PUBLICATION

Split top: A maternal cathepsin B that regulates dorsoventral patterning and morphogenesis

Authors
Langdon, Y.G., Fuentes, R., Zhang, H., Abrams, E.W., Marlow, F.L., Mullins, M.C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160220-5
Date
2016
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   143(6): 1016-28 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Abrams, Elliott, Marlow, Florence, Mullins, Mary C.
Keywords
BMP, Cathepsin B, Dorsoventral, Maternal effect, Morphogenesis, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Actin Cytoskeleton/metabolism
  • Actins/metabolism
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers/metabolism
  • Body Patterning*
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/metabolism
  • Cathepsin B/metabolism*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Female
  • Microtubules/metabolism
  • Morphogenesis*
  • Mutation/genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Signal Transduction
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
PubMed
26893345 Full text @ Development
Abstract
The vertebrate embryonic dorsoventral axis is established and patterned by Wnt and BMP signaling pathways, respectively. While Wnt signaling establishes the dorsal side of the embryo and induces the dorsal organizer, a BMP signaling gradient patterns tissues along the dorsoventral axis. Early Wnt signaling is provided maternally, while BMP ligand expression in the zebrafish is zygotic, but regulated by maternal factors. Concomitant with BMP activity patterning dorsoventral axial tissues, the embryo also undergoes dramatic morphogenetic processes, including the cell movements of gastrulation, epiboly, and dorsal convergence. Although the zygotic regulation of these cell migration processes is increasingly understood, far less is known of the maternal regulators of these processes. Similarly, the maternal regulation of dorsoventral patterning is poorly understood, and in particular the maternal control of ventral tissue specification. We identified split top, a recessive maternal-effect mutant that disrupts embryonic patterning upstream of endogenous BMP signaling. Embryos from split top mutant females exhibit a dorsalized embryonic axis, which can be rescued by BMP misexpression or by derepressing endogenous BMP signaling. In addition to dorsoventral patterning defects, split top mutants display morphogenesis defects that are both BMP dependent and independent. These morphogenesis defects include incomplete dorsal convergence, delayed epiboly progression, and an early lysis phenotype during gastrula stages. The latter two morphogenesis defects are associated with disruption of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton within the yolk cell and defects in the outer enveloping cell layer, known mediators of epiboly movements. Through chromosomal mapping and RNA sequencing analysis, we identified the lysosomal endopeptidase, cathepsin Ba (ctsba) as the gene deficient in split top embryos. Our results identify a novel role for Ctsba in morphogenesis and expand our understanding of the maternal regulation of dorsoventral patterning.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping