Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3

Abstract Neurulation is a crucial event during vertebrate early embryogenesis, and abnormalities in this process can result in embryonic lethality or congenital disorders, such as neural tube defects. Through our previous phenotypic-driven screening in mice, we have identified UBE3D as a key factor...

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Main Authors: Yiwei Mi, Lu Yan, Yu Wu, Yufang Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2025-03-01
Series:Cell Death Discovery
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02387-y
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author Yiwei Mi
Lu Yan
Yu Wu
Yufang Zheng
author_facet Yiwei Mi
Lu Yan
Yu Wu
Yufang Zheng
author_sort Yiwei Mi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Neurulation is a crucial event during vertebrate early embryogenesis, and abnormalities in this process can result in embryonic lethality or congenital disorders, such as neural tube defects. Through our previous phenotypic-driven screening in mice, we have identified UBE3D as a key factor for the neurulation process. By generating Ube3d knockout mice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we observed that homozygous mice exhibited severe growth retardation and malformation, ultimately dying between E10.5 to E11.5. In contrast to their wild-type and heterozygote littermates, homozygous embryos displayed small heads and unturned caudal neural tubes at E9.5. Our in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence experiments revealed high expression of UBE3D in the forebrain, neural tube, and heart at E9.5–10.5. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis of the E10.5 embryos demonstrated that deficiency in UBE3D resulted in the downregulation of multiple Homeobox genes, including those specifically expressed in the forebrain and lumbosacral regions. We also discovered that UBE3D interacts with CPSF3, which is an endonuclease essential for the pre-mRNA 3’ end process. UBE3D could de-ubiquitinate CPSF3, and a deficiency of UBE3D leads to reduced levels of CPSF3 in both mouse and human cells. Overexpression of dominant negative mutants of CPSF3 was found to partially reduce mRNA levels of several Homeobox genes. In summary, our findings highlight that UBE3D is critical for early embryonic development in mice.
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spelling doaj-art-37153a0b224e43e79b965ec33cde2bb02025-08-20T03:01:36ZengNature Publishing GroupCell Death Discovery2058-77162025-03-0111111510.1038/s41420-025-02387-yDeficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3Yiwei Mi0Lu Yan1Yu Wu2Yufang Zheng3Institute of Developmental Biology & Molecular Medicine, Dept. of Cellular & Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, The institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan UniversityInstitute of Developmental Biology & Molecular Medicine, Dept. of Cellular & Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, The institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan UniversityAbstract Neurulation is a crucial event during vertebrate early embryogenesis, and abnormalities in this process can result in embryonic lethality or congenital disorders, such as neural tube defects. Through our previous phenotypic-driven screening in mice, we have identified UBE3D as a key factor for the neurulation process. By generating Ube3d knockout mice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we observed that homozygous mice exhibited severe growth retardation and malformation, ultimately dying between E10.5 to E11.5. In contrast to their wild-type and heterozygote littermates, homozygous embryos displayed small heads and unturned caudal neural tubes at E9.5. Our in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence experiments revealed high expression of UBE3D in the forebrain, neural tube, and heart at E9.5–10.5. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis of the E10.5 embryos demonstrated that deficiency in UBE3D resulted in the downregulation of multiple Homeobox genes, including those specifically expressed in the forebrain and lumbosacral regions. We also discovered that UBE3D interacts with CPSF3, which is an endonuclease essential for the pre-mRNA 3’ end process. UBE3D could de-ubiquitinate CPSF3, and a deficiency of UBE3D leads to reduced levels of CPSF3 in both mouse and human cells. Overexpression of dominant negative mutants of CPSF3 was found to partially reduce mRNA levels of several Homeobox genes. In summary, our findings highlight that UBE3D is critical for early embryonic development in mice.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02387-y
spellingShingle Yiwei Mi
Lu Yan
Yu Wu
Yufang Zheng
Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
Cell Death Discovery
title Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
title_full Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
title_fullStr Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
title_full_unstemmed Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
title_short Deficiency of UBE3D in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mRNA of Homeobox genes via CPSF3
title_sort deficiency of ube3d in mice leads to severe embryonic abnormalities and disrupts the mrna of homeobox genes via cpsf3
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02387-y
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