Laura L. Yates

The PCP genes Celsr1 and Vangl2 are required for normal lung branching morphogenesis

The lungs are generated by branching morphogenesis as a result of reciprocal signalling interactions between the epithelium and mesenchyme during development. Mutations that disrupt formation of either the correct number or shape of epithelial branches affect lung function. This, in turn, can lead to congenital abnormalities such as cystadenomatoid malformations, pulmonary hypertension or lung hypoplasia. Defects in lung architecture are also associated with adult lung disease, particularly in cases of idiopathic lung fibrosis. Identifying the signalling pathways which drive epithelial tube formation will likely shed light on both congenital and adult lung disease. Here we show that mutations in the planar cell polarity (PCP) genes Celsr1 and Vangl2 lead to disrupted lung development and defects in lung architecture. Lungs from Celsr1Crsh and Vangl2Lp mouse mutants are small and misshapen with fewer branches, and by late gestation exhibit thickened interstitial mesenchyme and defective saccular formation. We observe a recapitulation of these branching defects following inhibition of Rho kinase, an important downstream effector of the PCP signalling pathway. Moreover, epithelial integrity is disrupted, cytoskeletal remodelling perturbed and mutant endoderm does not branch normally in response to the chemoattractant FGF10. We further show that Celsr1 and Vangl2 proteins are present in restricted spatial domains within lung epithelium. Our data show that the PCP genes Celsr1 and Vangl2 are required for foetal lung development thereby revealing a novel signalling pathway critical for this process that will enhance our understanding of congenital and adult lung diseases and may in future lead to novel therapeutic strategies.

The planar cell polarity gene Vangl2 is required for mammalian kidney-branching morphogenesis and glomerular maturation

The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, incorporating non-canonical Wnt signalling, controls embryonic convergent (CE) extension, polarized cell division and ciliary orientation. It also limits diameters of differentiating renal tubules, with mutation of certain components of the pathway causing cystic kidneys. Mutations in mouse Vangl genes encoding core PCP proteins cause neural tube defects (NTDs) and Vangl2 mutations also impair branching of embryonic mouse lung airways. Embryonic metanephric kidneys also undergo branching morphogenesis and Vangl2 is known to be expressed in ureteric bud/collecting duct and metanephric mesenchymal/nephron lineages. These observations led us to investigate metanephroi in Vangl2 mutant mice, Loop-tail (Lp). Although ureteric bud formation is normal in Vangl2Lp/Lp embryos, subsequent in vivo and in vitro branching morphogenesis is impaired. Null mutant kidneys are short, consistent with a CE defect. Differentiating glomerular epithelia express several PCP genes (Vangl1/2, Celsr1, Scrib, Mpk1/2 and Fat4) and glomeruli in Vangl2Lp/Lp fetuses are smaller and contain less prominent capillary loops than wild-type littermates. Furthermore, Vangl2Lp/+ kidneys had modest reduction in glomerular numbers postnatally. Vangl2Lp/Lp metanephroi contained occasional dilated tubules but no overt cystic phenotype. These data show for the first time that a PCP gene is required for normal morphogenesis of both the ureteric bud and metanephric mesenchyme-derived structures. It has long been recognized that certain individuals with NTDs are born with malformed kidneys, and recent studies have discovered VANGL mutations in some NTD patients. On the basis of our mutant mouse study, we suggest that PCP pathway mutations should be sought when NTD and renal malformation co-exist.

Scribble is required for normal epithelial cell-cell contacts and lumen morphogenesis in the mammalian lung

During lung development, proper epithelial cell arrangements are critical for the formation of an arborized network of tubes. Each tube requires a lumen, the diameter of which must be tightly regulated to enable optimal lung function. Lung branching and lumen morphogenesis require close epithelial cell–cell contacts that are maintained as a result of adherens junctions, tight junctions and by intact apical–basal (A/B) polarity. However, the molecular mechanisms that maintain epithelial cohesion and lumen diameter in the mammalian lung are unknown. Here we show that Scribble, a protein implicated in planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling, is necessary for normal lung morphogenesis. Lungs of the Scrib mouse mutant Circletail (Crc) are abnormally shaped with fewer airways, and these airways often lack a visible, ‘open’ lumen. Mechanistically we show that Scrib genetically interacts with the core PCP gene Vangl2 in the developing lung and that the distribution of PCP pathway proteins and Rho mediated cytoskeletal modification is perturbed in ScribCrc/Crc lungs. However A/B polarity, which is disrupted in Drosophila Scrib mutants, is largely unaffected. Notably, we find that Scrib mediates functions not attributed to other PCP proteins in the lung. Specifically, Scrib localises to both adherens and tight junctions of lung epithelia and knockdown of Scrib in lung explants and organotypic cultures leads to reduced cohesion of lung epithelial cells. Live imaging of Scrib knockdown lungs shows that Scrib does not affect bud bifurcation, as previously shown for the PCP protein Celsr1, but is required to maintain epithelial cohesion. To understand the mechanism leading to reduced cell–cell association, we show that Scrib associates with β-catenin in embryonic lung and the sub-cellular distribution of adherens and tight junction proteins is perturbed in mutant lung epithelia. Our data reveal that Scrib is required for normal lung epithelial organisation and lumen morphogenesis by maintaining cell–cell contacts. Thus we reveal novel and important roles for Scrib in lung development operating via the PCP pathway, and in regulating junctional complexes and cell cohesion.

Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 are required for normal male sexual development in mice

Secreted frizzled-related proteins (Sfrps) are antagonists of WNT signalling implicated in a variety of biological processes. However, there are no reports of a direct role for Sfrps in embryonic organogenesis in mammals. Using in vivo loss-of-function studies we report here for the first time a redundant role for Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 in embryonic sexual development of the mouse. At 16.5 dpc, male embryos lacking both genes exhibit multiple defects in gonad morphology, reproductive tract maturation and gonad positioning. Abnormal positioning of the testis appears to be due to failed gubernaculum development and an unusually close association between the cranial end of the reproductive tract and the kidney. The testes of double homozygotes are smaller than controls, contain fewer cords from the earliest stages, but still express Insl3, which encodes the hormone required for gubernacular masculinisation. Lgr8, which encodes the Insl3 receptor, is also expressed in the mutant gubernaculum, suggesting that Sfrp1/Sfrp2 signalling is not required for expression of the ligand or receptor that controls transabdominal testicular descent. Similarities between the abnormalities of embryonic sexual development in Sfrp1(-/-)Sfrp2(-/-) embryos with those exhibited by the Looptail and Wnt5a mutants suggest that disrupted non-canonical Wnt signalling may cause these defects.

Planar polarity: A new player in both lung development and disease.

The clinical burden of both adult and neonatal lung disease worldwide is substantial; in the UK alone, respiratory disease kills one in four people. It is increasingly recognized that genes and pathways that regulate lung development, may be aberrantly activated in disease and/or reactivated as part of the lungs’ intrinsic repair mechanisms. Investigating the genes and signaling pathways that regulate lung growth has led to significant insights into the pathogenesis of congenital and adult lung disease. Recently, the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway has been shown to be required for normal lung development, and data suggests that this signaling pathway is also involved in the pathogenesis of some lung diseases. In this review, we summarize current evidence indicating that the PCP pathway is required for both lung development and disease.

ENU mutagenesis as a tool for understanding lung development and disease

ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea) is a chemical mutagen that randomly induces point mutations in DNA. Since the 1990s ENU has been successfully used as a means to obtain mouse mutants using both gene-driven (reverse genetics) and phenotype-driven (forward genetics) approaches. A high-efficiency ENU approach results in approx. 25 functional mutations per genome; most of these will result in hypomorphic alleles. Our group has recently begun using ENU mutagenesis as a tool for understanding lung development and disease. In collaboration with other groups at MRC Harwell, we have undertaken a screen for recessive mutations affecting mouse lung development. We are currently pursuing two lines identified from this screen, Hel (head, eye and lung) and RecBA17. Both these lines exhibit lung defects and we believe that by studying the phenotypes and identifying the causative mutations, we may also shed light on lung disease pathogenesis. In collaboration with Bill Cookson and Miriam Moffatt, we are also taking a gene-driven approach for understanding asthma. Using the Harwell ENU sperm archive, we have recovered mouse lines harbouring mutations in the asthma-susceptibility genes Phf11 (PHD finger protein 11) and Dpp10 (dipeptidylpeptidase 10). Functional analyses of these alleles are currently under way.

