title: Snail2 and Zeb2 repressP-cadherinto define embryonic territories in the chick embryo.
abstract: Snail and Zeb transcription factors induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in embryonic and adult tissues by direct repression ofE-cadherintranscription. The repression of E-cadherin transcription by the EMT inducers Snail1 and Zeb2 plays a fundamental role in defining embryonic territories in the mouse, as E-cadherin needs to be downregulated in the primitive streak and in the epiblast, concomitant with the formation of mesendodermal precursors and the neural plate, respectively. Here, we show that in the chick embryo,E-cadherinis weakly expressed in the epiblast at pre-primitive streak stages where it is substituted for byP-cadherinWe also show thatSnail2andZeb2repressP-cadherintranscription in the primitive streak and the neural plate, respectively. This indicates thatE-andP-cadherinexpression patterns evolved differently between chick and mouse. As such, the Snail1/E-cadherin axis described in the early mouse embryo corresponds to Snail2/P-cadherin in the chick, but both Snail factors and Zeb2 fulfil a similar role in chick and mouse in directly repressing ectodermal cadherin genes to contribute to the delamination of mesendodermal precursors at gastrulation and the proper specification of the neural ectoderm during neural induction.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante 03550, Spain anieto@umh.es herve.acloque@inra.fr.|GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, INPT, ENVT, Castanet Tolosan 31326, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4761-1055
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acloque
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante 03550, Spain.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Ocaña
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante 03550, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Claudio D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9907-889X
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante 03550, Spain anieto@umh.es herve.acloque@inra.fr.
authors.forename: M Angela
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3538-840X
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nieto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D054262:Gastrulation / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D054240:Primitive Streak / Q000196:embryology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors
keywords: E-cadherin repressors; EMT; Gastrulation; Neural plate; P-cadherin; Sip1