Int. J. Dev. Biol. 60: 159 - 166 (2016)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.160058id

Vol 60, Issue 4-5-6

Genes regulated by potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 15 (Kctd15) in the developing neural crest

Developmental Expression Pattern | Published: 6 July 2016

Thomas C.B. Wong¹, Martha Rebbert², Chengdong Wang¹, Xiongfong Chen³, Alison Heffer², Valeria E. Zarelli², Igor B. Dawid*^,2 and Hui Zhao*^,1,4

¹School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, P. R. China, ²Section of Developmental Biology, DDB, The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, ³Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA and ⁴Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences-The Chinese University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases

Abstract

Neural crest (NC) development is controlled precisely by a regulatory network with multiple signaling pathways and the involvement of many genes. The integration and coordination of these factors are still incompletely understood. Overexpression of Wnt3a and the BMP antagonist Chordin in animal cap cells from Xenopus blastulae induces a large number of NC specific genes. We previously suggested that Potassium Channel Tetramerization Domain containing 15 (Kctd15) regulates NC formation by affecting Wnt signaling and the activity of transcription factor AP-2. In order to advance understanding of the function of Kctd15 during NC development, we performed DNA microarray assays in explants injected with Wnt3a and Chordin, and identified genes that are affected by Kctd15 overexpression. Among the many genes identified, we chose Duf domain containing protein 1 (ddcp1), Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor a (pdgfra), Complement factor properdin (cfp), Zinc Finger SWIM-Type Containing 5 (zswim5), and complement component 3 (C3) to examine their expression by whole mount in situ hybridization. Our work points to a possible role for Kctd15 in the regulation of NC formation and other steps in embryonic development.

Keywords

Neural crest, Kctd15, DNA microarray, Xenopus, gene regulation, transcription factor AP-2