Heterozygous Vangl2(Looptail) mice reveal novel roles for the planar cell polarity pathway in adult lung homeostasis and repair

ABSTRACT Lung diseases impose a huge economic and health burden worldwide. A key aspect of several adult lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema, is aberrant tissue repair, which leads to an accumulation of damage and impaired respiratory function. Currently, there are few effective treatments available for these diseases and their incidence is rising. The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is critical for the embryonic development of many organs, including kidney and lung. We have previously shown that perturbation of the PCP pathway impairs tissue morphogenesis, which disrupts the number and shape of epithelial tubes formed within these organs during embryogenesis. However, very little is known about the role of the PCP pathway beyond birth, partly because of the perinatal lethality of many PCP mouse mutant lines. Here, we investigate heterozygous Looptail (Lp) mice, in which a single copy of the core PCP gene, Vangl2, is disrupted. We show that these mice are viable but display severe airspace enlargement and impaired adult lung function. Underlying these defects, we find that Vangl2Lp/+ lungs exhibit altered distribution of actin microfilaments and abnormal regulation of the actin-modifying protein cofilin. In addition, we show that Vangl2Lp/+ lungs exhibit many of the hallmarks of tissue damage, including an altered macrophage population, abnormal elastin deposition and elevated levels of the elastin-modifying enzyme, Mmp12, all of which are observed in emphysema. In vitro, disruption of VANGL2 impairs directed cell migration and reduces the rate of repair following scratch wounding of human alveolar epithelial cells. Moreover, using population data from a birth cohort of young adults, all aged 31, we found evidence of an interactive effect between VANGL2 and smoking on lung function. Finally, we show that PCP genes VANGL2 and SCRIB are significantly downregulated in lung tissue from patients with emphysema. Our data reveal an important novel role for the PCP pathway in adult lung homeostasis and repair and shed new light on the genetic factors which may modify destructive lung diseases such as emphysema. Summary: Manipulating the PCP pathway may provide new approaches to treat damaged lung tissue.

A role for core planar polarity proteins in cell contact-mediated orientation of planar cell division across the mammalian embryonic skin

The question of how cell division orientation is determined is fundamentally important for understanding tissue and organ shape in both healthy or disease conditions. Here we provide evidence for cell contact-dependent orientation of planar cell division in the mammalian embryonic skin. We propose a model where the core planar polarity proteins Celsr1 and Frizzled-6 (Fz6) communicate the long axis orientation of interphase basal cells to neighbouring basal mitoses so that they align their horizontal division plane along the same axis. The underlying mechanism requires a direct, cell surface, planar polarised cue, which we posit depends upon variant post-translational forms of Celsr1 protein coupled to Fz6. Our hypothesis has parallels with contact-mediated division orientation in early C. elegans embryos suggesting functional conservation between the adhesion-GPCRs Celsr1 and Latrophilin-1. We propose that linking planar cell division plane with interphase neighbour long axis geometry reinforces axial bias in skin spreading around the mouse embryo body.

Manipulation of Dipeptidylpeptidase 10 in mouse and human in vivo and in vitro models indicates a protective role in asthma

ABSTRACT We previously identified dipeptidylpeptidase 10 (DPP10) on chromosome 2 as a human asthma susceptibility gene, through positional cloning. Initial association results were confirmed in many subsequent association studies but the functional role of DPP10 in asthma remains unclear. Using the MRC Harwell N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) DNA archive, we identified a point mutation in Dpp10 that caused an amino acid change from valine to aspartic acid in the β-propeller region of the protein. Mice carrying this point mutation were recovered and a congenic line was established (Dpp10145D). Macroscopic examination and lung histology revealed no significant differences between wild-type and Dpp10145D/145D mice. However, after house dust mite (HDM) treatment, Dpp10 mutant mice showed significantly increased airway resistance in response to 100 mg/ml methacholine. Total serum IgE levels and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophil counts were significantly higher in homozygotes than in control mice after HDM treatment. DPP10 protein is present in airway epithelial cells and altered expression is observed in both tissue from asthmatic patients and in mice following HDM challenge. Moreover, knockdown of DPP10 in human airway epithelial cells results in altered cytokine responses. These results show that a Dpp10 point mutation leads to increased airway responsiveness following allergen challenge and provide biological evidence to support previous findings from human genetic studies. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Here, we show a novel mouse model carrying a point mutation in dipeptidylpeptidase 10 (Dpp10). Our data provide evidence that DPP10 might play a protective role in asthma.

09-P019 The role of the non-canonical Wnt signalling pathway in branching morphogenesis

base. The anterior cranial base shows an abnormal differentiation of chondrocytes in the mutant, with reduced proliferation and increased terminal differentiation. The main factors responsible to restrict Six2 function to the anterior portion of the cranial base are the tissue-specific transcription of the gene and the presence of compensatory effects from other Six family members, in particular Six1 and Six4. Gain of function experiments indicate that Six2 has a general effect on endochondral bone formation and can affect cartilage development and growth in other body areas. It is likely that Six2 acts by controlling general regulators of chondrocyte differentiation. Our data suggest that Six2 acts to control locally the level of the IGF-axis.