title: RNA-Seq identifies SPGs as a ventral skeletal patterning cue in sea urchins.
abstract: The sea urchin larval skeleton offers a simple model for formation of developmental patterns. The calcium carbonate skeleton is secreted by primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) in response to largely unknown patterning cues expressed by the ectoderm. To discover novel ectodermal cues, we performed an unbiased RNA-Seq-based screen and functionally tested candidates; we thereby identified several novel skeletal patterning cues. Among these, we show that SLC26a2/7 is a ventrally expressed sulfate transporter that promotes a ventral accumulation of sulfated proteoglycans, which is required for ventral PMC positioning and skeletal patterning. We show that the effects of SLC perturbation are mimicked by manipulation of either external sulfate levels or proteoglycan sulfation. These results identify novel skeletal patterning genes and demonstrate that ventral proteoglycan sulfation serves as a positional cue for sea urchin skeletal patterning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Piacentino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Zuch
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Sviatlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Emily E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Speranza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Christy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Janani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Vijeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Arlene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyna
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Hajerah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hameeduddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Finnegan B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bardot
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Core
authors.affiliation: Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.affiliation: Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.affiliation: Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Lingqi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jasmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coulombe-Huntington
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA Proteomics and Imaging Core Facility, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Blute
authors.affiliation: Scientific Computing and Visualization Group, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 USA.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oleinik
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Evolution and Development Group, Ihnestrasse 73, Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibn-Salem
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Evolution and Development Group, Ihnestrasse 73, Berlin 14195, Germany Dahlem Center for Genome Research and Medical Systems Biology, Environmental and Phylogenomics Group, Fabeckstraße 60-62, Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Poustka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA cbradham@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bradham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000379:methods*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D013431:Sulfates; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009532:Nickel; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: Patterning; RNA-Seq; Skeleton; Sulfated proteoglycan