Importance of Growth Factor Diffusion in Sensory Organ Development 26 October 2018

Importance of growth factor diffusion in sensory organ development 26 October 2018

part of the tissue after they are produced to initiate various molecular development programs. However, the mechanism for regulating the diffusion of FGF10 by the Anosmin1 protein is not clear.

A research team comprising Prof Holger KNAUT and Prof Eli ROTHENBERG from New York University, Prof Martin MEIER-SCHELLERSHEIM from National Institutes of Health and Prof Thorsten WOHLAND from the Departments of Biological Figure shows an artistic impression of a fluorescent Sciences and Chemistry, NUS have discovered labelled zebrafish embryo. FCS and FCCS measurements can be conducted in any part of the fish that Anosmin1 regulates and enhances the FGF10 by placing a laser focus at the corresponding point. signalling mechanism during sensory organ Singly labelled molecules (green) were studied in FCS to formation in zebrafish models by facilitating its obtain information about their diffusion and diffusion within developing tissues. From their concentration. Double labelled molecules (red and findings, a potential hypothesis is that mutations in green) were used in FCCS to obtain information about the Anos1 gene can cause a reduction in the the interactions between them. Credit: Sonia Monti signalling range of FGF10. This in turn leads to abnormal development causing Kallmann syndrome.

A multi-disciplinary team consisting of NUS The team used fluorescence correlation biophysicists along with scientists from New York spectroscopy (FCS), an analytical technique to University and National Institutes of Health have measure the diffusion and interactions of discovered that the protein Anosmin1 controls the fluorescence-tagged molecules in zebrafish diffusion of fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) in embryos. FCS is able to quantify the diffusion the formation of sensory organs in zebrafish coefficient of molecules by monitoring the models. fluctuations in fluorescence emitted by the molecules. Their FCS studies on the FGF10 Kallmann syndrome is a genetic disorder in molecules showed the presence of two different humans. Patients with this condition fail to undergo types of FGF10. One of them diffuses slowly while puberty and have an impaired sense of smell the other diffuses at a much faster rate. The slow- (clinically referred to as anosmia). Mutations in the diffusing type is bound to the extracellular matrix Anos1 gene (which produces the Anosmin1 (ECM) while the fast-diffusing type diffuses freely in protein) can cause this condition. Studies have the zebrafish embryo. Using a related technique, shown that mutations in the Anos1 gene can lead fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy to an impairment of inter-cellular communication (FCCS), the team showed that Anosmin1 diffused associated with a protein called FGF10, which is a together with FGF10. This suggests that Anosmin1 member of a family of secreted signalling proteins liberates FGF10 from the ECM, thus increasing the collectively known as fibroblast growth factors number of freely diffusing FGF10. Through this (FGFs). The FGF family, consisting of 27 different mechanism, Anosmin1 increases the diffusivity and members are crucial for normal development in the signalling range of FGF10 for normal vertebrates. Frequently, FGFs diffuse to a different development of sensory organs in zebrafish.

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Prof Wohland said, "These findings are made possible with the strong collaboration between developmental biologists and biophysicists. It nicely demonstrates how single molecule sensitive techniques can provide new insights into molecular mechanisms in living organisms."

More information: John Wang et al. Anosmin1 Shuttles Fgf to Facilitate Its Diffusion, Increase Its Local Concentration, and Induce Sensory Organs, Developmental Cell (2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.07.015

Provided by National University of Singapore APA citation: Importance of growth factor diffusion in sensory organ development (2018, October 26) retrieved 2 October 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2018-10-importance-growth-factor-diffusion- sensory.html

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