Maria B. Tereshina

Agr genes, missing in amniotes, are involved in the body appendages regeneration in frog tadpoles

Previous studies have shown that Agr genes, which encode thioredoxin domain-containing secreted proteins, play a critical role in limb regeneration in salamanders. To determine the evolutionary conservation of Agr function, it is important to examine whether Agrs play a similar role in species with a different type of regeneration. Here, we refined the phylogeny of Agrs, revealing three subfamilies: Ag1, Agr2 and Agr3. Importantly, we established that Ag1 was lost in higher vertebrates, which correlates with their decreased regeneration ability. In Xenopus laevis tadpoles (anamniotes), which have all three Agr subfamilies and a high regenerating capacity, Agrs were activated in the stumps of tails and hindlimb buds that were amputated at stage 52. However, Agrs were not up-regulated when the hindlimb buds were amputated at stage 57, the stage at which their regeneration capacity is lost. Our findings indicate the general importance of Agrs for body appendages regeneration in amphibians.

Hydroxyproline-based DNA mimics provide an efficient gene silencing in vitro and in vivo

To be effective, antisense molecules should be stable in biological fluids, non-toxic, form stable and specific duplexes with target RNAs and readily penetrate through cell membranes without non-specific effects on cell function. We report herein that negatively charged DNA mimics representing chiral analogues of peptide nucleic acids with a constrained trans-4-hydroxy-N-acetylpyrrolidine-2-phosphonate backbone (pHypNAs) meet these criteria. To demonstrate this, we compared silencing potency of these compounds with that of previously evaluated as efficient gene knockdown molecules hetero-oligomers consisting of alternating phosphono-PNA monomers and PNA-like monomers based on trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline (HypNA-pPNAs). Antisense potential of pHypNA mimics was confirmed in a cell-free translation assay with firefly luciferase as well as in a living cell assay with green fluorescent protein. In both cases, the pHypNA antisense oligomers provided a specific knockdown of a target protein production. Confocal microscopy showed that pHypNAs, when transfected into living cells, demonstrated efficient cellular uptake with distribution in the cytosol and nucleus. Also, the high potency of pHypNAs for down-regulation of Ras-like GTPase Ras-dva in Xenopus embryos was demonstrated in comparison with phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers. Therefore, our data suggest that pHypNAs are novel antisense agents with potential widespread in vitro and in vivo applications in basic research involving live cells and intact organisms.

Ras-dva, a member of novel family of small GTPases, is required for the anterior ectoderm patterning in the Xenopus laevis embryo

Ras-like small GTPases are involved in the regulation of many processes essential for the specification of the vertebrate body plan. Recently, we identified the gene of novel small GTPase Ras-dva, which is specifically expressed at the anterior margin of the neural plate of the Xenopus laevis embryo. Now, we demonstrate that Ras-dva and its homologs in other species constitute a novel protein family, distinct from the previously known families of small GTPases. We show that the expression of Ras-dva begins during gastrulation throughout the anterior ectoderm and is activated by the homeodomain transcription factor Otx2; however, later on, Ras-dva expression is inhibited in the anterior neural plate by another homeodomain factor Xanf1. Downregulation of Ras-dva functioning by the dominant-negative mutant or by the antisense morpholino oligonucleotides results in severe malformations of the forebrain and derivatives of the cranial placodes. Importantly, although the observed abnormalities can be rescued by co-injection of the Ras-dva mRNA, they cannot be rescued by the mRNA of the closest Ras-dva homolog from another family of small GTPases, Ras. This fact indicates functional specificity of the Ras-dva signaling pathway. At the molecular level, downregulation of Ras-dva inhibits the expression of several regulators of the anterior neural plate and folds patterning, such as Otx2, BF-1 (also known as Foxg1), Xag2, Pax6, Slug and Sox9, and interferes with FGF8 signaling within the anterior ectoderm. By contrast, expression of the epidermal regulator BMP4 and its target genes, Vent1, Vent2b and Msx1, is upregulated. Together, the data obtained indicate that Ras-dva is an essential component of the signaling network that patterns the early anterior neural plate and the adjacent ectoderm in the Xenopus laevis embryos.

Ras-dva1 small GTPase regulates telencephalon development in Xenopus laevis embryos by controlling Fgf8 and Agr signaling at the anterior border of the neural plate

ABSTRACT We previously found that the small GTPase Ras-dva1 is essential for the telencephalic development in Xenopus laevis because Ras-dva1 controls the Fgf8-mediated induction of FoxG1 expression, a key telencephalic regulator. In this report, we show, however, that Ras-dva1 and FoxG1 are expressed in different groups of cells; whereas Ras-dva1 is expressed in the outer layer of the anterior neural fold, FoxG1 and Fgf8 are activated in the inner layer from which the telencephalon is derived. We resolve this paradox by demonstrating that Ras-dva1 is involved in the transduction of Fgf8 signal received by cells in the outer layer, which in turn send a feedback signal that stimulates FoxG1 expression in the inner layer. We show that this feedback signal is transmitted by secreted Agr proteins, the expression of which is activated in the outer layer by mediation of Ras-dva1 and the homeodomain transcription factor Otx2. In turn, Agrs are essential for maintaining Fgf8 and FoxG1 expression in cells at the anterior neural plate border. Our finding reveals a novel feedback loop mechanism based on the exchange of Fgf8 and Agr signaling between neural and non-neural compartments at the anterior margin of the neural plate and demonstrates a key role of Ras-dva1 in this mechanism.

The secreted factor Ag1 missing in higher vertebrates regulates fins regeneration in Danio rerio

Agr family includes three groups of genes, Ag1, Agr2 and Agr3, which encode the thioredoxin domain-containing secreted proteins and have been shown recently to participate in regeneration of the amputated body appendages in amphibians. By contrast, higher vertebrates have only Agr2 and Agr3, but lack Ag1, and have low ability to regenerate the body appendages. Thus, one may hypothesize that loss of Ag1 in evolution could be an important event that led to a decline of the regenerative capacity in higher vertebrates. To test this, we have studied now the expression and role of Ag1 in the regeneration of fins of a representative of another large group of lower vertebrates, the fish Danio rerio. As a result, we have demonstrated that amputation of the Danio fins, like amputation of the body appendages in amphibians, elicits an increase of Ag1 expression in cells of the stump. Furthermore, down-regulation of DAg1 by injections of Vivo-morpholino antisense oligonucleotides resulted in a retardation of the fin regeneration. These data are in a good agreement with the assumption that the loss of Ag1 in higher vertebrates ancestors could lead to the reduction of the regenerative capacity in their modern descendants.

Expression patterns of genes encoding small GTPases Ras-dva-1 and Ras-dva-2 in the Xenopus laevis tadpoles.

Small GTPases of the recently discovered Ras-dva family are specific to the Vertebrate phylum. In Xenopus laevis, Ras-dva-1 is expressed during gastrulation and neurulation in the anterior ectoderm where it regulates the early development of the forebrain and cranial placodes (Tereshina et al., 2006). In the present work, we studied the expression of Ras-dva-1 at later developmental stages. As a result, the Ras-dva-1 expression was revealed in the eye retina, epiphysis (pineal gland), hypophysis (pituitary), branchial arches, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach and gall bladder of swimming tadpoles. Additionally, we investigated for the first time the expression pattern of Ras-dva-2. This gene encodes a protein belonging to a novel sub-group of Ras-dva GTPases that we identified by phylogenetic analysis within Ras-dva family. In contrast to Ras-dva-1, Ras-dva-2 is not expressed before the swimming tadpole stage. At the swimming tadpole stage, however, Ras-dva-2 transcripts can be detected in the eye retina and brain. Later in development, the expression of Ras-dva-2 can also be revealed in the mesonephros and stomach.

The ag1 gene is required for the fin regeneration in Danio rerio

Abstract—We have recently demonstrated that the Ag1 protein is necessary for the fin regeneration in Danio rerio fish. Robust activation of the ag1 gene expression in cells of the wound epithelium is observed after caudal fin amputation. Moreover, the inhibition of translation of ag1 mRNA leads to the retardation of the caudal fin regeneration. The results of our research are important because the ag1 gene is contained only in lower vertebrates (fish and amphibians) with good regenerative capacity, whereas this gene is missing in higher vertebrates, which are not capable of the efficient limb regeneration. Our data indicate that the reduction of the potential regenerative ability in higher vertebrates including humans can be explained by the extinction of some genes, particularly the ag1 gene, essential for regeneration.

Ras-dva small GTPases lost during evolution of amniotes regulate regeneration in anamniotes

In contrast to amniotes (reptiles, birds and mammals), anamniotes (fishes and amphibians) can effectively regenerate body appendages such as fins, limbs and tails. Why such a useful capability was progressively lost in amniotes remains unknown. As we have hypothesized recently, one of the reasons for this could be loss of some genes regulating the regeneration in evolution of amniotes. Here, we demonstrate the validity of this hypothesis by showing that genes of small GTPases Ras-dva1 and Ras-dva2, that had been lost in a stepwise manner during evolution of amniotes and disappeared completely in placental mammals, are important for regeneration in anamniotes. Both Ras-dva genes are quickly activated in regenerative wound epithelium and blastema forming in the amputated adult Danio rerio fins and Xenopus laevis tadpoles’ tails and hindlimb buds. Down-regulation of any of two Ras-dva genes in fish and frog resulted in a retardation of regeneration accompanied by down-regulation of the regeneration marker genes. On the other hand, Ras-dva over-expression in tadpoles’ tails restores regeneration capacity during the refractory period when regeneration is blocked due to natural reasons. Thus our data on Ras-dva genes, which were eliminated in amniotes but play role in anamniotes regeneration regulation, satisfy our hypothesis.

Methods of In Vivo Gene-Specific Knockdown Using Morpholino and Vivo-Morpholino Oligonucleotides

The functioning of the small GTPase gene, Ras-dva1, has been studied during regeneration processes of the tadpole tails of the clawed frog Xenopus laevis. For this purpose, we have developed two approaches for the gene knockdown using injections of sequence-specific antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (MO) or vivo-morpholino oligonucleotides (vivo-MO). It has been shown for the first time that intracellular Ras-dva-specific MO injected into Xenopus 4–16 of blastomere embryos or vivo-MO injected directly into the distal part of the tadpole tail at stages 40–41 efficiently inhibit the Ras-dva1 gene functioning and leads to the same morphological malformations of the tail regeneration. Using qRT-PCR, we detected the inhibition of expression of the regeneration marker genes (Fgf20a and Msx1b) on the first day after amputation in the tail tissues of tadpoles with the Ras-dva1 knockdown.

Novel FGF-signaling modulator c-Answer revealed by bioinformatics screening for genes present only in well-regenerative animals

Little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying high regenerative capacity of fishes, amphibians, reptiles in comparison with birds and mammals. According to the current opinion, the difference in their regenerative capacity rate is a result of genetic network restructuring within virtually the same set of genes. We assumed that this difference could be also caused by loss of significant genes-regulators of regeneration in evolution. In the present work, we propose a bioinformatics approach aimed at system search for such genes. Having applied the approach, we succeeded to identify several genes exclusive to fishes, amphibians, reptiles and then to pick out genes demonstrating increased expression in blastema and wound epithelium during tail and hind limb bud regeneration in the model object Xenopus laevis tadpole. We report here that one of the revealed genes encodes transmembrane protein, which regulates body appendages regeneration along with telencephalic and eye development through binding to FGFR4 and modulating its activity. Consequently, we named this protein c-Answer for cold-blooded Animals specific wound epithelium receptor-binding protein. In our point of view, loss of c-Answer in evolution that led to decrease in regenerative capacity rate in birds and mammals was supported by natural selection due to its possible favorable effect on the progressive forebrain development.