title: Notochord vacuoles are lysosome-related organelles that function in axis and spine morphogenesis.
abstract: The notochord plays critical structural and signaling roles during vertebrate development. At the center of the vertebrate notochord is a large fluid-filled organelle, the notochord vacuole. Although these highly conserved intracellular structures have been described for decades, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in their biogenesis and maintenance. Here we show that zebrafish notochord vacuoles are specialized lysosome-related organelles whose formation and maintenance requires late endosomal trafficking regulated by the vacuole-specific Rab32a and H(+)-ATPase-dependent acidification. We establish that notochord vacuoles are required for body axis elongation during embryonic development and identify a novel role in spine morphogenesis. Thus, the vertebrate notochord plays important structural roles beyond early development.
authors: Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Ellis
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Bagwell
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Bagnat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001368:Axis, Cervical Vertebra / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D004705:Endocytosis; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009672:Notochord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D021381:Protein Transport; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013131:Spine / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging; D014162:Transfection; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins