β-catenin regulates FOXP2 transcriptional activity via multiple binding sites
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ABSTRACT: We observed different gene expression by overexpressing the transcription factor FOXP2 in U2OS cells compared to mock-transfected cells. Additionally, we found β-catenin as co-activator binding directly to FOXP2. Activation of Wnt signaling was changing the transcriptional activity of FOXP2. Other functional and regulatory elements were found within FOXP2 and were confirmed by RNA-Seq.
Project description:To study the underlying mechanism of tumor initation driven by FOXP2, we performed transcriptome analysis of transformed NIH3T3 overexpressing FOXP2 or FOXP2-CEPD1 and control cells to explore the FOXP2-related transcriptome in tumorigenesis.
Project description:It has been proposed that two amino acid substitutions in the transcription factor FOXP2 have been positively selected during human evolution due to effects on aspects of speech and language. Here, we introduce these substitutions into the endogenous Foxp2 gene.of mice. Although these mice are generally healthy, they have qualitatively different ultrasonic vocalizations, decreased exploratory behavior and decreased dopamine concentrations in the brain suggesting an effect of the humanized Foxp2 allele on basal ganglia. In the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia that is affected in humans with a speech deficit due to one non-functional FOXP2 allele, we find that medium spiny neurons have increased dendrite lengths and increased synaptic plasticity. Since mice carrying one non-functional Foxp2 allele show opposite effects, this suggests that alterations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits might have been important for the evolution of speech and language in humans. In this particular experiment, we investigate the effects of human Foxp2 (Foxp2hum) and the non-functional Foxp2 allele on striatal gene expression in embryonic, young and adult mice. We determined genome-wide gene expression patterns in striatal biopsies from Foxp2hum/hum, Foxp2wt/ko and Foxp2wt/wt mice using high-density oligonucleotide arrays. The animals were derived from two independent FoxP2 knock-in strains and one knock-out strain. In total 71 animals were used, 29 males and 42 females. The mice ages were E16.5, P15, P18, P21 and P95 when sacrificed. The microarrays were processed in totally six batches.
Project description:In humans, mutations in the transcription factor encoding gene, FOXP2, are associated with language and Autism Spectrum (ASD) Disorders, the latter characterized by deficits in social interactions. However, little is known regarding the function of Foxp2 in male or female social behavior. Our previous studies in mice revealed high expression of Foxp2 within the medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA), a limbic brain region highly implicated in innate social behaviors such as mating, aggression, and parental care. Here, using a comprehensive panel of behavioral tests in male and female Foxp2+/- heterozygous mice, we investigated the role Foxp2 plays in MeA-linked innate social behaviors. We reveal significant deficits in olfactory processing, social interaction, mating, aggressive and parental behaviors. Interestingly, some of these deficits displayed in a sex-specific manner. To examine the consequences of Foxp2 loss of function specifically in the MeA, we conducted a proteomic analysis of microdissected MeA tissue and found sex differences in a host of proteins implicated in neuronal communication, connectivity and dopamine signaling. Consistent with this, we discovered that MeA Foxp2-lineage cells were responsive to dopamine with differences between males and females. Thus, our findings reveal a central and sex-specific role for Foxp2 in social behavior and MeA function.
Project description:It has been proposed that two amino acid substitutions in the transcription factor FOXP2 have been positively selected during human evolution due to effects on aspects of speech and language. Here, we introduce these substitutions into the endogenous Foxp2 gene.of mice. Although these mice are generally healthy, they have qualitatively different ultrasonic vocalizations, decreased exploratory behavior and decreased dopamine concentrations in the brain suggesting an effect of the humanized Foxp2 allele on basal ganglia. In the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia that is affected in humans with a speech deficit due to one non-functional FOXP2 allele, we find that medium spiny neurons have increased dendrite lengths and increased synaptic plasticity. Since mice carrying one non-functional Foxp2 allele show opposite effects, this suggests that alterations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits might have been important for the evolution of speech and language in humans. In this particular experiment, we investigate the effects of human Foxp2 (Foxp2hum) and the non-functional Foxp2 allele on striatal gene expression in embryonic, young and adult mice.
Project description:Alterations to corticostriatal glutamatergic function are early pathophysiological changes associated with Huntington?s disease (HD). The factors that regulate the maintenance of corticostriatal glutamatergic synapses post-developmentally are not well understood. Recently, the striatum-enriched transcription factor Foxp2 was implicated in the development of these synapses. Here we show that, in mice, overexpression of Foxp2 in the adult striatum of two models of HD leads to rescue of HD-associated behaviors, while knockdown of Foxp2 in wild-type mice leads to development of HD-associated behaviors. We note that Foxp2 encodes the longest polyglutamine repeat protein in the human reference genome, and we show that it can be sequestered into aggregates with polyglutamine-expanded mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT). Foxp2 overexpression in HD model mice leads to altered expression of several genes associated with synaptic function, genes which present new targets for normalization of corticostriatal dysfunction in HD.
