NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.

Pluripotency defines the unlimited potential of individual cells of vertebrate embryos, from which all adult somatic cells and germ cells are derived. Understanding how the programming of pluripotency evolved has been obscured in part by a lack of data from lower vertebrates; in model systems such a...

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Main Authors: Luke A Simpson, Darren Crowley, Teri Forey, Helena Acosta, Zoltan Ferjentsik, Jodie Chatfield, Alexander Payne, Benjamin S Simpson, Catherine Redwood, James E Dixon, Nadine Holmes, Fei Sang, Ramiro Alberio, Matthew Loose, Andrew D Johnson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-06-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002121
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author Luke A Simpson
Darren Crowley
Teri Forey
Helena Acosta
Zoltan Ferjentsik
Jodie Chatfield
Alexander Payne
Benjamin S Simpson
Catherine Redwood
James E Dixon
Nadine Holmes
Fei Sang
Ramiro Alberio
Matthew Loose
Andrew D Johnson
author_facet Luke A Simpson
Darren Crowley
Teri Forey
Helena Acosta
Zoltan Ferjentsik
Jodie Chatfield
Alexander Payne
Benjamin S Simpson
Catherine Redwood
James E Dixon
Nadine Holmes
Fei Sang
Ramiro Alberio
Matthew Loose
Andrew D Johnson
author_sort Luke A Simpson
collection DOAJ
description Pluripotency defines the unlimited potential of individual cells of vertebrate embryos, from which all adult somatic cells and germ cells are derived. Understanding how the programming of pluripotency evolved has been obscured in part by a lack of data from lower vertebrates; in model systems such as frogs and zebrafish, the function of the pluripotency genes NANOG and POU5F1 have diverged. Here, we investigated how the axolotl ortholog of NANOG programs pluripotency during development. Axolotl NANOG is absolutely required for gastrulation and germ-layer commitment. We show that in axolotl primitive ectoderm (animal caps; ACs) NANOG and NODAL activity, as well as the epigenetic modifying enzyme DPY30, are required for the mass deposition of H3K4me3 in pluripotent chromatin. We also demonstrate that all 3 protein activities are required for ACs to establish the competency to differentiate toward mesoderm. Our results suggest the ancient function of NANOG may be establishing the competence for lineage differentiation in early cells. These observations provide insights into embryonic development in the tetrapod ancestor from which terrestrial vertebrates evolved.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1544-9173
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language English
publishDate 2023-06-01
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spelling doaj-art-e160f857ecb94e4e8ba33d07731a50332025-08-20T03:44:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852023-06-01216e300212110.1371/journal.pbio.3002121NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.Luke A SimpsonDarren CrowleyTeri ForeyHelena AcostaZoltan FerjentsikJodie ChatfieldAlexander PayneBenjamin S SimpsonCatherine RedwoodJames E DixonNadine HolmesFei SangRamiro AlberioMatthew LooseAndrew D JohnsonPluripotency defines the unlimited potential of individual cells of vertebrate embryos, from which all adult somatic cells and germ cells are derived. Understanding how the programming of pluripotency evolved has been obscured in part by a lack of data from lower vertebrates; in model systems such as frogs and zebrafish, the function of the pluripotency genes NANOG and POU5F1 have diverged. Here, we investigated how the axolotl ortholog of NANOG programs pluripotency during development. Axolotl NANOG is absolutely required for gastrulation and germ-layer commitment. We show that in axolotl primitive ectoderm (animal caps; ACs) NANOG and NODAL activity, as well as the epigenetic modifying enzyme DPY30, are required for the mass deposition of H3K4me3 in pluripotent chromatin. We also demonstrate that all 3 protein activities are required for ACs to establish the competency to differentiate toward mesoderm. Our results suggest the ancient function of NANOG may be establishing the competence for lineage differentiation in early cells. These observations provide insights into embryonic development in the tetrapod ancestor from which terrestrial vertebrates evolved.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002121
spellingShingle Luke A Simpson
Darren Crowley
Teri Forey
Helena Acosta
Zoltan Ferjentsik
Jodie Chatfield
Alexander Payne
Benjamin S Simpson
Catherine Redwood
James E Dixon
Nadine Holmes
Fei Sang
Ramiro Alberio
Matthew Loose
Andrew D Johnson
NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
PLoS Biology
title NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
title_full NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
title_fullStr NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
title_full_unstemmed NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
title_short NANOG is required to establish the competence for germ-layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl.
title_sort nanog is required to establish the competence for germ layer differentiation in the basal tetrapod axolotl
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002121
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