Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (RIKEN-IMS), 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan.
Nat Commun. 2020 Nov 11;11(1):5709. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19556-5.
Dorsal-ventral patterning of the mammalian telencephalon is fundamental to the formation of distinct functional regions including the neocortex and ganglionic eminence. While Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), Wnt, and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling are known to determine regional identity along the dorsoventral axis, how the region-specific expression of these morphogens is established remains unclear. Here we show that the Polycomb group (PcG) protein Ring1 contributes to the ventralization of the mouse telencephalon. Deletion of Ring1b or both Ring1a and Ring1b in neuroepithelial cells induces ectopic expression of dorsal genes, including those for BMP and Wnt ligands, as well as attenuated expression of the gene for Shh, a key morphogen for ventralization, in the ventral telencephalon. We observe PcG protein-mediated trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine-27 and binding of Ring1B at BMP and Wnt ligand genes specifically in the ventral region. Furthermore, forced activation of BMP or Wnt signaling represses Shh expression. Our results thus indicate that PcG proteins suppress BMP and Wnt signaling in a region-specific manner and thereby allow proper Shh expression and development of the ventral telencephalon.
哺乳动物大脑皮层的背腹模式形成对于皮质和神经节隆起等不同功能区域的形成至关重要。已知骨形态发生蛋白(BMP)、Wnt 和 Sonic hedgehog(Shh)信号沿背腹轴决定区域身份,但这些形态发生素的区域特异性表达是如何建立的仍不清楚。在这里,我们发现多梳抑制复合物(PcG)蛋白 Ring1 有助于小鼠大脑皮层的腹侧化。神经上皮细胞中 Ring1b 或 Ring1a 和 Ring1b 的缺失会诱导背侧基因的异位表达,包括 BMP 和 Wnt 配体基因,以及 Shh 基因的表达减弱,Shh 是腹侧化的关键形态发生素,在腹侧大脑皮层中。我们观察到 PcG 蛋白介导的组蛋白 H3 赖氨酸 27 三甲基化和 Ring1B 在 BMP 和 Wnt 配体基因上的结合,仅在腹侧区域特异性发生。此外,BMP 或 Wnt 信号的强制激活会抑制 Shh 的表达。因此,我们的结果表明,PcG 蛋白以区域特异性的方式抑制 BMP 和 Wnt 信号,从而允许适当的 Shh 表达和腹侧大脑皮层的发育。