Embryonic expression of zebrafish MiT family genes tfe3b, tfeb, and tfec
Open accessAbstract
The MiT family comprises four genes in mammals: Mitf, Tfe3, Tfeb, and Tfec, which encode transcription factors of the basic‐helix‐loop‐helix/leucine zipper class. Mitf is well‐known for its essential role in the development of melanocytes, however the functions of the other members of this family, and of interactions between them, are less well understood. We have now characterized the complete set of MiT genes from zebrafish, which totals six instead of four. The zebrafish genome contain two mitf (mitfa and mitfb), two tfe3 (tfe3a and tfe3b), and single tfeb and tfec genes; this distribution is shared with other teleosts. We present here the sequence and embryonic expression patterns for the zebrafish tfe3b, tfeb, and tfec genes, and identify a new isoform of tfe3a. These findings will assist in elucidating the roles of the MiT gene family over the course of vertebrate evolution. Developmental Dynamics 240:2529–2538, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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tfec and mitfa are the only MiT family genes expressed in the neural crest.
“of these, mitfa and tfec are the only ones expressed in the NC.”
From The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
The Results and Discussion (tfec) confirm tfec expression in zebrafish neural crest cells. But the Summary and Conclusions (page unavailable) also list tfeb and tfec in a subset of neural crest cells, contradicting the claim that only mitfa and tfec are expressed there. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTFEC is known to be expressed in iridophores.
“Known to be expressed in iridophores”
From Gene Expression Analysis of Zebrafish Melanocytes, Iridophores, and Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Reveals Indicators of Biological Function and Developmental Origin (2013) · cites this paper as [77]
In Results and Discussion, under “tfec” (page not provided), the authors observe tfec-expressing cells in locations associated with iridophores. They call the pattern “strongly suggestive” of iridophore pigment cells, but do not establish expression in identified iridophores as a known fact. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTFEC forms hetero and homodimers with other bHLH members and can function as a transcriptional activator or repressor.
“TFEC forms hetero and homodimers with other bHLH members and can function as a transcriptional activator or repressor [77]–[79].”
From Gene Expression Analysis of Zebrafish Melanocytes, Iridophores, and Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Reveals Indicators of Biological Function and Developmental Origin (2013) · cites this paper as [77]
The Introduction (page not provided) says MiT proteins, including TFEC, can form homodimers and heterodimers with one another, but explicitly says they do not dimerize with other bHLH or bHLH-ZIP proteins outside that family. The paper says TFEC regulates gene expression and lists a study of its inhibition of TFE3-dependent activation, but it does not establish the claimed ability to function as both a transcriptional activator and a repressor. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe tfec expression pattern is strongly reminiscent of differentiating iridophores.
“The distinctive expression pattern of tfec in cells along the dorsal and ventral midline in the trunk and tail and two patches over the yolk, is strongly reminiscent of differentiating iridophores [39].”
From The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
The Results and Discussion section on tfec (page unavailable) describes a posterior dorsal expression domain and bilateral patches over the yolk, calling the pattern “strongly suggestive” of iridophore pigment cells. It does not describe tfec expression along the ventral midline of the trunk and tail, so that location in the citing sentence is not supported by our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredtfec expression is prominent in the majority of, if not all, early NCCs.
“In summary, although tfec expression is prominent in the majority of, if not all, early NCCs [14, 39], we could not detect any changes at any stage of the development of NC-derived neurons, glial cells and skeletal components.”
From The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
The Results and Discussion section on tfec (page not supplied) reports expression in early zebrafish neural crest cells, expanding from cranial to trunk neural crest. It describes only a few cranial neural crest cells at the earliest stage and does not establish expression in the majority, let alone all, early neural crest cells. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Previous work established tfec as a marker during NC development and iridophore fate choice.
“Our previous work established tfec as a marker during NC development and iridophore fate choice [14, 39].”
