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Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
Published on: January 30, 2014
Bcl-wav and the mitochondrial calcium uniporter drive gastrula morphogenesis in zebrafish
Julien Prudent1, Nikolay Popgeorgiev, Benjamin Bonneau
1Université de Lyon, Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, U1052 INSERM, UMS 3453 CNRS, Université Lyon I, Centre Léon Bérard, 28 rue Laennec, Lyon 69008, France.
Abstract:
Bcl-2 proteins are acknowledged as key regulators of programmed cell death. However, increasing data suggest additional roles, including regulation of the cell cycle, metabolism and cytoskeletal dynamics. Here we report the discovery and characterization of a new Bcl-2-related multidomain apoptosis accelerator, Bcl-wav, found in fish and frogs. Genetic and molecular studies in zebrafish indicate that Bcl-wav and the recently identified mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) contribute to the formation of the notochord axis by controlling blastomere convergence and extension movements during gastrulation. Furthermore, we found that Bcl-wav controls intracellular Ca(2+) trafficking by acting on the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel, and possibly on MCU, with direct consequences on actin microfilament dynamics and blastomere migration guidance. Thus, from an evolutionary point of view, the original function of Bcl-2 proteins might have been to contribute in controlling the global positioning system of blastomeres during gastrulation, a critical step in metazoan development.
Insights
Researchers discovered Bcl-wav, a new Bcl-2 protein, crucial for early development. It regulates cell movement during gastrulation by controlling calcium and actin dynamics, suggesting an ancient role for Bcl-2 proteins in embryonic development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Bcl-2 proteins are primarily known as regulators of programmed cell death.
- Emerging evidence indicates diverse roles for Bcl-2 proteins beyond apoptosis, including cell cycle, metabolism, and cytoskeletal dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover and characterize novel Bcl-2-related proteins involved in early development.
- To investigate the function of the newly identified Bcl-wav protein in zebrafish gastrulation.
Main Methods:
- Genetic and molecular studies in zebrafish.
- Analysis of Bcl-wav's role in blastomere convergence and extension.
- Investigation of Bcl-wav's impact on intracellular calcium (Ca2+) trafficking and actin dynamics.
Main Results:
- Discovery and characterization of Bcl-wav, a Bcl-2-related apoptosis accelerator in fish and frogs.
- Bcl-wav, along with the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), is essential for notochord axis formation by controlling blastomere movements.
- Bcl-wav regulates Ca2+ trafficking via mitochondrial channels, influencing actin dynamics and blastomere migration.
Conclusions:
- Bcl-wav plays a critical role in embryonic development by modulating calcium signaling and cytoskeletal organization.
- The findings suggest that an ancestral function of Bcl-2 proteins may have been to guide cell positioning during gastrulation.
- This study expands the known functions of Bcl-2 family proteins into developmental processes and evolutionary origins.
