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Dissection of Xenopus laevis Neural Crest for in vitro Explant Culture or in vivo Transplantation
Published on: March 4, 2014
Histone demethylase JmjD2A regulates neural crest specification
Pablo Hernan Strobl-Mazzulla1, Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Marianne Bronner-Fraser
1Division of Biology 139-74, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Developmental Cell
|September 14, 2010
Summary
Dynamic histone modifications, regulated by JumonjiD2A (JmjD2A), are crucial for controlling neural crest gene expression during vertebrate development. This epigenetic mechanism ensures proper temporal gene activation for neural crest cell development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The neural crest, a multipotent stem cell population, develops characteristic features post-neurulation.
- The maintenance of neural crest precursors in a stem cell-like state suggests active epigenetic regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of dynamic histone modifications in the temporal control of neural crest gene expression.
- To identify specific epigenetic factors involved in maintaining neural crest stem cell-like properties.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of histone demethylase JumonjiD2A (JmjD2A/KDM4A) expression during neural fold formation.
- Assessing the impact of JmjD2A loss-of-function on neural crest specifier gene expression using multiplex NanoString and in situ hybridization.
- Employing in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation to examine JmjD2A interactions with gene regulatory regions and associated histone methylation states.
Main Results:
- JmjD2A is expressed in the forming neural folds.
- Loss of JmjD2A function leads to significant downregulation of key neural crest specifier genes.
- JmjD2A directly interacts with regulatory regions of neural crest genes in a stage-specific manner, altering histone methylation.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic histone modifications, particularly those involving JmjD2A-mediated demethylation, are critical for the temporal regulation of neural crest gene expression.
- Epigenetic control via histone methylation directly influences neural crest gene activity in vertebrate embryos.
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