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Sparc (Osteonectin) functions in morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear.

ABSTRACT: Sparc (Osteonectin), a matricellular glycoprotein expressed by many differentiated cells, is a major non-collagenous constituent of vertebrate bones. Recent studies indicate that Sparc expression appears early in development, although its function and regulation during embryogenesis are largely unknown. We cloned zebrafish sparc and investigated its role during development, using a mo rpholino antisense oligonucleotide-based knockdown approach. Consistent with its strong expression in the otic vesicle and developing pharyngeal cartilages, knockdown of Sparc function resulted in specific inner ear and cartilage defects that are highlighted by changes in gene expression, morphology and behavior. We rescued the knockdown phenotypes by co-injecting sparc mRNA, providing evidence that the knockdown phenotype is due specifically to impairment of Sparc function. A comparison of the phenotypes of Sparc knockdown and known zebrafish mutants with similar defects places Sparc downstream of sox9 in the genetic network that regulates development of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear of vertebrates.

SUBMITTER: Rotllant J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2642737 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sparc (Osteonectin) functions in morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear.

Rotllant Josep J Liu Dong D Yan Yin-Lin YL Postlethwait John H JH Westerfield Monte M Du Shao-Jun SJ

Matrix biology : journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology 20080315 6

Sparc (Osteonectin), a matricellular glycoprotein expressed by many differentiated cells, is a major non-collagenous constituent of vertebrate bones. Recent studies indicate that Sparc expression appears early in development, although its function and regulation during embryogenesis are largely unknown. We cloned zebrafish sparc and investigated its role during development, using a mo rpholino antisense oligonucleotide-based knockdown approach. Consistent with its strong expression in the otic v ...[more]

PMID: 18430553

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Project description:BackgroundPax2;5;8 transcription factors play diverse roles in vertebrate and invertebrate organogenesis, including the development of the inner ear. Past research has suggested various cochlear defects and some vestibular defects in Pax2 null mice but the details of the cochlear defects and the interaction with other Pax family members in ear development remain unclear.ResultsWe show that Pax2;8 double null mice do not develop an ear past the otocyst stage and show little to no sensory as well as limited and transient neuronal development, thus indicating that these two family members are essential for overall ear morphogenesis and sustained neurosensory development. In support of functional redundancy between Pax proteins, Pax2 can be substituted by a Pax5 minigene, a gene normally not expressed in the embryonic mouse ear. There is no detectable morphological defect in Pax8 null mice suggesting that Pax2 expression can compensate for Pax8. Conversely, Pax8 cannot compensate for Pax2 leading to a cochlear phenotype not fully appreciated previously: Cochlear development is delayed until E15.5 when the cochlea extrudes as a large sack into the brain case. Immunocytochemistry and tracing from the brain show that a cochlear spiral ganglia form as a small addition to the inferior vestibular ganglion. However, the empty cochlear sack, devoid of any sensory epithelium development as indicated by the absence of Sox2 or MyoVII expression, nevertheless develop a dense innervation network of small neurons situated in the wall of the cochlear sack.ConclusionsCombined these data suggest that Pax2 is needed for organ of Corti formation and is directly or indirectly involved in the coordination of spiral ganglion formation which is partially disrupted in the Pax2 null ears. All three Pax genes can signal redundantly in the ear with their function being determined primarily by the spatio-temporal expression driven by the three distinct promoters of these genes.

Dataset Information

Sparc (Osteonectin) functions in morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear.

Publications

Sparc (Osteonectin) functions in morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton and inner ear.

Similar Datasets

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