title: Zebrafish krüppel-like factor 4a represses intestinal cell proliferation and promotes differentiation of intestinal cell lineages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mouse krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a zinc finger-containing transcription factor required for terminal differentiation of goblet cells in the colon. However, studies using either Klf4(-/-) mice or mice with conditionally deleted Klf4 in their gastric epithelia showed different results in the role of Klf4 in epithelial cell proliferation. We used zebrafish as a model organism to gain further understanding of the role of Klf4 in the intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We characterized the function of klf4a, a mammalian klf4 homologue by antisense morpholino oligomer knockdown. Zebrafish Klf4a shared high amino acid similarities with human and mouse Klf4. Phylogenetic analysis grouped zebrafish Klf4a together with both human and mouse Klf4 in a branch with high bootstrap value. In zebrafish, we demonstrate that Klf4a represses intestinal cell proliferation based on results of BrdU incorporation, p-Histone 3 immunostaining, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Decreased PepT1 expression was detected in intestinal bulbs of 80- and 102-hours post fertilization (hpf) klf4a morphants. Significant reduction of alcian blue-stained goblet cell number was identified in intestines of 102- and 120-hpf klf4a morphants. Embryos treated with γ-secretase inhibitor showed increased klf4a expression in the intestine, while decreased klf4a expression and reduction in goblet cell number were observed in embryos injected with Notch intracellular domain (NICD) mRNA. We were able to detect recovery of goblet cell number in 102-hpf embryos that had been co-injected with both klf4a and Notch 1a NICD mRNA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides in vivo evidence showing that zebrafih Klf4a is essential for the repression of intestinal cell proliferation. Zebrafish Klf4a is required for the differentiation of goblet cells and the terminal differentiation of enterocytes. Moreover, the regulation of differentiation of goblet cells in zebrafish intestine by Notch signaling at least partially mediated through Klf4a.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Chen
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chein-Tso
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Yu-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guo-Bin
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Che-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Sheng-Ping L
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019858:Enteroendocrine Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology*; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D000074011:Peptide Transporter 1; D010802:Phylogeny; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism; D016196:S Phase / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D027981:Symporters / Q000378:metabolism; D026801:Synteny / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; C000715467:KLF4 protein, human; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D000074011:Peptide Transporter 1; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D027981:Symporters; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C000613207:slc15a1b protein, zebrafish; D005934:Glucagon; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine