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Periodic Notch inhibition by Lunatic Fringe underlies the chick segmentation clock

Nature volume 421, pages 275–278 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The segmented aspect of the vertebrate body plan first arises through the sequential formation of somites. The periodicity of somitogenesis is thought to be regulated by a molecular oscillator, the segmentation clock, which functions in presomitic mesoderm cells. This oscillator controls the periodic expression of ‘cyclic genes’, which are all related to the Notch pathway1,2,3,4,5,6,7. The mechanism underlying this oscillator is not understood. Here we show that the protein product of the cyclic gene lunatic fringe (Lfng), which encodes a glycosyltransferase that can modify Notch activity, oscillates in the chick presomitic mesoderm. Overexpressing Lfng in the paraxial mesoderm abolishes the expression of cyclic genes including endogenous Lfng and leads to defects in segmentation. This effect on cyclic genes phenocopies inhibition of Notch signalling in the presomitic mesoderm. We therefore propose that Lfng establishes a negative feedback loop that implements periodic inhibition of Notch, which in turn controls the rhythmic expression of cyclic genes in the chick presomitic mesoderm. This feedback loop provides a molecular basis for the oscillator underlying the avian segmentation clock.

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Figure 1: Lfng protein oscillates in the chick PSM.
Figure 2: Misexpression of Lfng or dnRBPjK abolishes cyclic expression of Lfng, whereas Notchicd causes ectopic expression of Lfng.
Figure 3: Lfng misexpression severely disrupts positioning of somitic borders and antero-posterior somitic compartmentalization.
Figure 4: Blocking Notch cleavage blocks the segmentation clock.

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Acknowledgements

We thank A.-C. Petit for help with analysing the Lfng mRNA expression profile; J. P. Rey for technical assistance; K. Katsube, D. Henrique, S. Mackem, O. Saitoh, E. Olson, M. Wolfe, A. Israel and R. Kopan for reagents; P. Torregrossa for help with statistical analysis; R. Kageyama for sharing unpublished information; T. Lecuit, S. Kerridge, D. Ish-Horowicz, M. Wolfe, M. Placzek, C. Hudson, J. Dubrulle, T. Iimura, S. Millet and V. Baubet for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by a Wellcome Prize Travelling Research Fellowship, an EMBO Long term Fellowship, and a Fondation pour la recherche médicale (FRM) Postdoctoral Fellowship to J.K.D, a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship from the European Commission to M.M., and the laboratory was supported by funding from Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Human Frontiers Science Programme Organisation (HESPO), Association franc¸aise contre les myopathies (AFM) and the Universite de la méditerranée-AP de Marseille.

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Author notes

  1. J. K. Dale, M. Maroto, M.-L. Dequeant & P. Malapert

    Present address: Laboratoire de génétique et de physiologie du développement, Institut de biologie du développement de Marseille, CNRS-INSERM-Université de la méditerranée-AP de Marseille, Campus de Luminy, Case 907,, 13288 Cedex 09, Marseille, France

  2. O. Pourquie

    Present address: Department of Gene Expression and Development, Roslin Institute, Roslin, EH25 9PS, UK

  3. J. K. Dale and M. Maroto: These authors contributed equally to this work

  4. O. Pourquie: Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to O.P.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de génétique et de physiologie du développement, Institut de biologie du développement de Marseille, CNRS-INSERM-Université de la méditerranée-AP de Marseille, Campus de Luminy, Case 907,, 13288 Cedex 09, Marseille, France

    M. McGrew & O. Pourquie

  2. Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64110, USA

    J. K. Dale, M. Maroto, M.-L. Dequeant & P. Malapert

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Correspondence to O. Pourquie.

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Dale, J., Maroto, M., Dequeant, ML. et al. Periodic Notch inhibition by Lunatic Fringe underlies the chick segmentation clock. Nature 421, 275–278 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01244

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