Vibert, L; Aquino, Gerardo; Gehring, I; Subkhankulova, T; Schilling, TF; Rocco, Andrea and Kelsh, RN. 2017. An ongoing role for Wnt signaling in differentiating melanocytes in vivo. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, 30(2), pp. 219-232. ISSN 1755-1471 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

A role for Wnt signaling in melanocyte specification from neural crest is conserved across vertebrates, but possible ongoing roles in melanocyte differentiation have received little attention. Using a systems biology approach to investigate the gene regulatory network underlying stable melanocyte differentiation in zebrafish highlighted a requirement for a positive feedback loop involving the melanocyte master regulator Mitfa. Here we test the hypothesis that Wnt signaling contributes to that positive feedback. We show firstly that Wnt signaling remains active in differentiating melanocytes and secondly that enhanced Wnt signaling drives elevated transcription of mitfa. We show that chemical activation of the Wnt signaling pathway at early stages of melanocyte development enhances melanocyte specification as expected, but importantly that at later (differentiation) stages it results in altered melanocyte morphology, although melanisation is not obviously affected. Downregulation of Wnt signaling also results in altered melanocyte morphology and organisation. We conclude that Wnt signaling plays a role in regulating ongoing aspects of melanocyte differentiation in zebrafish.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/pcmr.12568
Additional Information:	Funding was provided by University of Bath Graduate Studentship (LV), and BBSRC grant BB/L00769X/1 (RNK) and BBSRC grant BB/L007789/1 (GA and AR), as well as NIH R01 DE013828 (TFS).
Keywords:	Wnt signaling, melanocyte, specification, differentiation, zebrafish, neural crest, mitfa
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Computing
Dates:	Date Event 30 November 2016 Accepted 9 March 2017 Published Online 21 March 2017 Published
Item ID:	29199
Date Deposited:	01 Sep 2020 11:58
Last Modified:	11 Mar 2021 19:18
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/29199

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