From The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
The Results and Discussion (‘tfec’; page unavailable) documents tfec expression in cranial and trunk neural crest and in cell clusters the authors describe as strongly suggestive of neural crest-derived iridophores. This supports its use as a developmental marker, but the paper does not establish that tfec marks the point of iridophore fate choice. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredtfec is expressed in early neural crest cells and later in a pattern reminiscent of iridophores, making it a strong candidate master regulator of iridophore development.
“tfec, is expressed in early NCCs, but later in a pattern strikingly reminiscent of iridophores, and is a strong candidate for a master regulator of iridophore development ([29] and Petratou et al., in prep.).”
From A systems biology approach uncovers the core gene regulatory network governing iridophore fate choice from the neural crest (2018) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results and Discussion section (‘tfec’; page unavailable) reports tfec expression in early neural crest cells and a later pattern strongly suggestive of iridophore cells. It does not call tfec a candidate master regulator of iridophore development; the Summary and Conclusions section says functional studies remain to be done. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTfec is expressed much earlier than mitfa and ltk in neural crest development, being detected widely in early NCCs.
“However, Tfec is expressed much earlier than mitfa and ltk in NC development, being detected widely in early NCCs [29]”
From A systems biology approach uncovers the core gene regulatory network governing iridophore fate choice from the neural crest (2018) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results and Discussion section on tfec reports expression in a few cranial neural crest cells at the 8-somite stage, expanding to include trunk neural crest by 10–12 somites. This supports early, spreading neural crest expression, but the paper does not establish that tfec appears much earlier than mitfa or ltk, and describes only a few neural crest cells at its first detection. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOur tfec mutants fail to inflate the swim bladder and die after approximately 12 days, apparently from lack of ability to feed.
“As with the CRISPR-generated exon 3 allele reported by Mahony and colleagues, our mutants fail to inflate the swim bladder (which, along with the caudal hematopoietic tissue, is another site of tfec expression; [39]) and die after approximately 12 days, apparently from lack of ability to feed.”
From The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
Clusters c1, c3, and c5 contained cells expressing high levels of known iridophore markers gpnmb and pnp4a, as well as recently identified iridophore markers alx4a and alx4b.
“three of which (clusters c1, c3, and c5) contained cells expressing high levels of known markers of iridophores (i.e., gpnmb, pnp4a)37 (Supplementary Figs. 17 and 18a, b), as well as genes that were recently identified as iridophore markers (i.e., alx4a, alx4b)23 (Supplementary Figs. 17 and 18c, d)”
From In situ differentiation of iridophore crystallotypes underlies zebrafish stripe patterning (2020) · cites this paper as [37]
Citation 37 is attached to the identification of gpnmb and pnp4a as known iridophore markers, not to the cluster measurements or the alx4a/alx4b markers cited to reference 23. The tfec section discusses expression suggestive of iridophores, but our copy does not address gpnmb or pnp4a as markers (searched both gene names). Page numbers were unavailable. (LLM, conf=0.74)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Lister, J. A., Lane, B. M., Nguyen, A., & Lunney, K.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lister, James A.
- ORCID
- Lane, Brandon M.
- Venue
- Developmental Dynamics
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-09-19
- Volume
- 240
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 2529-2538
- ISSN
- 1058-8388 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-0177
- PMC
- PMC3197887
- OpenAlex
- W2015783212
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Developmental Dynamics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (P40OD011021)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P30NS047463)
- National Center for Research Resources (RR012546, P40RR012546)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › melanin and skin pigmentation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Keywords
- TFEB, TFEC, MITF, mitfa, zebrafish, embryonic gene expression, bHLH transcription factors, leucine zipper, melanocyte development, vertebrate evolution, teleosts
- MeSH terms
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Chromosome Mapping, Embryo, Nonmammalian, Multigene Family, Larva, Molecular Sequence Data, Phylogeny, Zebrafish, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Protein Isoforms, Zebrafish Proteins, Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
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