Matricellular protein SPARC/osteonectin expression is regulated by DNA methylation in its core promoter region. Issue 5 (31st March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Torres‐Núñez, Eva; Cal, Laura; Suárez‐Bregua, Paula; Gómez‐Marin, Carlos; Moran, Paloma; Gómez‐Skarmeta, Jose Luis; Rotllant, Josep
• Is Part Of: Developmental dynamics. Volume 244:Issue 5(2015:May)
• Page Start: 693
• Page End: 702
• Publication Date: 2015-03-31
• Subjects: Morphogenesis -- Periodicals; Anatomy -- Periodicals; Anatomie -- Périodiques; Biologie du développement -- Périodiques; 571.833
• DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24267
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1058-8388

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p> <underline>Background</underline>: SPARC/osteonectin is an evolutionarily conserved matricellular protein that modulates cell–matrix interaction and cell function. In all vertebrates, <italic>SPARC</italic> is dynamically expressed during embryogenesis. However, the precise function of SPARC and the regulatory elements required for its expression in particular during early embryogenesis are largely unknown. <underline>Results</underline>: The present study was undertaken to explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate <italic>sparc</italic> gene expression by <italic>in vivo</italic> functional characterization of the <italic>sparc</italic> promoter and identification of possible putative regulatory elements that govern basal promoter activity. We report here transient expression analyses of <italic>eGFP</italic> expression from transgenic zebrafish containing a <italic>Sparc‐iTol2‐eGFP‐BAC</italic> and/or 7.25 kb<italic>‐sparc‐Tol2‐eGFP</italic> constructs. <italic>eGFP</italic> expression was specifically found in the notochord, otic vesicle, fin fold, intermediate cell mass, and olfactory placode of BAC and Tol2 transposon vectors injected embryos. Deletion analysis revealed that promoter activity resides in the unique 5′‐untranslated intronic region. Computer‐based analysis revealed a putative CpG island immediately proximal to the translation start site within the intron sequence. Global inhibition of methylation with 5‐Aza‐2‐deoxycytidine promoted <italic>sparc</italic> expression in association with decreasing CpG methylation. <underline>Conclusions</underline>: Taken together, these data identify a contributory role for DNA methylation in regulating <italic>sparc</italic> expression in zebrafish embryogenesis. <italic>Developmental Dynamics 244:693–702, 2015</italic>. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </abstract>