Article: Perturbation of Hoxb5 Signaling in Vagal Neural Crests Down-Regulates Ret Leading to Intestinal Hypoganglionosis in Mice
| Title | Perturbation of Hoxb5 Signaling in Vagal Neural Crests Down-Regulates Ret Leading to Intestinal Hypoganglionosis in Mice |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lui, VCH2 Cheng, WWC2 Leon, TYY2 Lau, DKC2 GarciaBareclo, M2 Miao, XP2 Kam, MKM2 So, MT2 Chen, Y2 Wall, NA1 Sham, MH2 Tam, PKH2 |
| Issue Date | 2008 |
| Publisher | WB Saunders Co. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/gastro |
| Citation | Gastroenterology, 2008, v. 134 n. 4, p. 1104-1115 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2008.01.028 |
| Abstract | Background & Aims: The enteric nervous system (ENS) controls intestinal peristalsis, and defective development of this system results in hypo/aganglionosis, as seen in Hirschsprung's disease. In the embryo, vagal neural crest cells (NCC) migrate and colonize the intestine rostrocaudally then differentiate into the ganglia of the ENS. Vagal NCC express the homeobox gene Hoxb5, a transcriptional activator, in human and mouse, so we used transgenic mice to investigate the function of Hoxb5 and the receptor tyrosine kinase gene Ret, which is affected in many patients with Hirschsprung's disease, in ENS development. Methods: We perturbed the Hoxb5 pathway by expressing a chimeric protein enb5, in which the transcription activation domain of Hoxb5 was replaced with the repressor domain of the Drosophila engrailed protein (en), in vagal NCC. This enb5 transcriptional repressor competes with wild-type Hoxb5 for binding to target genes, exerting a dominant negative effect. Results: We observed that 30.6% ± 2.3% of NCC expressed enb5 and that these enb5-expressing NCC failed to migrate to the distal intestine. A 34%-37% reduction of ganglia (hypoganglionosis) and slow peristalsis and, occasionally, absence of ganglia and intestinal obstruction were observed in enb5-expressing mice. Ret expression was markedly reduced or absent in NCC and ganglia, and enb5 blocked Hoxb5 induction of Ret in neuroblastoma cells. Conclusions: Our data indicate that Ret is a downstream target of Hoxb5 whose perturbation causes Ret haploinsufficiency, impaired NCC migration, and hypo/aganglionosis, suggesting that Hoxb5 may contribute to the etiology of Hirschsprung's disease. © 2008 AGA Institute. |
| ISSN | 0016-5085 2011 Impact Factor: 11.675 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.055 |
| DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2008.01.028 |
| ISI Accession Number ID | WOS:000254853800030 |
| References | References in Scopus |
| dc.contributor.author | Lui, VCH |
|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Cheng, WWC |
| dc.contributor.author | Leon, TYY |
| dc.contributor.author | Lau, DKC |
| dc.contributor.author | GarciaBareclo, M |
| dc.contributor.author | Miao, XP |
| dc.contributor.author | Kam, MKM |
| dc.contributor.author | So, MT |
| dc.contributor.author | Chen, Y |
| dc.contributor.author | Wall, NA |
| dc.contributor.author | Sham, MH |
| dc.contributor.author | Tam, PKH |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-09-06T06:03:03Z |
| dc.date.available | 2010-09-06T06:03:03Z |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 |
| dc.description.abstract | Background & Aims: The enteric nervous system (ENS) controls intestinal peristalsis, and defective development of this system results in hypo/aganglionosis, as seen in Hirschsprung's disease. In the embryo, vagal neural crest cells (NCC) migrate and colonize the intestine rostrocaudally then differentiate into the ganglia of the ENS. Vagal NCC express the homeobox gene Hoxb5, a transcriptional activator, in human and mouse, so we used transgenic mice to investigate the function of Hoxb5 and the receptor tyrosine kinase gene Ret, which is affected in many patients with Hirschsprung's disease, in ENS development. Methods: We perturbed the Hoxb5 pathway by expressing a chimeric protein enb5, in which the transcription activation domain of Hoxb5 was replaced with the repressor domain of the Drosophila engrailed protein (en), in vagal NCC. This enb5 transcriptional repressor competes with wild-type Hoxb5 for binding to target genes, exerting a dominant negative effect. Results: We observed that 30.6% ± 2.3% of NCC expressed enb5 and that these enb5-expressing NCC failed to migrate to the distal intestine. A 34%-37% reduction of ganglia (hypoganglionosis) and slow peristalsis and, occasionally, absence of ganglia and intestinal obstruction were observed in enb5-expressing mice. Ret expression was markedly reduced or absent in NCC and ganglia, and enb5 blocked Hoxb5 induction of Ret in neuroblastoma cells. Conclusions: Our data indicate that Ret is a downstream target of Hoxb5 whose perturbation causes Ret haploinsufficiency, impaired NCC migration, and hypo/aganglionosis, suggesting that Hoxb5 may contribute to the etiology of Hirschsprung's disease. © 2008 AGA Institute. |
| dc.description.nature | link_to_subscribed_fulltext |
| dc.identifier.citation | Gastroenterology, 2008, v. 134 n. 4, p. 1104-1115 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2008.01.028 |
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2008.01.028 |
| dc.identifier.epage | 1115 |
| dc.identifier.hkuros | 141326 |
| dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000254853800030 |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0016-5085 2011 Impact Factor: 11.675 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.055 |
| dc.identifier.issue | 4 |
| dc.identifier.openurl | ![]() |
| dc.identifier.pmid | 18395091 |
| dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-41349099140 |
| dc.identifier.spage | 1104 |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/68277 |
| dc.identifier.volume | 134 |
| dc.language | eng |
| dc.publisher | WB Saunders Co. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/gastro |
| dc.publisher.place | United States |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Gastroenterology |
| dc.relation.references | References in Scopus |
| dc.subject.mesh | Animals |
| dc.subject.mesh | DNA - genetics |
| dc.subject.mesh | Disease Models, Animal |
| dc.subject.mesh | Down-Regulation |
| dc.subject.mesh | Enteric Nervous System - abnormalities - metabolism |
| dc.subject.mesh | Female |
| dc.subject.mesh | Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental |
| dc.subject.mesh | Hirschsprung Disease - embryology - genetics - metabolism |
| dc.subject.mesh | Homeodomain Proteins - biosynthesis - genetics |
| dc.subject.mesh | Intestines - innervation - physiopathology |
| dc.subject.mesh | Male |
| dc.subject.mesh | Mice |
| dc.subject.mesh | Mice, Transgenic |
| dc.subject.mesh | Neural Crest - abnormalities - embryology - metabolism |
| dc.subject.mesh | Peristalsis - physiology |
| dc.subject.mesh | Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret - genetics - metabolism |
| dc.subject.mesh | Signal Transduction - physiology |
| dc.subject.mesh | Vagus Nerve - abnormalities - embryology - metabolism |
| dc.title | Perturbation of Hoxb5 Signaling in Vagal Neural Crests Down-Regulates Ret Leading to Intestinal Hypoganglionosis in Mice |
| dc.type | Article |
Author Affiliations
- Lawrence University, Appleton
- The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine


