Transcription factor AP2 controls cnidarian germ cell induction

Clonal animals do not sequester a germ line during embryogenesis. Instead, they have adult stem cells that contribute to somatic tissues or gametes. How germ fate is induced in these animals, and whether this process is related to bilaterian embryonic germline induction, is unknown. We show that tra...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2020-02, Vol.367 (6479), p.757-762
Main Authors: DuBuc, Timothy Q, Schnitzler, Christine E, Chrysostomou, Eleni, McMahon, Emma T, Febrimarsa, Gahan, James M, Buggie, Tara, Gornik, Sebastian G, Hanley, Shirley, Barreira, Sofia N, Gonzalez, Paul, Baxevanis, Andreas D, Frank, Uri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Stem Cells - cytology
Adult Stem Cells - metabolism
Animals
Female
Gametogenesis - genetics
Gametogenesis - physiology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Germ Cells - cytology
Gonads - cytology
Gonads - embryology
Hydrozoa - cytology
Hydrozoa - embryology
Hydrozoa - genetics
Male
Transcription Factor AP-2 - genetics
Transcription Factor AP-2 - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Clonal animals do not sequester a germ line during embryogenesis. Instead, they have adult stem cells that contribute to somatic tissues or gametes. How germ fate is induced in these animals, and whether this process is related to bilaterian embryonic germline induction, is unknown. We show that transcription factor AP2 (Tfap2), a regulator of mammalian germ lines, acts to commit adult stem cells, known as i-cells, to the germ cell fate in the clonal cnidarian mutants lacked germ cells and gonads. Transplanted wild-type cells rescued gonad development but not germ cell induction in mutants. Forced expression of in i-cells converted them to germ cells. Therefore, Tfap2 is a regulator of germ cell commitment across germ line-sequestering and germ line-nonsequestering animals.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aay6782