Palmer, AJ;
Savery, D;
Massa, V;
Copp, AJ;
Greene, NDE;
(2021)
Genetic interaction of Pax3 mutation and canonical Wnt signaling modulates neural tube defects and neural crest abnormalities.
Genesis
, Article e23445. 10.1002/dvg.23445.
(In press).
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Abstract
Mouse models provide opportunities to investigate genetic interactions that cause or modify the frequency of neural tube defects (NTDs). Mutation of the PAX3 transcription factor prevents neural tube closure, leading to cranial and spinal NTDs whose frequency is responsive to folate status. Canonical Wnt signalling is implicated both in regulation of Pax3 expression and as a target of PAX3. This study investigated potential interactions of Pax3 mutation and canonical Wnt signalling using conditional gain- and loss-of-function models of β-catenin. We found an additive effect of β-catenin gain of function and Pax3 loss of function on NTDs and neural crest defects. β-catenin gain of function in the Pax3 expression domain led to significantly increased frequency of cranial but not spinal NTDs in embryos that are heterozygous for Pax3 mutation, while both cranial and spinal neural tube closure were exacerbated in Pax3 homozygotes. Similarly, deficits of migrating neural crest cells were exacerbated by β-catenin gain of function, with almost complete ablation of spinal neural crest cells and derivatives in Pax3 homozygous mutants. Pax3 expression was not affected by β-catenin gain of function, while we confirmed that loss of function led to reduced Pax3 transcription. In contrast to gain of function, β-catenin knockout in the Pax3 expression domain lowered the frequency of cranial NTDs in Pax3 null embryos. However, loss of function of β-catenin and Pax3 resulted in spinal NTDs, suggesting differential regulation of cranial and spinal neural tube closure. In summary, β-catenin function modulates the frequency of PAX3-related NTDs in the mouse.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Genetic interaction of Pax3 mutation and canonical Wnt signaling modulates neural tube defects and neural crest abnormalities |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1002/dvg.23445 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dvg.23445 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2021 The Authors. genesis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | β-catenin, exencephaly, neural tube defects, Pax3, spina bifida, Wnt |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Developmental Biology and Cancer Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10134354 |
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