Winfried Wiegraebe

Detection of functional haematopoietic stem cell niche using real-time imaging

Haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niches, although proposed decades ago, have only recently been identified as separate osteoblastic and vascular microenvironments. Their interrelationships and interactions with HSCs in vivo remain largely unknown. Here we report the use of a newly developed ex vivo real-time imaging technology and immunoassaying to trace the homing of purified green-fluorescent-protein-expressing (GFP+) HSCs. We found that transplanted HSCs tended to home to the endosteum (an inner bone surface) in irradiated mice, but were randomly distributed and unstable in non-irradiated mice. Moreover, GFP+ HSCs were more frequently detected in the trabecular bone area compared with compact bone area, and this was validated by live imaging bioluminescence driven by the stem-cell-leukaemia (Scl) promoter–enhancer. HSCs home to bone marrow through the vascular system. We found that the endosteum is well vascularized and that vasculature is frequently localized near N-cadherin+ pre-osteoblastic cells, a known niche component. By monitoring individual HSC behaviour using real-time imaging, we found that a portion of the homed HSCs underwent active division in the irradiated mice, coinciding with their expansion as measured by flow assay. Thus, in contrast to central marrow, the endosteum formed a special zone, which normally maintains HSCs but promotes their expansion in response to bone marrow damage.

A β-catenin gradient links the clock and wavefront systems in mouse embryo segmentation

Rhythmic production of vertebral precursors, the somites, causes bilateral columns of embryonic segments to form. This process involves a molecular oscillator — the segmentation clock — whose signal is translated into a spatial, periodic pattern by a complex signalling gradient system within the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). In mouse embryos, Wnt signalling has been implicated in both the clock and gradient mechanisms, but how the Wnt pathway can perform these two functions simultaneously remains unclear. Here, we use a yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-based, real-time imaging system in mouse embryos to demonstrate that clock oscillations are independent of β-catenin protein levels. In contrast, we show that the Wnt-signalling gradient is established through a nuclear β-catenin protein gradient in the posterior PSM. This gradient of nuclear β-catenin defines the size of the oscillatory field and controls key aspects of PSM maturation and segment formation, emphasizing the central role of Wnt signalling in this process.

Sister Chromosome Pairing Maintains Heterozygosity in Parthenogenetic Lizards

Although bisexual reproduction has proven to be highly successful, parthenogenetic all-female populations occur frequently in certain taxa, including the whiptail lizards of the genus Aspidoscelis. Allozyme analysis revealed a high degree of fixed heterozygosity in these parthenogenetic species, supporting the view that they originated from hybridization events between related sexual species. It has remained unclear how the meiotic program is altered to produce diploid eggs while maintaining heterozygosity. Here we show that meiosis commences with twice the number of chromosomes in parthenogenetic versus sexual species, a mechanism that provides the basis for generating gametes with unreduced chromosome content without fundamental deviation from the classic meiotic program. Our observation of synaptonemal complexes and chiasmata demonstrate that a typical meiotic program occurs and that heterozygosity is not maintained by bypassing recombination. Instead, fluorescent in situ hybridization probes that distinguish between homologues reveal that bivalents form between sister chromosomes, the genetically identical products of the first of two premeiotic replication cycles. Sister chromosome pairing provides a mechanism for the maintenance of heterozygosity, which is critical for offsetting the reduced fitness associated with the lack of genetic diversity in parthenogenetic species.

Distributed representation of chemical features and tunotopic organization of glomeruli in the mouse olfactory bulb

In the mammalian brain, similar features of the sensory stimuli are often represented in proximity in the sensory areas. However, how chemical features are represented in the olfactory bulb has been controversial. Questions have been raised as to whether specific chemical features of the odor molecules are represented by spatially clustered olfactory glomeruli. Using a sensitive probe, we have analyzed the glomerular response to large numbers of odorants at single glomerulus resolution. Contrary to the general view, we find that the representation of chemical features is spatially distributed in the olfactory bulb with no discernible chemotopy. Moreover, odor-evoked pattern of activity does not correlate directly with odor structure in general. Despite the lack of spatial clustering or preference with respect to chemical features, some structurally related odors can be similarly represented by ensembles of spatially distributed glomeruli, providing an explanation of their perceptual similarity. Whereas there is no chemotopic organization, and the glomeruli are tuned to odors from multiple classes, we find that the glomeruli are hierarchically arranged into clusters according to their odor-tuning similarity. This tunotopic arrangement provides a framework to understand the spatial organization of the glomeruli that conforms to the organizational principle found in other sensory systems.

Targeting of the SUN protein Mps3 to the inner nuclear membrane by the histone variant H2A.Z

Binding of histone H2A.Z to the SUN family member Mps3 is chromatin independent.

SAM domain-based protein oligomerization observed by live-cell fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy.

Sterile-alpha-motif (SAM) domains are common protein interaction motifs observed in organisms as diverse as yeast and human. They play a role in protein homo- and hetero-interactions in processes ranging from signal transduction to RNA binding. In addition, mutations in SAM domain and SAM-mediated oligomers have been linked to several diseases. To date, the observation of heterogeneous SAM-mediated oligomers in vivo has been elusive, which represents a common challenge in dissecting cellular biochemistry in live-cell systems. In this study, we report the oligomerization and binding stoichiometry of high-order, multi-component complexes of (SAM) domain proteins Ste11 and Ste50 in live yeast cells using fluorescence fluctuation methods. Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) and 1-dimensional photon counting histogram (1dPCH) confirm the SAM-mediated interaction and oligomerization of Ste11 and Ste50. Two-dimensional PCH (2dPCH), with endogenously expressed proteins tagged with GFP or mCherry, uniquely indicates that Ste11 and Ste50 form a heterogeneous complex in the yeast cytosol comprised of a dimer of Ste11 and a monomer of Ste50. In addition, Ste50 also exists as a high order oligomer that does not interact with Ste11, and the size of this oligomer decreases in response to signals that activate the MAP kinase cascade. Surprisingly, a SAM domain mutant of Ste50 disrupted not only the Ste50 oligomers but also Ste11 dimerization. These results establish an in vivo model of Ste50 and Ste11 homo- and hetero-oligomerization and highlight the usefulness of 2dPCH for quantitative dissection of complex molecular interactions in genetic model organisms such as yeast.

Nuclear cGMP-dependent kinase regulates gene expression via activity-dependent recruitment of a conserved histone deacetylase complex.

Elevation of the second messenger cGMP by nitric oxide (NO) activates the cGMP-dependent protein kinase PKG, which is key in regulating cardiovascular, intestinal, and neuronal functions in mammals. The NO-cGMP-PKG signaling pathway is also a major therapeutic target for cardiovascular and male reproductive diseases. Despite widespread effects of PKG activation, few molecular targets of PKG are known. We study how EGL-4, the Caenorhabditis elegans PKG ortholog, modulates foraging behavior and egg-laying and seeks the downstream effectors of EGL-4 activity. Using a combination of unbiased forward genetic screen and proteomic analysis, we have identified a conserved SAEG-1/SAEG-2/HDA-2 histone deacetylase complex that is specifically recruited by activated nuclear EGL-4. Gene expression profiling by microarrays revealed >40 genes that are sensitive to EGL-4 activity in a SAEG-1–dependent manner. We present evidence that EGL-4 controls egg laying via one of these genes, Y45F10C.2, which encodes a novel protein that is expressed exclusively in the uterine epithelium. Our results indicate that, in addition to cytoplasmic functions, active EGL-4/PKG acts in the nucleus via a conserved Class I histone deacetylase complex to regulate gene expression pertinent to behavioral and physiological responses to cGMP. We also identify transcriptional targets of EGL-4 that carry out discrete components of the physiological response.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy as tool for high-content-screening in yeast (HCS-FCS)

To measure protein interactions, diffusion properties, and local concentrations in single cells, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) is a well-established and widely accepted method. However, measurements can take a long time and are laborious. Therefore investigations are typically limited to tens or a few hundred cells. We developed an automated system to overcome these limitations and make FCS available for High Content Screening (HCS). We acquired data in an auto-correlation screen of more than 4000 of the 6000 proteins of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, tagged with eGFP and expanded the HCS to use cross-correlation between eGFP and mCherry tagged proteins to screen for molecular interactions. We performed all high-content FCS screens (HCS-FCS) in a 96 well plate format. The system is based on an extended Carl Zeiss fluorescence correlation spectrometer ConfoCor 3 attached to a confocal microscope LSM 510. We developed image-processing software to control these hardware components. The confocal microscope obtained overview images and we developed an algorithm to search for and detect single cells. At each cell, we positioned a laser beam at a well-defined point and recorded the fluctuation signal. We used automatic scoring of the signal for quality control. All data was stored and organized in a database based on the open source Open Microscopy Environment (OME) platform. To analyze the data we used the image processing language IDL and the open source statistical software package R.

Correction of bleaching artifacts in high content fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (HCS-FCS) data

We developed an automated approach to Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS) to screen for molecular interactions in living cells (HCS-FCS). Similar to manual measurements, we had to address the effects of measurement artifacts. In this paper we used wavelet shrinking to correct for bleaching artifacts. Without correction, bleaching of both dyes used for cross-correlation measurements resulted in a cross-correlation signal indicating molecular interaction even if there was no interaction present in the sample. We used simulations to develop our new method. To evaluate our new approach in vivo we used two control strains in S. cerevisiae. The negative control contained the non-interacting fluorescence proteins eGFP and mCherry. As the positive control we used a tandem of these two proteins. We measured more than 2500 individual cells and demonstrated that we could reduce the erroneous cross-correlation signal of the negative control from 69% to 4% compared to the cross-correlation signal of the positive control in the mCherry channel and from 24% to 5% for the eGFP channel.

Reply to Yablonka et al.: Parity in data processing is essential in correlation analyses

Our recent study (1) has compelled us to reach a conclusion that differs from the widely held idea that chemical features of odors can be systematically mapped to spatial locations in the olfactory bulb (2⇓–4). In an alternative analysis using our data, Yablonka et al. (5) claim to observe substantial correlations between the physicochemical descriptors and odor-evoked responses, which challenge our conclusion. This discrepancy, as we show below, results from imparity in data processing and data selection.