Transferrin receptor facilitates TGF-β and BMP signaling activation to control craniofacial morphogenesis.

Abstract

The Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS), consisting of cleft palate, glossoptosis and micrognathia, is a common human birth defect. However, how this abnormality occurs remains largely unknown. Here we report that neural crest cell (NCC)-specific knockout of transferrin receptor (Tfrc), a well known transferrin transporter protein, caused micrognathia, cleft palate, severe respiratory distress and inability to suckle in mice, which highly resemble human PRS. Histological and anatomical analysis revealed that the cleft palate is due to the failure of palatal shelves elevation that resulted from a retarded extension of Meckel's cartilage. Interestingly, Tfrc deletion dramatically suppressed both transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in cranial NCCs-derived mandibular tissues, suggesting that Tfrc may act as a facilitator of these two signaling pathways during craniofacial morphogenesis. Together, our study uncovers an unknown function of Tfrc in craniofacial development and provides novel insight into the etiology of PRS.

• Authors: R Lei, K Zhang, K Liu, X Shao, Z Ding, F Wang, Y Hong, M Zhu, H Li, H Li
• Journal: Cell death & disease (Cell Death Dis) Vol. 7 Issue 6 Pg. e2282 (06 30 2016) ISSN: 2041-4889 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27362800 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
• Receptors, Transferrin
• Transforming Growth Factor beta
• Wnt Proteins

Topics

• Animals
• Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (metabolism)
• Cell Differentiation
• Cell Movement
• Cell Proliferation
• Chondrogenesis
• Cleft Palate (metabolism, pathology)
• Craniofacial Abnormalities (metabolism, pathology)
• Gene Deletion
• Mandible (abnormalities, pathology)
• Mice
• Morphogenesis
• Mutation (genetics)
• Neural Crest (metabolism, pathology)
• Osteogenesis
• Receptors, Transferrin (metabolism)
• Signal Transduction
• Transforming Growth Factor beta (metabolism)
• Wnt Proteins (metabolism)