Transgenic quails reveal dynamic TCF/β-catenin signaling during avian embryonic development

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved and vital for development and disease.
• Monitoring Wnt activity is crucial, but existing reporters have limitations in dynamic studies.
• Current reporters struggle with temporal resolution and signal intensity, especially in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel transgenic reporter lines for dynamic monitoring of Wnt/β-catenin activity.
• To overcome limitations of existing reporters regarding signal stability and temporal resolution.
• To enable in vivo imaging of Wnt signaling dynamics during embryogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Creation of transgenic quail lines with high copy numbers (12× or 16×) of TCF/LEF binding sites.
• Utilized destabilized GFP variants to allow for temporal tracking of Wnt activity.
• Incorporated viral mRNA-derived translational enhancers to boost signal intensity and specificity.

Main Results:

• Developed two efficient transgenic quail lines for Wnt/β-catenin transcriptional activity monitoring.
• Demonstrated the utility of these lines for characterizing dynamic TCF/β-catenin activity during embryogenesis.
• Enabled high-resolution in vivo imaging of Wnt signaling dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The novel transgenic quail lines provide a powerful tool for studying Wnt signaling dynamics.
• These reporters facilitate the investigation of Wnt pathway roles in embryonic development.
• Opens new avenues for research into amniote embryonic development and Wnt signaling.