The transcription/migration interface in heart precursors of Ciona intestinalis.
Gene regulatory networks direct the progressive determination of cell fate during embryogenesis, but how they control cell behavior during morphogenesis remains largely elusive. Cell sorting, microarrays, and targeted molecular manipulations were used to analyze cardiac cell migration in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. The heart network regulates genes involved in most cellular activities required for migration, including adhesion, cell polarity, and membrane protrusions. We demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor signaling and the forkhead transcription factor FoxF directly upregulate the small guanosine triphosphatase RhoDF, which synergizes with Cdc42 to contribute to the protrusive activity of migrating cells. Moreover, RhoDF induces membrane protrusions independently of other cellular activities required for migration. We propose that transcription regulation of specific effector genes determines the coordinated deployment of discrete cellular modules underlying migration.
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Genetics, Genomics and Development, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. lionelchristiaen@berkeley.edu
Lionel
L
Christiaen
Brad
B
Davidson
Takeshi
T
Kawashima
Weston
W
Powell
Hector
H
Nolla
Karen
K
Vranizan
Michael
M
Levine
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D022081:Cell Surface Extensions / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009024:Morphogenesis; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein