Sipl1 and Rbck1 are novel Eya1-binding proteins with a role in craniofacial development

The eyes absent 1 protein (Eya1) plays an essential role in the development of various organs in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Mutations in the human EYA1 gene are linked to BOR (branchio-oto-renal) syndrome, characterized by kidney defects, hearing loss, and branchial arch anomalies. For a better understanding of Eya1's function, we have set out to identify new Eya1-interacting proteins. Here we report the identification of the related proteins Sipl1 (Shank-interacting protein-like 1) and Rbck1 (RBCC protein interacting with PKC1) as novel interaction partners of Eya1. We confirmed the interactions by glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown analysis and coimmunoprecipitation. A first mechanistic insight is provided by the demonstration that Sipl1 and Rbck1 enhance the function of Eya proteins to act as coactivators for the Six transcription factors. Using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization, we show that Sipl1 and Rbck1 are coexpressed with Eya1 in several organs during embryogenesis of both the mouse and zebrafish. By morpholino-mediated knockdown, we demonstrate that the Sipl1 and Rbck1 orthologs are involved in different aspects of zebrafish development. In particular, knockdown of one Sipl1 ortholog as well as one Rbck1 ortholog led to a BOR syndrome-like phenotype, with characteristic defects in ear and branchial arch formation.