Work

The pioneer transcription factor Zelda controls the exit from regeneration and restoration of patterning in Drosophila

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT For a damaged tissue to regenerate, the injured site must repair the wound, proliferate, and restore the correct patterning and cell types. We found that Zelda, a pioneer transcription factor largely known for its role in embryonic zygotic genome activation, is dispensable for normal wing development but crucial for wing disc patterning during regeneration. Impairing Zelda function during disc regeneration resulted in adult wings with a plethora of cell fate errors, affecting the veins, margins, and posterior compartment identity. Using CUT&RUN, we identified and validated targets of Zelda including the cell fate genes cut, Delta and achaete , which failed to return to their normal expression patterns upon loss of Zelda. In addition, Zelda controls expression of factors previously established to preserve cell fate during regeneration like taranis and osa, which stabilizes engrailed expression during regeneration, thereby preserving posterior identity. Finally, Zelda ensures proper expression of the integrins encoded by multiple edematous wings and myospheroid during regeneration to prevent blisters in the resuting adult wing. Thus, Zelda is crucial for maintaining cell fate and structural architecture of the regenerating tissue.

Source: Science Advances

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads5743

Authors: Anish Bose, Keaton Schuster, Chandril Kodali, Surabhi Sonam, Rachel Smith-Bolton

Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Language: English

Topic: Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funders: York University, National Institutes of Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, National Institute of General Medical Sciences