Nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin and transcription of downstream genes are regulated by zygotic Wnt5alpha and maternal Dsh in ascidian embryos.
Nuclear beta-catenin plays crucial roles in the establishment of the embryonic axis and formation of mesendoderm tissues in ascidians and other animals. However, the cue responsible for nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin in the vegetal hemisphere is still unknown in ascidians. Here, we investigated the roles of Wnt5alpha and Dsh in the nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin and activation of its downstream genes in the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. Wnt5alpha knockdown embryos lost nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin at the 64-cell stage but not at the 32-cell stage, and expression of Hr-lim, one of the targets of beta-catenin, was impaired in the anterior region of the embryo. Zygotic Wnt5alpha expression in the anterior-vegetal blastomeres was primarily responsible for these defects. Dsh knockdown showed no effect on nuclear localization of beta-catenin, but inhibited Hr-lim expression in the posterior region. These results suggest that maintenance of nuclear Hr-beta-catenin after the 64-cell stage is regulated by zygotic Hr-Wnt5alpha, and that expression of its target genes is modulated by both Hr-Wnt5alpha and Hr-Dsh. Our results also highlight the importance of nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin up to the 32-cell stage through a still unclarified mechanism.
Kawai
Narudo
N
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. narudo.kawai@obs-vlfr.fr
Iida
Yohei
Y
Kumano
Gaku
G
Nishida
Hiroki
H
D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009035:Mothers; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014561:Urochordata / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin