Three-Dimensional X-ray Imaging of ß-Galactosidase Reporter Activity by Micro-CT: Implication for Quantitative Analysis of Gene Expression.

Acquisition of detailed anatomical and molecular knowledge from intact biological samples while preserving their native three-dimensional structure is still a challenging issue for imaging studies aiming to unravel a system's functions. Three-dimensional micro-CT X-ray imaging with a high spatial resolution in minimally perturbed naive non-transparent samples has recently gained increased popularity and broad application in biomedical research. Here, we describe a novel X-ray-based methodology for analysis of ß-galactosidase (lacZ) reporter-driven gene expression in an intact murine brain ex vivo by micro-CT. The method relies on detection of bromine molecules in the product of the enzymatic ß-galactosidase reaction. Enhancement of the X-ray signal is observed specifically in the regions of the murine brain where expression of the lacZ reporter gene is also detected histologically. We performed quantitative analysis of the expression levels of lacZ reporter activity by relative radiodensity estimation of the ß-galactosidase/X-gal precipitate in situ. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method, we performed expression analysis of the Tsen54-lacZ reporter gene in the murine brain in a semi-quantitative manner. Human mutations in the Tsen54 gene cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), a group of severe neurodegenerative disorders with both mental and motor deficits. Comparing relative levels of Tsen54 gene expression, we demonstrate that the highest Tsen54 expression is observed in anatomical brain substructures important for the normal motor and memory functions in mice.

Functional loss of Ccdc151 leads to hydrocephalus in a mouse model of primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder affecting normal structure and function of motile cilia, phenotypically manifested as chronic respiratory infections, laterality defects and infertility. Autosomal recessive mutations in genes encoding for different components of the ciliary axoneme have been associated with PCD in humans and in model organisms. The CCDC151 gene encodes for a coiled-coil axonemal protein that ensures correct attachment of outer dynein arm (ODA) complexes to microtubules. A correct arrangement of dynein arm complexes is required to provide the proper mechanical force necessary for cilia beat. Loss-of-function mutations in CCDC151 in humans leads to PCD disease with respiratory distress and defective left-right body asymmetry. In mice with the Ccdc151Snbl loss-of-function mutation (Snowball mutant), left-right body asymmetry with heart defects have been observed. Here, we demonstrate that loss of Ccdc151 gene function via targeted gene deletion in mice leads to perinatal lethality and congenital hydrocephalus. Microcomputed tomography (microCT) X-ray imaging of Ccdc151-ß-galactosidase reporter expression in whole-mount brain and histological analysis show that Ccdc151 is expressed in ependymal cells lining the ventricular brain system, further confirming the role of Ccdc151 dysfunction in hydrocephalus development. Analyzing the features of hydrocephalus in the Ccdc151-knockout animals by microCT volumetric imaging, we observe continuity of the aqueduct of Sylvius, indicating the communicating nature of hydrocephalus in the Ccdc151-knockout animals. Congenital defects in left-right asymmetry and male infertility have been also observed in Ccdc151-null animals. Ccdc151 gene deletion in adult animals results in abnormal sperm counts and defective sperm motility.This article has an associated First Person interview with the joint first authors of the paper.

Three-dimensional microCT imaging of murine embryonic development from immediate post-implantation to organogenesis: application for phenotyping analysis of early embryonic lethality in mutant animals.

In this work, we applied three-dimensional microCT imaging to study murine embryogenesis in the range from immediate post-implantation period (embryonic day 5.5) to mid-gestation (embryonic day 12.5) with the resolution up to 1.4 µm/voxel. Also, we introduce an imaging procedure for non-invasive volumetric estimation of an entire litter of embryos within the maternal uterine structures. This method allows for an accurate, detailed and systematic morphometric analysis of both embryonic and extra-embryonic components during embryogenesis. Three-dimensional imaging of unperturbed embryos was performed to visualize the egg cylinder, primitive streak, gastrulation and early organogenesis stages of murine development in the C57Bl6/N mouse reference strain. Further, we applied our microCT imaging protocol to determine the earliest point when embryonic development is arrested in a mouse line with knockout for tRNA splicing endonuclease subunit Tsen54 gene. Our analysis determined that the embryonic development in Tsen54 null embryos does not proceed beyond implantation. We demonstrated that application of microCT imaging to entire litter of non-perturbed embryos greatly facilitate studies to unravel gene function during early embryogenesis and to determine the precise point at which embryonic development is arrested in mutant animals. The described method is inexpensive, does not require lengthy embryos dissection and can be applicable for detailed analysis of mutant mice at laboratory scale as well as for high-throughput projects.

