Multiple regulatory elements with spatially and temporally distinct activities control neurogenin1 expression in primary neurons of the zebrafish embryo

The basic Helix-Loop-Helix gene neurogenin1 (ngn1) is expressed in a complex pattern in the neural plate of zebrafish embryos, demarcating the sites of primary neurogenesis. We have dissected the ngn1 locus to identify cis-regulatory regions that control this expression. We have isolated two upstream elements that drive expression in precursors of Rohon-Beard sensory neurons and hindbrain interneurons and in clusters of neuronal precursors in the anterior neural plate, respectively. A third regulatory region mediates later expression. Thus, regulatory sequences with temporally and spatially distinct activities control ngn1 expression in primary neurons of the zebrafish embryo. These regions are highly similar to 5' sequences in the mouse and human ngn1 gene, suggesting that amniote embryos, despite lacking primary neurons, utilize related mechanism to control ngn1 expression.     

Tol2转座子介导斑马鱼rps26基因附近增强子捕获及注解分析

随着人类等生物大规模基因组测序工作的完成,认识和理解基因组上表达调控元件成为后基因组时代的重要研究任务,增强子捕获技术是一种鉴定基因组上增强子元件及其对基因表达调控机制的有效方法。本研究选择Tol2转座子系统介导制备的稳定增强子捕获品系TK4系(头部和躯干特异性GFP表达),利用Splinkerette PCR(sp-PCR)、原位杂交和比较基因组学等技术手段进行所捕获增强子的解析研究。将TK4系的F1代与野生型斑马鱼杂交,收集受精卵,于6 hpf(Hour post fertilization)、24 hpf、48 hpf、3 dpf(Day post fertilization)、4 dpf、5 dpf六个发育阶段通过荧光显微镜检测绿色荧光蛋白报告基因的表达模式;然后通过sp-PCR方法克隆到Tol2转座子插入位点斑马鱼基因组侧翼序列,经比对分析表明插入位点位于基因组23号染色体27749253位置,在rps26基因的intron1中,且报告基因插入方向与基因方向相反。在插入位点100 kb的基因组范围内有7个基因,分别为arf3a、wnt10b、wnt1、rps26、IKZF4、dnajc22和lmbr1l。通过VISTA程序对不同脊椎动物基因组同源序列比对结果显示,在rps26基因下游有2个潜在保守的非编码序列区CNS1(Conserved non-coding sequence)和CNS2,为可能的增强子元件。胚胎原位杂交表明:rps26基因的两个转录本有母源性表达,rps26-201在合子中的表达早于rps26-001,而TK4系斑马鱼的GFP在早期(6 hpf)不表达,后期rps26与GFP的表达模式既存在相似性,也存在差异性,提示两者可能既接受共同的增强子调控,但也存在不同增强子调控,所获得的2个潜在的增强子(CNS1和CNS2)可能对附近的基因(包括rps26)发挥差异的时空表达调控作用。本研究首次成功获得rps26基因附近2个潜在增强子,为深入研究这两个增强子对基因组附近基因的表达调控机制奠定基础,本研究所采用的结合技术手段也为增强子解析提供参考。     

Recapitulation of embryonic neuroendocrine differentiation in adult human pancreatic duct cells expressing neurogenin 3

Regulatory proteins have been identified in embryonic development of the endocrine pancreas. It is unknown whether these factors can also play a role in the formation of pancreatic endocrine cells from postnatal nonendocrine cells. The present study demonstrates that adult human pancreatic duct cells can be converted into insulin-expressing cells after ectopic, adenovirus-mediated expression of the class B basic helix-loop-helix factor neurogenin 3 (ngn3), which is a critical factor in embryogenesis of the mouse endocrine pancreas. Infection with adenovirus ngn3 (Adngn3) induced gene and/or protein expression of NeuroD/beta2, Pax4, Nkx2.2, Pax6, and Nkx6.1, all known to be essential for beta-cell differentiation in mouse embryos. Expression of ngn3 in adult human duct cells induced Notch ligands Dll1 and Dll4 and neuroendocrine- and beta-cell-specific markers: it increased the percentage of synaptophysin- and insulin-positive cells 15-fold in ngn3-infected versus control cells. Infection with NeuroD/beta2 (a downstream target of ngn3) induced similar effects. These data indicate that the Delta-Notch pathway, which controls embryonic development of the mouse endocrine pancreas, can also operate in adult human duct cells driving them to a neuroendocrine phenotype with the formation of insulin-expressing cells.     

Neurogenin 3 recruits CBP co-activator to facilitate histone H3/H4 acetylation in the target gene INSM1

INSM1 is a downstream target gene of neurogenin 3 (ngn3). A promoter construct containing the -426/+40bp region transiently co-transfected into NIH-3T3 cells with a ngn3 expression plasmid resulted in a 12-fold increase in promoter activity. The ngn3/E47 heterodimer selectively binds and activates the E-box3 of the INSM1 promoter. The endogenous ngn3 and CREB-binding protein (CBP) co-activator occupy the INSM1 promoter, resulting in hyper-acetylation of histone H3/H4 chromatin in a human neuroblastoma cell line, IMR-32. Additionally, adenoviral ngn3 can induce endogenous INSM-1 expression in pancreatic ductal carcinoma-1 cells through the recruitment of CBP to the INSM1 promoter and increase the acetylation of the INSM1 promoter region.