Sprouty4, an FGF inhibitor, displays cyclic gene expression under the control of the notch segmentation clock in the mouse PSM

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 4; no. 5; p. e5603
• Main Authors: Hayashi, Shinichi, Shimoda, Taiju, Nakajima, Masato, Tsukada, Yuki, Sakumura, Yuichi, Dale, J Kim, Maroto, Miguel, Kohno, Kenji, Matsui, Takaaki, Bessho, Yasumasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 19.05.2009; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - genetics; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - physiology; Bioinformatics; Biological Clocks - physiology; Birds; Blotting, Western; Clock gene; Developmental biology; Developmental Biology/Developmental Molecular Mechanisms; Developmental Biology/Embryology; Developmental Biology/Molecular Development; Developmental Biology/Pattern Formation; Drosophila; Embryo, Mammalian - metabolism; Embryogenesis; Embryonic growth stage; Embryos; Esophagus; Fibroblast growth factor; Fibroblast growth factors; Fibroblast Growth Factors - antagonists & inhibitors; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes; Genetics and Genomics/Gene Expression; Glycosyltransferases - metabolism; In Situ Hybridization; Information science; Inhibitors; Insects; Kinases; Laboratories; Life sciences; Mesoderm; Mesoderm - embryology; Mesoderm - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Morphogenesis; Mutagenesis; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Notch protein; Oscillations; Periodicity; Proteins; R&D; Receptors, Notch - metabolism; Research & development; Segmentation; Signal transduction; Somites; Transcription; Trends; Wnt protein; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - metabolism; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005603

During vertebrate embryogenesis, somites are generated at regular intervals, the temporal and spatial periodicity of which is governed by a gradient of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and/or Wnt signaling activity in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) in conjunction with oscillations of gene expression of components of the Notch, Wnt and FGF signaling pathways. Here, we show that the expression of Sprouty4, which encodes an FGF inhibitor, oscillates in 2-h cycles in the mouse PSM in synchrony with other oscillating genes from the Notch signaling pathway, such as lunatic fringe. Sprouty4 does not oscillate in Hes7-null mutant mouse embryos, and Hes7 can inhibit FGF-induced transcriptional activity of the Sprouty4 promoter. Thus, periodic expression of Sprouty4 is controlled by the Notch segmentation clock and may work as a mediator that links the temporal periodicity of clock gene oscillations with the spatial periodicity of boundary formation which is regulated by the gradient of FGF/Wnt activity.