Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia
The evolutionary loss of <i>ednrb2</i> in specific vertebrate lineages, such as mammals and cypriniform fish, raises fundamental questions about its functional necessity and potential redundancy or synergy with paralogous endothelin receptors in pigment cell development. In teleosts poss...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Cells |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/15/1213 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849239599077916672 |
|---|---|
| author | Zilong Wen Jinzhi Wu Jiawen Yao Fugui Fang Siyu Ju Chenxu Wang Xingyong Liu Deshou Wang |
| author_facet | Zilong Wen Jinzhi Wu Jiawen Yao Fugui Fang Siyu Ju Chenxu Wang Xingyong Liu Deshou Wang |
| author_sort | Zilong Wen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The evolutionary loss of <i>ednrb2</i> in specific vertebrate lineages, such as mammals and cypriniform fish, raises fundamental questions about its functional necessity and potential redundancy or synergy with paralogous endothelin receptors in pigment cell development. In teleosts possessing both <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> (e.g., Nile tilapia), their respective and combined roles in regulating neural crest-derived pigment cell precursors remains unresolved. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated single and double <i>ednrb</i> mutants to dissect their functions. We demonstrated that <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> synergistically govern the differentiation and migration of iridophore precursors. While <i>ednrb1a</i> is broadly essential for iridophore development, <i>ednrb2</i> plays a unique and indispensable role in the colonization of iridophores in the dorsal iris. Double mutants exhibit near-complete iridophore loss; severe depletion of melanophores, xanthophores, and erythrophores; and a striking, fertile, transparent phenotype. Crucially, this iridophore deficiency does not impair systemic guanine synthesis pathways. mRNA rescue experiments confirmed <i>mitfa</i> as a key downstream effector within the Ednrb signaling cascade. This work resolves the synergistic regulation of pigment cell fates by Ednrb receptors and establishes a mechanism for generating transparent ermplasm. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ec9f611bca04241b8b70831c6783c7d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ec9f611bca04241b8b70831c6783c7d2025-08-20T04:00:54ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-08-011415121310.3390/cells14151213Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile TilapiaZilong Wen0Jinzhi Wu1Jiawen Yao2Fugui Fang3Siyu Ju4Chenxu Wang5Xingyong Liu6Deshou Wang7Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaIntegrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaThe evolutionary loss of <i>ednrb2</i> in specific vertebrate lineages, such as mammals and cypriniform fish, raises fundamental questions about its functional necessity and potential redundancy or synergy with paralogous endothelin receptors in pigment cell development. In teleosts possessing both <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> (e.g., Nile tilapia), their respective and combined roles in regulating neural crest-derived pigment cell precursors remains unresolved. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated single and double <i>ednrb</i> mutants to dissect their functions. We demonstrated that <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> synergistically govern the differentiation and migration of iridophore precursors. While <i>ednrb1a</i> is broadly essential for iridophore development, <i>ednrb2</i> plays a unique and indispensable role in the colonization of iridophores in the dorsal iris. Double mutants exhibit near-complete iridophore loss; severe depletion of melanophores, xanthophores, and erythrophores; and a striking, fertile, transparent phenotype. Crucially, this iridophore deficiency does not impair systemic guanine synthesis pathways. mRNA rescue experiments confirmed <i>mitfa</i> as a key downstream effector within the Ednrb signaling cascade. This work resolves the synergistic regulation of pigment cell fates by Ednrb receptors and establishes a mechanism for generating transparent ermplasm.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/15/1213<i>ednrb</i>pigment cell precursorssynergistic regulationguanineerythrophoresheritable |
| spellingShingle | Zilong Wen Jinzhi Wu Jiawen Yao Fugui Fang Siyu Ju Chenxu Wang Xingyong Liu Deshou Wang Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia Cells <i>ednrb</i> pigment cell precursors synergistic regulation guanine erythrophores heritable |
| title | Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia |
| title_full | Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia |
| title_fullStr | Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia |
| title_short | Synergistic Regulation of Pigment Cell Precursors’ Differentiation and Migration by <i>ednrb1a</i> and <i>ednrb2</i> in Nile Tilapia |
| title_sort | synergistic regulation of pigment cell precursors differentiation and migration by i ednrb1a i and i ednrb2 i in nile tilapia |
| topic | <i>ednrb</i> pigment cell precursors synergistic regulation guanine erythrophores heritable |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/15/1213 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zilongwen synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT jinzhiwu synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT jiawenyao synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT fuguifang synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT siyuju synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT chenxuwang synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT xingyongliu synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia AT deshouwang synergisticregulationofpigmentcellprecursorsdifferentiationandmigrationbyiednrb1aiandiednrb2iinniletilapia |