Project description:Association of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in chromatin across the genome of neural cells in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/thalamus of metamorphic climax stage Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles, analyzed by chromatin-immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq).
Project description:Changes in DNA methylation in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/thalamus of Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles were analyzed using Methylated DNA Capture sequencing (MethlCap-seq) at four stages of metamorphosis.
Project description:Changes in gene expression in the preoptic area/hypothalamus/thalamus of Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles were analyzed using RNAseq at four stages of metamorphosis.
Project description:Methylation of cytosine residues in DNA influences chromatin structure and gene transcription, and its regulation is crucial for brain development. There is mounting evidence that DNA methylation can be modulated by hormone signaling. We analyzed genome-wide changes in DNA methylation and their relationship to gene regulation in the brain of Xenopus tadpoles during metamorphosis, a thyroid hormone-dependent developmental process. We studied the region of the tadpole brain containing neurosecretory neurons that control pituitary hormone secretion, a region that is highly responsive to thyroid hormone action. Using Methylated DNA Capture sequencing (MethylCap-seq) we discovered a diverse landscape of DNA methylation across the tadpole neural cell genome, and pairwise stage comparisons identified several thousand differentially methylated regions (DMRs). During the pre-to pro-metamorphic period, the number of DMRs was lowest (1,163), with demethylation predominating. From pre-metamorphosis to metamorphic climax DMRs nearly doubled (2,204), with methylation predominating. The largest changes in DNA methylation were seen from metamorphic climax to the completion of metamorphosis (2960 DMRs), with 80% of the DMRs representing demethylation. Using RNA sequencing, we found negative correlations between differentially expressed genes and DMRs localized to gene bodies and regions upstream of transcription start sites. DNA demethylation at metamorphosis revealed by MethylCap-seq was corroborated by increased immunoreactivity for the DNA demethylation intermediates 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-carboxymethylcytosine, and the methylcytosine dioxygenase ten eleven translocation 3 that catalyzes DNA demethylation. Our findings show that the genome of tadpole neural cells undergoes significant changes in DNA methylation during metamorphosis, and these changes likely influence chromatin architecture, and gene regulation programs occurring during this developmental period.
Project description:Amphibian metamorphosis is controlled by thyroid hormone (TH), which binds TH receptors (TRs) to regulate gene expression programs that underlie morphogenesis. Gene expression screens using tissues from premetamorphic tadpoles treated with TH identified some TH target genes, but few studies have analyzed genome-wide changes in gene regulation during spontaneous metamorphosis. We analyzed RNA sequencing data at four developmental stages from the beginning to the end of spontaneous metamorphosis, conducted on the neuroendocrine centers of Xenopus tropicalis tadpole brain. We also conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) for TRs, and we compared gene expression changes during metamorphosis with those induced by exogenous TH. The mRNA levels of 26% of protein coding genes changed during metamorphosis; about half were upregulated and half downregulated. Twenty four percent of genes whose mRNA levels changed during metamorphosis had TR ChIP-seq peaks. Genes involved with neural cell differentiation, cell physiology, synaptogenesis and cell-cell signaling were upregulated, while genes involved with cell cycle, protein synthesis, and neural stem/progenitor cell homeostasis were downregulated. There is a shift from building neural structures early in the metamorphic process, to the differentiation and maturation of neural cells and neural signaling pathways characteristic of the adult frog brain. Only half of the genes modulated by treatment of premetamorphic tadpoles with TH for 16 h changed expression during metamorphosis; these represented 33% of the genes whose mRNA levels changed during metamorphosis. Taken together, our results provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis for metamorphosis of tadpole brain, and they highlight potential caveats for interpreting gene regulation changes in premetamorphic tadpoles induced by exogenous TH.
Project description:Premetamorphic Xenopus laevis tadpole tail respond to thyroid hormone by resorption. The goal of this experiment is to identify the genes involved in the TH-induced resorption tadpole tail and compare it to TH-induced proliferation and differentiation program in tadpole limb and brain. Xenopus tadpoles (NF54) were treated with 100 nM T3 in 0.1 x MMR for another 24h and 48h or without T3 for 48h (control group). NF 61 tadpoles were in 0.1 X MMR till they reached NF stage 62. The tails were dissected after the experiment. Keywords: development or differentiation design,organism part comparison design,reference design,replicate design,time series design
Project description:Premetamorphic Xenopus laevis tadpoles brain ventricle cells respond to thyroid hormone by proliferation and subsequent differentiation. The goal of this experiment is to identify the genes involved in the TH-induced proliferation pathway in tadpole brain and compare it to TH-induced proliferation and differentiation program in tadpole limb. Xenopus tadpoles (NF54) were treated with 1 mM methimazole in 0.1 X MMR solution for 1 week to block the endogenous TH production and reduce the TH present in the system of the tadpole. They were then treated with 100 nM T3 in 1 mM methimazole and 0.1 x MMR for another 24h and 48h or without T3 for 48h (control group). Brains from the tadpoles were dissected at the end of the experiment. Keywords: development or differentiation design,organism part comparison design,reference design,replicate design,time series design
Project description:In this experiment, we show transcription profiling of the Xenopus tropicalis tadpole tail tissue regeneration following removal. The tail tissues include its spinal cord, notochord, muscle, and dorsal aorta. We characterized the early, intermediate, and late stages of Xenopus tropicalis tail regeneration using the Xenopus tropicalis Affymetrix genome array in biological replicate.