Project description:FoxP2 encodes a forkhead box transcription factor required for the development of neural circuits underlying language, vocalization, and motor-skill learning. Recent genetic studies have associated FOXP2 variation with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), and within the cortex, it is coexpressed and interacts with other NDD-associated transcription factors. Cortical Foxp2 is required in mice for proper social interactions, but its role in other NDD-relevant behaviors is unknown. Here, we characterized such behaviors and their potential underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms in cortex-specific Foxp2 conditional knockout mice. These mice showed deficits in reversal learning without increased anxiety or hyperactivity. In contrast, they emitted normal vocalizations save for a decrease in loudness of neonatal calls. These behavioral phenotypes were accompanied by decreases in cortical dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) expression at neonatal and adult stages, while general cortical development remained unaffected. Finally, using single-cell transcriptomics, we identified neonatal D1R-expressing cell types in frontal cortex and found changes in D1R cell type composition and gene expression upon cortical Foxp2 deletion. Together these data support a role for Foxp2 in the development of dopamine-modulated cortical circuits potentially relevant to NDDs.
Project description:The transcription repressor FOXP2 is a crucial player in nervous system evolution and development of humans and songbirds. In spite of its relevance, the FOXP2-controlled network and its functional implications are only partially understood. Therefore, we analyzed the transcriptomes of human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) stably overexpressing human, chimpanzee, macaque, and marmoset FOXP2 cDNAs. Clones carrying empty vector served as a standard of baseline expression. All conditions were represented by two biological replicates (A, B), each. By comparing expression levels (bases which map per kb of exon model per million mapped bases) across the different conditions we were able to identify genes with differential expression in clones overexpressing human FOXP2 relative to each other condition.
Project description:The transcription factor forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2) is a highly conserved key regulator of embryonal development. The molecular mechanisms of how FOXP2 regulates embryonal development, however, remain elusive. Using RNA sequencing, we identified the Wnt signaling pathway as key target of FOXP2-dependent transcriptional regulation. Using cell-based assays, we show that FOXP2 transcriptional activity is regulated by the Wnt coregulator β-catenin and that β-catenin contacts multiple regions within FOXP2. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we uncovered the molecular details of these interactions. β-catenin contacts a disordered FOXP2 region with α-helical propensity via its folded armadillo domain, whereas the intrinsically disordered β-catenin N terminus and C terminus bind to the conserved FOXP2 DNA-binding domain. Using RNA sequencing, we confirmed that β-catenin indeed regulates transcriptional activity of FOXP2 and that the FOXP2 α-helical motif acts as a key regulatory element of FOXP2 transcriptional activity. Taken together, our findings provide first insight into novel regulatory interactions and help to understand the intricate mechanisms of FOXP2 function and (mis)-regulation in embryonal development and human diseases. DATABASE: Expression data are available in the GEO database under the accession number GSE138938.
Project description:Mutations in FOXP2, a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors, are the only known cause of developmental speech and language disorders in humans. To date, there are no known targets of human FOXP2 in the nervous system. The identification of FOXP2 targets in the developing human brain therefore provides a unique tool with which to explore the development of human language and speech. Here we define FOXP2 targets in human basal ganglia (BG) and inferior frontal cortex (IFC) utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by microarray analysis (ChIP-chip) and validate the functional regulation of targets in vitro. ChIP-chip identified 285 FOXP2 targets in fetal human brain; significant overlap of targets in BG and IFC, indicate a core set of 34 transcriptional targets of FOXP2. We identified targets specific to the IFC or BG, not observed in lung, suggesting important regional and tissue differences in FOXP2 activity. Many target genes are known to play critical roles in specific aspects of CNS patterning or development, such as neurite outgrowth, as well as plasticity. Subsets of the FOXP2 transcriptional targets are either under positive selection in humans, or differentially expressed between human and chimpanzee brain. This is the first ChIP-chip study using human brain tissue, making the FOXP2 target genes identified in these studies important to understanding the pathways regulating speech and language in the developing human brain. These data provide the first insight into the functional network of genes directly regulated by FOXP2 in human brain and by evolutionary comparisons, highlight genes likely to be involved in the development of human higher order cognitive processes. Keywords: ChIP-chip