title: Transcriptional targets of TWIST1 in the cranial mesoderm regulate cell-matrix interactions and mesenchyme maintenance.
abstract: TWIST1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor is essential for the development of cranial mesoderm and cranial neural crest-derived craniofacial structures. We have previously shown that, in the absence of TWIST1, cells within the cranial mesoderm adopt an abnormal epithelial configuration via a process reminiscent of a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET). Here, we show by gene expression analysis that loss of TWIST1 in the cranial mesoderm is accompanied by a reduction in the expression of genes that are associated with cell-extracellular matrix interactions and the acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics. By comparing the transcriptional profiles of cranial mesoderm-specific Twist1 loss-of-function mutant and control mouse embryos, we identified a set of genes that are both TWIST1-dependent and predominantly expressed in the mesoderm. ChIP-seq was used to identify TWIST1-binding sites in an in vitro model of a TWIST1-dependent mesenchymal cell state, and the data were combined with the transcriptome data to identify potential target genes. Three direct transcriptional targets of TWIST1 (Ddr2, Pcolce and Tgfbi) were validated by ChIP-PCR using mouse embryonic tissues and by luciferase assays. Our findings reveal that the mesenchymal properties of the cranial mesoderm are likely to be regulated by a network of TWIST1 targets that influences the extracellular matrix and cell-matrix interactions, and collectively they are required for the morphogenesis of the craniofacial structures.
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Electronic address: heidi.bildsoe@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bildsoe
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaochen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Emilie E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Wilkie
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherland.
authors.forename: Ator
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ashoti
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: qinjing@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: wang.junwen@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Junwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Patrick P L
authors.initials: PPL
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Electronic address: dloebel@cmri.org.au.
authors.forename: David A F
authors.initials: DAF
authors.lastname: Loebel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012886:Skull / Q000196:embryology*; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; C067250:Twist1 protein, mouse
keywords: Cranial mesoderm; Craniofacial; Extracellular matrix-cell interaction; Mesenchyme; Twist1; bHLH factor