Dendritic atoh1a+ cells serve as transient intermediates during zebrafish Merkel cell development and regeneration.

Autor: Craig EW; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Black EC; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Goo CEA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Swearer AA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Yee NG; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Rasmussen JP; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.; Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology [bioRxiv] 2023 Sep 25. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Sep 25.
DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557830
Abstrakt: Sensory cells often adopt specific morphologies that aid in the detection of external stimuli. Merkel cells encode gentle touch stimuli in vertebrate skin and adopt a reproducible shape characterized by spiky, actin-rich microvilli that emanate from the cell surface. The mechanism by which Merkel cells acquire this stereotyped morphology from basal keratinocyte progenitors is unknown. Here, we establish that dendritic Merkel cells (dMCs) express atonal homolog 1a (atoh1a) , extend dynamic filopodial processes, and arise in transient waves during zebrafish skin development and regeneration. We find that dMCs share molecular similarities with both basal keratinocytes and Merkel cells, yet display mesenchymal-like behaviors, including local cell motility and proliferation within the epidermis. Furthermore, dMCs can directly adopt the mature, microvilliated Merkel cell morphology through substantial remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. Loss of Ectodysplasin A signaling alters the morphology of dMCs and Merkel cells within specific skin regions. Our results show that dMCs represent an intermediate state in the Merkel cell maturation program and identify Ectodysplasin A signaling as a key regulator of Merkel cell morphology.
Competing Interests: COMPETING INTERESTS No competing interests declared.
Databáze: MEDLINE