Corrigendum: High-throughput discovery of novel developmental phenotypes.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/nature19356.

High-throughput discovery of novel developmental phenotypes.

Approximately one-third of all mammalian genes are essential for life. Phenotypes resulting from knockouts of these genes in mice have provided tremendous insight into gene function and congenital disorders. As part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium effort to generate and phenotypically characterize 5,000 knockout mouse lines, here we identify 410 lethal genes during the production of the first 1,751 unique gene knockouts. Using a standardized phenotyping platform that incorporates high-resolution 3D imaging, we identify phenotypes at multiple time points for previously uncharacterized genes and additional phenotypes for genes with previously reported mutant phenotypes. Unexpectedly, our analysis reveals that incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity are common even on a defined genetic background. In addition, we show that human disease genes are enriched for essential genes, thus providing a dataset that facilitates the prioritization and validation of mutations identified in clinical sequencing efforts.

Dissection of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the proteasomal subunit Rpn11 in maintenance of mitochondrial structure and function.

We have previously demonstrated that the C-terminal part of Rpn11, a deubiquitinating enzyme in the lid of the proteasome, is essential for maintaining a correct cell cycle and normal mitochondrial morphology and function. The two roles are apparently unlinked as the mitochondrial role is mapped to the Carboxy-terminus, whereas the catalytic deubiquitinating activity is found within the N-terminal region. The mitochondrial defects are observed in rpn11-m1 (originally termed mpr1-1), a mutation that generates Rpn11 lacking the last 31 amino acids. No mitochondrial phenotypes are recorded for mutations in the MPN+/JAMM motif. In the present study, we investigated the participation of the last 31 amino acids of the Rpn11 protein by analysis of intragenic revertants and site-specific mutants. We identified a putative alpha-helix necessary for the maintenance of a correct cell cycle and determined that a very short region at the C-terminus of Rpn11 is essential for the maintenance of tubular mitochondrial morphology. Furthermore, we show that expression of the C-terminal part of Rpn11 is able to complement in trans all of the rpn11-m1 mitochondrial phenotypes. Finally, we investigate the mechanisms by which Rpn11 controls the mitochondrial shape and show that Rpn11 may regulate the mitochondrial fission and tubulation processes.

Participation of the proteasomal lid subunit Rpn11 in mitochondrial morphology and function is mapped to a distinct C-terminal domain.

Substrates destined for degradation by the 26 S proteasome are labelled with polyubiquitin chains. Rpn11/Mpr1, situated in the lid subcomplex, partakes in the processing of these chains or in their removal from substrates bound to the proteasome. Rpn11 also plays a role in maintaining mitochondrial integrity, tubular structure and proper function. The recent finding that Rpn11 participates in proteasome-associated deubiquitination focuses interest on the MPN+ (Mpr1, Pad1, N-terminal)/JAMM (JAB1/MPN/Mov34) metalloprotease site in its N-terminal domain. However, Rpn11 damaged at its C-terminus (the mpr1-1 mutant) causes pleiotropic effects, including proteasome instability and mitochondrial morphology defects, resulting in both proteolysis and respiratory malfunctions. We find that overexpression of WT (wild-type) RPN8, encoding a paralogous subunit that does not contain the catalytic MPN+ motif, corrects proteasome conformations and rescues cell cycle phenotypes, but is unable to correct defects in the mitochondrial tubular system or respiratory malfunctions associated with the mpr1-1 mutation. Transforming mpr1-1 with various RPN8-RPN11 chimaeras or with other rpn11 mutants reveals that a WT C-terminal region of Rpn11 is necessary, and more surprisingly sufficient, to rescue the mpr1-1 mitochondrial phenotype. Interestingly, single-site mutants in the catalytic MPN+ motif at the N-terminus of Rpn11 lead to reduced proteasome-dependent deubiquitination connected with proteolysis defects. Nevertheless, these rpn11 mutants suppress the mitochondrial phenotypes associated with mpr1-1 by intragene complementation. Together, these results point to a unique role for the C-terminal region of Rpn11 in mitochondrial maintenance that may be independent of its role in proteasome-associated deubiquitination.