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Pax3 functions in cell survival and in pax7 regulation

A G Borycki1, J Li, F Jin

  • 1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. epsteinj@mail.med.upenn.edu

Development (Cambridge, England)
|March 18, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Pax3 is crucial for muscle development and cell survival in vertebrate embryos. It activates MyoD, prevents cell death, and represses Pax7, ensuring proper neural tube and somite formation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Pax3 is a key transcription factor in vertebrate embryonic development.
  • It is expressed in the neural tube and paraxial mesoderm, essential for skeletal muscle formation.
  • Pax3 mutations lead to muscular and neural tube defects, highlighting its critical role in myogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific functions of Pax3 in cell survival and gene expression during embryonic development.
  • To elucidate the role of Pax3 in MyoD activation and apoptosis within the presomitic mesoderm, somites, and neural tube.
  • To understand the regulatory relationship between Pax3 and Pax7 in neural tube and somite development.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of wild-type and Pax3 mutant (Splotch) mouse embryos.
  • Examination of cell survival and gene expression in presomitic mesoderm, somites, and neural tube.
  • Disruption of Pax3 expression using antisense oligonucleotides in cultured presomitic mesoderm.

Main Results:

  • Pax3 disruption impairs MyoD activation and increases programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cultured presomitic mesoderm.
  • In Pax3 mutant embryos, MyoD-expressing cells are disorganized, and apoptosis is prevalent in newly formed somites.
  • Pax7 is upregulated and expanded into regions of Pax3 expression in neural tube and somites where cell survival is maintained.

Conclusions:

  • Pax3 plays complementary roles in activating MyoD and inhibiting apoptosis in somitic mesoderm.
  • Pax3 is essential for repressing Pax7 expression in the neural tube and somites.
  • These findings establish Pax3's critical functions in regulating cell survival, gene activation, and spatial gene expression during vertebrate embryonic development.

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