved Sequence/genetics*
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genome
  • Models, Biological
  • Notochord/embryology*
  • Organ Size/genetics
  • Pancreas/embryology*
  • Pancreas/metabolism
  • Vertebrates/embryology*
  • Vertebrates/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
32640228 Full text @ Cell Rep.
Abstract
The notochord is an evolutionary novelty in vertebrates that functions as an important signaling center during development. Notochord ablation in chicken has demonstrated that it is crucial for pancreas development; however, the molecular mechanism has not been fully described. Here, we show that in zebrafish, the loss of function of nog2, a Bmp antagonist expressed in the notochord, impairs β cell differentiation, compatible with the antagonistic role of Bmp in β cell differentiation. In addition, we show that nog2 expression in the notochord is induced by at least one notochord enhancer and its loss of function reduces the number of pancreatic progenitors and impairs β cell differentiation. Tracing Nog2 diffusion, we show that Nog2 emanates from the notochord to the pancreas progenitor domain. Finally, we find a notochord enhancer in human and mice Nog genomic landscapes, suggesting that the acquisition of a Nog notochord enhancer occurred early in the vertebrate phylogeny and contributes to the development of complex organs like the pancreas.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping