Oscillations of the snail genes in the presomitic mesoderm coordinate segmental patterning and morphogenesis in vertebrate somitogenesis.
The segmented body plan of vertebrate embryos arises through segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm to form somites. The tight temporal and spatial control underlying this process of somitogenesis is regulated by the segmentation clock and the FGF signaling wavefront. Here, we report the cyclic mRNA expression of Snail 1 and Snail 2 in the mouse and chick presomitic mesoderm (PSM), respectively. Whereas Snail genes' oscillations are independent of NOTCH signaling, we show that they require WNT and FGF signaling. Overexpressing Snail 2 in the chick embryo prevents cyclic Lfng and Meso 1 expression in the PSM and disrupts somite formation. Moreover, cells mis-expressing Snail 2 fail to express Paraxis, remain mesenchymal, and are thereby inhibited from undergoing the epithelialization event that culminates in the formation of the epithelial somite. Thus, Snail genes define a class of cyclic genes that coordinate segmentation and PSM morphogenesis.
Dale
Jacqueline Kim
JK
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.
Malapert
Pascale
P
Chal
Jérome
J
Vilhais-Neto
Gonçalo
G
Maroto
Miguel
M
Johnson
Teri
T
Jayasinghe
Sachintha
S
Trainor
Paul
P
Herrmann
Bernhard
B
Pourquié
Olivier
O
D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060466:Axin Protein; D019521:Body Patterning; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D030161:Avian Proteins; D060466:Axin Protein; C111729:Axin2 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C000604429:Snai1 protein, mouse; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; C498394:LFNG protein, Gallus gallus; C498392:Lfng protein, mouse