Rbm24a and Rbm24b are required for normal somitogenesis

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• RNA binding motif protein 24 (RBM24) is expressed during mouse cardiogenesis.
• Zebrafish homologs Rbm24a and Rbm24b have known roles in cardiac development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of Rbm24a and Rbm24b in zebrafish somite and craniofacial development.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Rbm24a and Rbm24b function in development.

Main Methods:

• Morpholino knockdown of rbm24a and rbm24b in zebrafish embryos.
• In situ hybridization to analyze gene expression patterns.
• Analysis of Notch pathway gene expression and mRNA processing.

Main Results:

• Rbm24a and Rbm24b are required for normal somite and craniofacial development.
• Knockdown resulted in disrupted somite formation and altered expression of Notch pathway components (dlc, dld, her7, her1).
• Aberrant processing of Notch ligand mRNAs (dlc, dld) was observed, suggesting a role in post-transcriptional regulation.

Conclusions:

• Rbm24a and Rbm24b play a previously unrecognized role in somitogenesis and craniofacial development.
• These proteins likely function by regulating pre-mRNA processing, specifically impacting Notch pathway ligand transcripts.
• Perturbation of RBM24 homologs may compromise post-transcriptional processing, affecting developmental pathways.