PUBLICATION

MicroRNAs Establish Uniform Traits during the Architecture of Vertebrate Embryos

Authors
Kasper, D.M., Moro, A., Ristori, E., Narayanan, A., Hill-Teran, G., Fleming, E., Moreno-Mateos, M., Vejnar, C.E., Zhang, J., Lee, D., Gu, M., Gerstein, M., Giraldez, A., Nicoli, S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170330-6
Date
2017
Source
Developmental Cell   40: 552-565.e5 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Giraldez, Antonio, Kasper, Dionna, Moro, Albertomaria, Nicoli, Stefania, Ristori, Emma, Vejnar, Charles
Keywords
cardiovascular development, endothelial cells, environmental stress, miR-139, miR-223, miR-24, phenotypic variability, robustness, target gene networks, zebrafish mutants
Datasets
GEO:GSE81335, GEO:GSE81341, GEO:GSE81340
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Arteries/embryology
  • Arteries/metabolism
  • Cell Count
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism*
  • Endothelial Cells/metabolism
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Genome
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism
  • Homozygote
  • MicroRNAs/genetics
  • MicroRNAs/metabolism*
  • Morphogenesis
  • Mutagenesis/genetics
  • Mutation/genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Pseudopodia/metabolism
  • Quantitative Trait, Heritable
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Vertebrates/embryology*
  • Vertebrates/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
28350988 Full text @ Dev. Cell
Abstract
Proper functioning of an organism requires cells and tissues to behave in uniform, well-organized ways. How this optimum of phenotypes is achieved during the development of vertebrates is unclear. Here, we carried out a multi-faceted and single-cell resolution screen of zebrafish embryonic blood vessels upon mutagenesis of single and multi-gene microRNA (miRNA) families. We found that embryos lacking particular miRNA-dependent signaling pathways develop a vascular trait similar to wild-type, but with a profound increase in phenotypic heterogeneity. Aberrant trait variance in miRNA mutant embryos uniquely sensitizes their vascular system to environmental perturbations. We discovered a previously unrecognized role for specific vertebrate miRNAs to protect tissue development against phenotypic variability. This discovery marks an important advance in our comprehension of how miRNAs function in the development of higher organisms.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping