A Novel Role for VICKZ Proteins in Maintaining Epithelial Integrity during Embryogenesis
VICKZ (IGF2BP1,2,3/ZBP1/Vg1RBP/IMP1,2,3) proteins bind RNA and help regulate many RNA-mediated processes. In the midbrain region of early chick embryos, VICKZ is expressed in the neural folds and along the basal surface of the neural epithelium, but, upon neural tube closure, is down-regulated in pr...
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Published in | PloS one Vol. 10; no. 8; p. e0136408 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Public Library of Science
28.08.2015
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | VICKZ (IGF2BP1,2,3/ZBP1/Vg1RBP/IMP1,2,3) proteins bind RNA and help regulate many RNA-mediated processes. In the midbrain region of early chick embryos, VICKZ is expressed in the neural folds and along the basal surface of the neural epithelium, but, upon neural tube closure, is down-regulated in prospective cranial neural crest (CNC) cells, concomitant with their emigration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Electroporation of constructs that modulate cVICKZ expression demonstrates that this down-regulation is both necessary and sufficient for CNC EMT. These results suggest that VICKZ down-regulation in CNC cell-autonomously promotes EMT and migration. Reduction of VICKZ throughout the embryo, however, inhibits CNC migration non-cell-autonomously, as judged by transplantation experiments in Xenopus embryos.
Given the positive role reported for VICKZ proteins in promoting cell migration of chick embryo fibroblasts and many types of cancer cells, we have begun to look for specific mRNAs that could mediate context-specific differences. We report here that the laminin receptor, integrin alpha 6, is down-regulated in the dorsal neural tube when CNC cells emigrate, this process is mediated by cVICKZ, and integrin alpha 6 mRNA is found in VICKZ ribonucleoprotein complexes. Significantly, prolonged inhibition of cVICKZ in either the neural tube or the nascent dermomyotome sheet, which also dynamically expresses cVICKZ, induces disruption of these epithelia. These data point to a previously unreported role for VICKZ in maintaining epithelial integrity. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Conceived and designed the experiments: MSC DSD CK JKY. Performed the experiments: MSC NK FO RM. Analyzed the data: MSC NK FO RM DSD CK JKY. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: NK DSD CK JKY. Wrote the paper: MSC FO RM DSD CK JKY. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Current address: Dept. of Genetics, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States of America |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 1932-6203 |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0136408 |