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Updated: Aug 15, 2025
The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
Published on: February 16, 2017
An optimized Tet-On system for conditional control of gene expression in sea urchins
Jian Ming Khor1, Charles A Ettensohn1
1Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Abstract:
Sea urchins and other echinoderms are important experimental models for studying developmental processes. The lack of approaches for conditional gene perturbation, however, has made it challenging to investigate the late developmental functions of genes that have essential roles during early embryogenesis and genes that have diverse functions in multiple tissues. The doxycycline-controlled Tet-On system is a widely used molecular tool for temporally and spatially regulated transgene expression. Here, we optimized the Tet-On system to conditionally induce gene expression in sea urchin embryos. Using this approach, we explored the roles the MAPK signaling plays in skeletogenesis by expressing genes that perturb the pathway specifically in primary mesenchyme cells during later stages of development. We demonstrated the wide utility of the Tet-On system by applying it to a second sea urchin species and in cell types other than the primary mesenchyme cells. Our work provides a robust and flexible platform for the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression in sea urchins, which will considerably enhance the utility of this prominent model system.
Insights
Researchers optimized the doxycycline-controlled Tet-On system for conditional gene expression in sea urchin embryos. This advance allows detailed study of gene functions in later development and diverse cell types, enhancing echinoderm research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Sea urchins are crucial models for developmental biology research.
- Limited methods for conditional gene perturbation hinder studies on gene functions in late development and multiple tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the doxycycline-controlled Tet-On system for conditional gene expression in sea urchin embryos.
- To investigate the roles of MAPK signaling in skeletogenesis using this new system.
- To demonstrate the system's broad applicability across species and cell types.
Main Methods:
- Optimization of the Tet-On system for temporal and spatial control of gene expression in sea urchin embryos.
- Conditional induction of gene expression in primary mesenchyme cells to study skeletogenesis.
- Application of the Tet-On system in a second sea urchin species and non-mesenchyme cell types.
Main Results:
- Successfully adapted the Tet-On system for conditional gene expression in sea urchin embryos.
- Explored MAPK signaling roles in skeletogenesis by perturbing the pathway in specific cell types.
- Demonstrated the system's versatility in different species and cell lineages.
Conclusions:
- The optimized Tet-On system provides a robust and flexible platform for spatiotemporal gene regulation in sea urchins.
- This advancement significantly enhances the utility of sea urchins as a model system for developmental studies.
- Enables deeper investigation into gene functions during later embryogenesis and in various tissues.
