PUBLICATION

Simplet-dependent regulation of β-catenin signaling influences skeletal patterning downstream of Cx43

Authors
Bhattacharya, S., Gargiulo, D., Iovine, M.K.
ID
ZDB-PUB-181101-2
Date
2018
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   145(23): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Iovine, M. Kathryn
Keywords
Cx43, Evx1, Fin regeneration, Joint morphogenesis, Simplet, β-catenin
MeSH Terms
  • Animal Fins/physiology
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning*
  • Bone and Bones/embryology*
  • Bone and Bones/metabolism*
  • Connexin 43/metabolism*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Joints/metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins/metabolism*
  • Models, Biological
  • Phenotype
  • Regeneration
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Wnt Proteins/genetics
  • Wnt Proteins/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
  • beta Catenin/metabolism*
PubMed
30377172 Full text @ Development
Abstract
The correct positioning of joints in the vertebrate skeleton is not well understood. Mutations in connexin43 (cx43) cause the short segment phenotype of the zebrafish short fin (sofb123 ) mutant. We have shown that Cx43 suppresses evx1 expression, a transcription factor required for joint formation. Here, we provide novel insights into how Cx43 influences evx1 transcription. First, we find that Simplet (Smp) knockdown recapitulates the sofb123 phenotypes of reduced regenerate length and reduced segment length, and we find evidence for synergy between cx43 and smp Moreover, knockdown of Smp increases the evx1 expression, similar to cx43 knockdown. Previous studies have shown that Smp is required for the nuclear localization of β-catenin. Indeed, β-catenin activity is required for segment length, and is reduced in both sofb123 mutants and following Smp knockdown in regenerating fins. We further show that blocking canonical Wnt signaling results in a synergistic reduction in segment length in sofb123/+ heterozygotes. Together our findings suggest that both Smp and β-catenin function in a common molecular pathway with cx43 to influence both evx1 expression and joint location.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping