1
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Pfeffer PL. The first lineage determination in mammals. Dev Biol 2024; 513:12-30. [PMID: 38761966 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
This review describes in detail the morphological, cytoskeletal and gene expression events leading to the gene regulatory network bifurcation point of trophoblast and inner cell mass cells in a variety of mammalian preimplantation embryos. The interrelated processes of compaction and polarity establishment are discussed in terms of how they affect YAP/WWTR activity and the location and fate of cells. Comparisons between mouse, human, cattle, pig and rabbit embryos suggest a conserved role for YAP/WWTR signalling in trophoblast induction in eutherian animals though the mechanisms for, and timing of, YAP/WWTR activation differs among species. Downstream targets show further differences, with the trophoblast marker GATA3 being a direct target in all examined mammals, while CDX2-positive and SOX2-negative regulation varies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Pfeffer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
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2
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Skory RM. Revisiting trophectoderm-inner cell mass lineage segregation in the mammalian preimplantation embryo. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:1889-1898. [PMID: 38926157 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the first days of life, cells of the mammalian embryo segregate into two distinct lineages, trophectoderm and inner cell mass. Unlike nonmammalian species, mammalian development does not proceed from predetermined factors in the oocyte. Rather, asymmetries arise de novo in the early embryo incorporating cues from cell position, contractility, polarity, and cell-cell contacts. Molecular heterogeneities, including transcripts and non-coding RNAs, have now been characterized as early as the 2-cell stage. However, it's debated whether these early heterogeneities bias cells toward one fate or the other or whether lineage identity arises stochastically at the 16-cell stage. This review summarizes what is known about early blastomere asymmetries and our understanding of lineage allocation in the context of historical models. Preimplantation development is reviewed coupled with what is known about changes in morphology, contractility, and transcription factor networks. The addition of single-cell atlases of human embryos has begun to reveal key differences between human and mouse, including the timing of events and core transcription factors. Furthermore, the recent generation of blastoid models will provide valuable tools to test and understand fate determinants. Lastly, new techniques are reviewed, which may better synthesize existing knowledge with emerging data sets and reconcile models with the regulative capacity unique to the mammalian embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin M Skory
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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3
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Pasquier N, Jaulin F, Peglion F. Inverted apicobasal polarity in health and disease. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261659. [PMID: 38465512 PMCID: PMC10984280 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicobasal epithelial polarity controls the functional properties of most organs. Thus, there has been extensive research on the molecular intricacies governing the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. Whereas loss of apicobasal polarity is a well-documented phenomenon associated with multiple diseases, less is known regarding another type of apicobasal polarity alteration - the inversion of polarity. In this Review, we provide a unifying definition of inverted polarity and discuss multiple scenarios in mammalian systems and human health and disease in which apical and basolateral membrane domains are interchanged. This includes mammalian embryo implantation, monogenic diseases and dissemination of cancer cell clusters. For each example, the functional consequences of polarity inversion are assessed, revealing shared outcomes, including modifications in immune surveillance, altered drug sensitivity and changes in adhesions to neighboring cells. Finally, we highlight the molecular alterations associated with inverted apicobasal polarity and provide a molecular framework to connect these changes with the core cell polarity machinery and to explain roles of polarity inversion in health and disease. Based on the current state of the field, failure to respond to extracellular matrix (ECM) cues, increased cellular contractility and membrane trafficking defects are likely to account for most cases of inverted apicobasal polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Pasquier
- Collective Invasion Team, Inserm U-1279, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France
- Cell Adhesion and Cancer lab, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Fanny Jaulin
- Collective Invasion Team, Inserm U-1279, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France
| | - Florent Peglion
- Collective Invasion Team, Inserm U-1279, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France
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4
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Doerr S, Zhou P, Ragkousi K. Origin and development of primary animal epithelia. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300150. [PMID: 38009581 PMCID: PMC11164562 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Epithelia are the first organized tissues that appear during development. In many animal embryos, early divisions give rise to a polarized monolayer, the primary epithelium, rather than a random aggregate of cells. Here, we review the mechanisms by which cells organize into primary epithelia in various developmental contexts. We discuss how cells acquire polarity while undergoing early divisions. We describe cases where oriented divisions constrain cell arrangement to monolayers including organization on top of yolk surfaces. We finally discuss how epithelia emerge in embryos from animals that branched early during evolution and provide examples of epithelia-like arrangements encountered in single-celled eukaryotes. Although divergent and context-dependent mechanisms give rise to primary epithelia, here we trace the unifying principles underlying their formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Doerr
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
| | - Phillip Zhou
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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5
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Gao Y, Han W, Dong R, Wei S, Chen L, Gu Z, Liu Y, Guo W, Yan F. Efficient Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Trophoblast Stem-like Cells via Lats Kinase Inhibition. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:71. [PMID: 38392290 PMCID: PMC10886645 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Mouse zygotes undergo multiple rounds of cell division, resulting in the formation of preimplantation blastocysts comprising three lineages: trophectoderm (TE), epiblast (EPI), and primitive endoderm (PrE). Cell fate determination plays a crucial role in establishing a healthy pregnancy. The initial separation of lineages gives rise to TE and inner cell mass (ICM), from which trophoblast stem cells (TSC) and embryonic stem cells (ESC) can be derived in vitro. Studying lineage differentiation is greatly facilitated by the clear functional distinction between TSC and ESC. However, transitioning between these two types of cells naturally poses challenges. In this study, we demonstrate that inhibiting LATS kinase promotes the conversion of ICM to TE and also effectively reprograms ESC into stable, self-renewing TS-like cells (TSLC). Compared to TSC, TSLC exhibits similar molecular properties, including the high expression of marker genes such as Cdx2, Eomes, and Tfap2c, as well as hypomethylation of their promoters. Importantly, TSLC not only displays the ability to differentiate into mature trophoblast cells in vitro but also participates in placenta formation in vivo. These findings highlight the efficient reprogramming of ESCs into TSLCs using a small molecular inducer, which provides a new reference for understanding the regulatory network between ESCs and TSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yake Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Wuhan Women's and Children's Medical Care Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Wenrui Han
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Rui Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Shu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhaolei Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yiming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Fang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
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6
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Stolpner NJ, Manzi NI, Su T, Dickinson DJ. Apical PAR protein caps orient the mitotic spindle in C. elegans early embryos. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4312-4329.e6. [PMID: 37729910 PMCID: PMC10615879 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, oriented cell divisions are important for patterned tissue growth and cell fate specification. Cell division orientation is controlled in part by asymmetrically localized polarity proteins, which establish functional domains of the cell membrane and interact with microtubule regulators to position the mitotic spindle. For example, in the 8-cell mouse embryo, apical polarity proteins form caps on the outside, contact-free surface of the embryo that position the mitotic spindle to execute asymmetric cell division. A similar radial or "inside-outside" polarity is established at an early stage in many other animal embryos, but in most cases, it remains unclear how inside-outside polarity is established and how it influences downstream cell behaviors. Here, we explore inside-outside polarity in C. elegans somatic blastomeres using spatiotemporally controlled protein degradation and live embryo imaging. We show that PAR polarity proteins, which form apical caps at the center of the contact-free membrane, localize dynamically during the cell cycle and contribute to spindle orientation and proper cell positioning. Surprisingly, isolated single blastomeres lacking cell contacts are able to break symmetry and form PAR-3/atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) caps. Polarity caps form independently of actomyosin flows and microtubules and can regulate spindle orientation in cooperation with the key polarity kinase aPKC. Together, our results reveal a role for apical polarity caps in regulating spindle orientation in symmetrically dividing cells and provide novel insights into how these structures are formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi J Stolpner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nadia I Manzi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Thomas Su
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Daniel J Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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7
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Šimková K, Naraine R, Vintr J, Soukup V, Šindelka R. RNA localization during early development of the axolotl. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1260795. [PMID: 37928901 PMCID: PMC10620976 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1260795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The asymmetric localization of biomolecules is critical for body plan development. One of the most popular model organisms for early embryogenesis studies is Xenopus laevis but there is a lack of information in other animal species. Here, we compared the early development of two amphibian species-the frog X. laevis and the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum. This study aimed to identify asymmetrically localized RNAs along the animal-vegetal axis during the early development of A. mexicanum. For that purpose, we performed spatial transcriptome-wide analysis at low resolution, which revealed dynamic changes along the animal-vegetal axis classified into the following categories: profile alteration, de novo synthesis and degradation. Surprisingly, our results showed that many of the vegetally localized genes, which are important for germ cell development, are degraded during early development. Furthermore, we assessed the motif presence in UTRs of degraded mRNAs and revealed the enrichment of several motifs in RNAs of germ cell markers. Our results suggest novel reorganization of the transcriptome during embryogenesis of A. mexicanum to converge to the similar developmental pattern as the X. laevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Šimková
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Ravindra Naraine
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Jan Vintr
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Vladimír Soukup
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Radek Šindelka
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czechia
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8
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Gahurova L, Tomankova J, Cerna P, Bora P, Kubickova M, Virnicchi G, Kovacovicova K, Potesil D, Hruska P, Zdrahal Z, Anger M, Susor A, Bruce AW. Spatial positioning of preimplantation mouse embryo cells is regulated by mTORC1 and m 7G-cap-dependent translation at the 8- to 16-cell transition. Open Biol 2023; 13:230081. [PMID: 37553074 PMCID: PMC10409569 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Preimplantation mouse embryo development involves temporal-spatial specification and segregation of three blastocyst cell lineages: trophectoderm, primitive endoderm and epiblast. Spatial separation of the outer-trophectoderm lineage from the two other inner-cell-mass (ICM) lineages starts with the 8- to 16-cell transition and concludes at the 32-cell stages. Accordingly, the ICM is derived from primary and secondary contributed cells; with debated relative EPI versus PrE potencies. We report generation of primary but not secondary ICM populations is highly dependent on temporal activation of mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR) during 8-cell stage M-phase entry, mediated via regulation of the 7-methylguanosine-cap (m7G-cap)-binding initiation complex (EIF4F) and linked to translation of mRNAs containing 5' UTR terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP-) sequence motifs, as knockdown of identified TOP-like motif transcripts impairs generation of primary ICM founders. However, mTOR inhibition-induced ICM cell number deficits in early blastocysts can be compensated by the late blastocyst stage, after inhibitor withdrawal; compensation likely initiated at the 32-cell stage when supernumerary outer cells exhibit molecular characteristics of inner cells. These data identify a novel mechanism specifically governing initial spatial segregation of mouse embryo blastomeres, that is distinct from those directing subsequent inner cell formation, contributing to germane segregation of late blastocyst lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Gahurova
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Tomankova
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlina Cerna
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pablo Bora
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Kubickova
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Giorgio Virnicchi
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristina Kovacovicova
- Laboratory of Cell Division Control, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
- Department of Genetics and Reproduction, Central European Institute of Technology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Potesil
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hruska
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Zdrahal
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Anger
- Laboratory of Cell Division Control, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
- Department of Genetics and Reproduction, Central European Institute of Technology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Andrej Susor
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander W. Bruce
- Laboratory of Early Mammalian Developmental Biology (LEMDB), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Gerri C, McCarthy A, Mei Scott G, Regin M, Stamatiadis P, Brumm S, Simon CS, Lee J, Montesinos C, Hassitt C, Hockenhull S, Hampshire D, Elder K, Snell P, Christie L, Fouladi-Nashta AA, Van de Velde H, Niakan KK. A conserved role of the Hippo signalling pathway in initiation of the first lineage specification event across mammals. Development 2023; 150:dev201112. [PMID: 36971487 PMCID: PMC10263151 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of the molecular events driving cell specification in early mammalian development relies mainly on mouse studies, and it remains unclear whether these mechanisms are conserved across mammals, including humans. We have shown that the establishment of cell polarity via aPKC is a conserved event in the initiation of the trophectoderm (TE) placental programme in mouse, cow and human embryos. However, the mechanisms transducing cell polarity into cell fate in cow and human embryos are unknown. Here, we have examined the evolutionary conservation of Hippo signalling, which is thought to function downstream of aPKC activity, in four different mammalian species: mouse, rat, cow and human. In all four species, inhibition of the Hippo pathway by targeting LATS kinases is sufficient to drive ectopic TE initiation and downregulation of SOX2. However, the timing and localisation of molecular markers differ across species, with rat embryos more closely recapitulating human and cow developmental dynamics, compared with the mouse. Our comparative embryology approach uncovered intriguing differences as well as similarities in a fundamental developmental process among mammals, reinforcing the importance of cross-species investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gerri
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Afshan McCarthy
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Gwen Mei Scott
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Campus, Potters Bar AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Marius Regin
- Research Group Reproduction and Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Panagiotis Stamatiadis
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Brumm
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Claire S. Simon
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Janet Lee
- Hewitt Fertility Centre, Liverpool Women's Hospital, Liverpool, L8 7SS, UK
| | | | - Caroline Hassitt
- Hewitt Fertility Centre, Liverpool Women's Hospital, Liverpool, L8 7SS, UK
| | - Sarah Hockenhull
- Hewitt Fertility Centre, Liverpool Women's Hospital, Liverpool, L8 7SS, UK
| | - Daniel Hampshire
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Campus, Potters Bar AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Kay Elder
- Bourn Hall Clinic, Bourn, Cambridge CB23 2TN, UK
| | - Phil Snell
- Bourn Hall Clinic, Bourn, Cambridge CB23 2TN, UK
| | | | - Ali A. Fouladi-Nashta
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Campus, Potters Bar AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Hilde Van de Velde
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Brussels IVF, UZ-Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kathy K. Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
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10
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Stolpner NJ, Manzi NI, Su T, Dickinson DJ. Apical PAR-3 caps orient the mitotic spindle in C. elegans early embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.27.534341. [PMID: 37034756 PMCID: PMC10081169 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.534341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, oriented cell divisions are important for patterned tissue growth and cell fate specification. Cell division orientation is controlled in part by asymmetrically localized polarity proteins, which establish functional domains of the cell membrane and interact with microtubule regulators to position the mitotic spindle. For example, in the 8-cell mouse embryo, apical polarity proteins form caps on the outside, contact-free surface of the embryo that position the mitotic spindle to execute asymmetric cell division. A similar radial or "inside-outside" polarity is established at an early stage in many other animal embryos, but in most cases it remains unclear how inside-outside polarity is established and how it influences downstream cell behaviors. Here, we explore inside-outside polarity in C. elegans somatic blastomeres using spatiotemporally controlled protein degradation and live embryo imaging. We show that PAR polarity proteins, which form apical caps at the center of the contact free membrane, localize dynamically during the cell cycle and contribute to spindle orientation and proper cell positioning. Surprisingly, apical PAR-3 can form polarity caps independently of actomyosin flows and the small GTPase CDC-42, and can regulate spindle orientation in cooperation with the key polarity kinase aPKC. Together, our results reveal a role for apical polarity caps in regulating spindle orientation in symmetrically dividing cells and provide novel insights into how these structures are formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi J. Stolpner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Nadia I. Manzi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Thomas Su
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Daniel J. Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, PAT 206, Austin, TX 78712
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11
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Lamba A, Zernicka-Goetz M. The role of polarization and early heterogeneities in the mammalian first cell fate decision. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:169-196. [PMID: 37100517 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The first cell fate decision is the process by which cells of an embryo take on distinct lineage identities for the first time, representing the beginning of patterning during development. In mammals, this process separates an embryonic inner cell mass lineage (future new organism) from an extra-embryonic trophectoderm lineage (future placenta), and in the mouse, this is classically attributed to the consequences of apical-basal polarity. The mouse embryo acquires this polarity at the 8-cell stage, indicated by cap-like protein domains on the apical surface of each cell; those cells which retain polarity over subsequent divisions are specified as trophectoderm, and the rest as inner cell mass. Recent research has advanced our knowledge of this process - this review will discuss mechanisms behind the establishment of polarity and distribution of the apical domain, different factors affecting the first cell fate decision including heterogeneities between cells of the very early embryo, and the conservation of developmental mechanisms across species, including human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adiyant Lamba
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.
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12
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Mu J, Zhou Z, Sang Q, Wang L. The physiological and pathological mechanisms of early embryonic development. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 2:859-872. [PMID: 38933386 PMCID: PMC11197659 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Early embryonic development is a complex process. The zygote undergoes several rounds of division to form a blastocyst, and during this process, the zygote undergoes the maternal-to-zygotic transition to gain control of embryonic development and makes two cell fate decisions to differentiate into an embryonic and two extra-embryonic lineages. With the use of new molecular biotechnologies and animal models, we can now further study the molecular mechanisms of early embryonic development and the pathological causes of early embryonic arrest. Here, we first summarize the known molecular regulatory mechanisms of early embryonic development in mice. Then we discuss the pathological factors leading to the early embryonic arrest. We hope that this review will give researchers a relatively complete view of the physiology and pathology of early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Mu
- The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhou Zhou
- The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qing Sang
- The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lei Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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13
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Kim YS, Bedzhov I. Mechanisms of formation and functions of the early embryonic cavities. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:110-116. [PMID: 35513973 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As the early mouse embryo develops, fundamental steps include the sequential formation of the first lumens in the murine conceptus. The first cavity established in the pre-implantation embryo is the blastocoel, followed by the emergence of the proamniotic cavity during the peri-implantation stages. The mouse embryo is a dynamic system which switches its modes of lumenogenesis before and after implantation. The blastocoel emerges in between the basolateral membranes, whereas the proamniotic cavity is formed on the apical interface. Defects in the sculpting of these luminal spaces are associated with developmental abnormalities and embryonic lethality. Here, we review the mechanisms by which these early embryonic cavities are formed and discuss the cavities in terms of their common and stage-specific principles of lumenogenesis and their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Su Kim
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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14
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Stain-free detection of embryo polarization using deep learning. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2404. [PMID: 35165311 PMCID: PMC8844381 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05990-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Polarization of the mammalian embryo at the right developmental time is critical for its development to term and would be valuable in assessing the potential of human embryos. However, tracking polarization requires invasive fluorescence staining, impermissible in the in vitro fertilization clinic. Here, we report the use of artificial intelligence to detect polarization from unstained time-lapse movies of mouse embryos. We assembled a dataset of bright-field movie frames from 8-cell-stage embryos, side-by-side with corresponding images of fluorescent markers of cell polarization. We then used an ensemble learning model to detect whether any bright-field frame showed an embryo before or after onset of polarization. Our resulting model has an accuracy of 85% for detecting polarization, significantly outperforming human volunteers trained on the same data (61% accuracy). We discovered that our self-learning model focuses upon the angle between cells as one known cue for compaction, which precedes polarization, but it outperforms the use of this cue alone. By compressing three-dimensional time-lapsed image data into two-dimensions, we are able to reduce data to an easily manageable size for deep learning processing. In conclusion, we describe a method for detecting a key developmental feature of embryo development that avoids clinically impermissible fluorescence staining.
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15
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Kim EJY, Sorokin L, Hiiragi T. ECM-integrin signalling instructs cellular position-sensing to pattern the early mouse embryo. Development 2021; 149:273721. [PMID: 34908109 PMCID: PMC8881741 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Development entails patterned emergence of diverse cell types within the embryo. In mammals, cells positioned inside the embryo give rise to the inner cell mass (ICM), which eventually forms the embryo itself. Yet, the molecular basis of how these cells recognise their ‘inside’ position to instruct their fate is unknown. Here, we show that provision of extracellular matrix (ECM) to isolated embryonic cells induces ICM specification and alters the subsequent spatial arrangement between epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PrE) cells that emerge within the ICM. Notably, this effect is dependent on integrin β1 activity and involves apical-to-basal conversion of cell polarity. We demonstrate that ECM-integrin activity is sufficient for ‘inside’ positional signalling and is required for correct EPI/PrE patterning. Thus, our findings highlight the significance of ECM-integrin adhesion in enabling position sensing by cells to achieve tissue patterning. Summary: The importance of patterned cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in early mouse development: ECM signals can modulate both cell fate and the relative spatial arrangement between cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Jeong Yoon Kim
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lydia Sorokin
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry and Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre (CiMIC), University of Muenster, Germany
| | - Takashi Hiiragi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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16
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Hawdon A, Aberkane A, Zenker J. Microtubule-dependent subcellular organisation of pluripotent cells. Development 2021; 148:272646. [PMID: 34710215 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
With the advancement of cutting-edge live imaging technologies, microtubule remodelling has evolved as an integral regulator for the establishment of distinct differentiated cells. However, despite their fundamental role in cell structure and function, microtubules have received less attention when unravelling the regulatory circuitry of pluripotency. Here, we summarise the role of microtubule organisation and microtubule-dependent events required for the formation of pluripotent cells in vivo by deciphering the process of early embryogenesis: from fertilisation to blastocyst. Furthermore, we highlight current advances in elucidating the significance of specific microtubule arrays in in vitro culture systems of pluripotent stem cells and how the microtubule cytoskeleton serves as a highway for the precise intracellular movement of organelles. This Review provides an informed understanding of the intrinsic role of subcellular architecture of pluripotent cells and accentuates their regenerative potential in combination with innovative light-inducible microtubule techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azelle Hawdon
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Asma Aberkane
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jennifer Zenker
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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17
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Cell fate determination and Hippo signaling pathway in preimplantation mouse embryo. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 386:423-444. [PMID: 34586506 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03530-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
First cell fate determination plays crucial roles in cell specification during early phases of embryonic development. Three classical concepts have been proposed to explain the lineage specification mechanism of the preimplantation embryo: inside-outside, pre-patterning, and polarity models. Transcriptional effectors of the Hippo signal pathway are YAP and TAZ activators that can create a shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Despite different localizations of YAP in the cell, it determines the fate of ICM and TE. How the decisive cue driving factors that determine YAP localization are coordinated remains a central unanswered question. How can an embryonic cell find its position? The objective of this review is to summarize the molecular and mechanical aspects in cell fate decision during mouse preimplantation embryonic development. The findings will reveal the relationship between cell-cell adhesion, cell polarity, and determination of cell fate during early embryonic development in mice and elucidate the inducing/inhibiting mechanisms that are involved in cell specification following zygotic genome activation and compaction processes. With future studies, new biophysical and chemical cues in the cell fate determination will impart significant spatiotemporal effects on early embryonic development. The achieved knowledge will provide important information to the development of new approaches to be used in infertility treatment and increase the success of pregnancy.
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18
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Karasek C, Ashry M, Driscoll CS, Knott JG. A tale of two cell-fates: role of the Hippo signaling pathway and transcription factors in early lineage formation in mouse preimplantation embryos. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 26:653-664. [PMID: 32647873 PMCID: PMC7473788 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaaa052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, the first cell-fate decision occurs during preimplantation embryo development when the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) lineages are established. The ICM develops into the embryo proper, while the TE lineage forms the placenta. The underlying molecular mechanisms that govern lineage formation involve cell-to-cell interactions, cell polarization, cell signaling and transcriptional regulation. In this review, we will discuss the current understanding regarding the cellular and molecular events that regulate lineage formation in mouse preimplantation embryos with an emphasis on cell polarity and the Hippo signaling pathway. Moreover, we will provide an overview on some of the molecular tools that are used to manipulate the Hippo pathway and study cell-fate decisions in early embryos. Lastly, we will provide exciting future perspectives on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that modulate the activity of the Hippo pathway in preimplantation embryos to ensure robust lineage segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Challis Karasek
- Developmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mohamed Ashry
- Developmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Chad S Driscoll
- Developmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jason G Knott
- Developmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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19
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Gerri C, Menchero S, Mahadevaiah SK, Turner JMA, Niakan KK. Human Embryogenesis: A Comparative Perspective. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2021; 36:411-440. [PMID: 33021826 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-022020-024900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Understanding human embryology has historically relied on comparative approaches using mammalian model organisms. With the advent of low-input methods to investigate genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and efficient techniques to assess gene function, we can now study the human embryo directly. These advances have transformed the investigation of early embryogenesis in nonrodent species, thereby providing a broader understanding of conserved and divergent mechanisms. Here, we present an overview of the major events in human preimplantation development and place them in the context of mammalian evolution by comparing these events in other eutherian and metatherian species. We describe the advances of studies on postimplantation development and discuss stem cell models that mimic postimplantation embryos. A comparative perspective highlights the importance of analyzing different organisms with molecular characterization and functional studies to reveal the principles of early development. This growing field has a fundamental impact in regenerative medicine and raises important ethical considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gerri
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
| | - Sergio Menchero
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
| | - Shantha K Mahadevaiah
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
| | - James M A Turner
- Sex Chromosome Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
| | - Kathy K Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom;
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20
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Building Pluripotency Identity in the Early Embryo and Derived Stem Cells. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082049. [PMID: 34440818 PMCID: PMC8391114 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fusion of two highly differentiated cells, an oocyte with a spermatozoon, gives rise to the zygote, a single totipotent cell, which has the capability to develop into a complete, fully functional organism. Then, as development proceeds, a series of programmed cell divisions occur whereby the arising cells progressively acquire their own cellular and molecular identity, and totipotency narrows until when pluripotency is achieved. The path towards pluripotency involves transcriptome modulation, remodeling of the chromatin epigenetic landscape to which external modulators contribute. Both human and mouse embryos are a source of different types of pluripotent stem cells whose characteristics can be captured and maintained in vitro. The main aim of this review is to address the cellular properties and the molecular signature of the emerging cells during mouse and human early development, highlighting similarities and differences between the two species and between the embryos and their cognate stem cells.
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21
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Abstract
The cytoskeleton - comprising actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments - serves instructive roles in regulating cell function and behaviour during development. However, a key challenge in cell and developmental biology is to dissect how these different structures function and interact in vivo to build complex tissues, with the ultimate aim to understand these processes in a mammalian organism. The preimplantation mouse embryo has emerged as a primary model system for tackling this challenge. Not only does the mouse embryo share many morphological similarities with the human embryo during its initial stages of life, it also permits the combination of genetic manipulations with live-imaging approaches to study cytoskeletal dynamics directly within an intact embryonic system. These advantages have led to the discovery of novel cytoskeletal structures and mechanisms controlling lineage specification, cell-cell communication and the establishment of the first forms of tissue architecture during development. Here we highlight the diverse organization and functions of each of the three cytoskeletal filaments during the key events that shape the early mammalian embryo, and discuss how they work together to perform key developmental tasks, including cell fate specification and morphogenesis of the blastocyst. Collectively, these findings are unveiling a new picture of how cells in the early embryo dynamically remodel their cytoskeleton with unique spatial and temporal precision to drive developmental processes in the rapidly changing in vivo environment.
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22
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Lee S, Choi I. Expression patterns and biological function of Specc1 during mouse preimplantation development. Gene Expr Patterns 2021; 41:119196. [PMID: 34166821 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2021.119196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Two unique features occur during preimplantation embryo development: 1) initiation of calcium-dependent adhesion and establishment of apicobasal polarity in the morula, and 2) formation of the blastocoel by establishment of tight junctions (TJs), ion channels, and water channels in the outer blastomeres. Although several key genes involved in morula and blastocyst formation have been identified, most remain unknown. Sperm antigen with calponin homology and coiled-coil domains 1(SPECC1) is highly expressed in testis and tumor cells, and is involved in diverse cellular processes such as ribosome biogenesis, rRNA transcription, mitosis, cell growth, and apoptosis in tumor cells. However, spatiotemporal expressions of Specc1 during mouse preimplantation development have not yet been investigated. Here, we examined the expression patterns of Specc1 using qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry, and its biological function using siRNA injection into 1-cell zygotes. Specc1 was detectable throughout preimplantation development and markedly increased from the morula stage onwards. It was particularly observed in trophectoderm cells, rather than the inner cell mass of blastocyst. Maternal and zygotic Specc1 transcripts were abolished using RNA interference. There were no significant differences in development between Specc1 knock down (KD) and control embryos until the morula stage, but was significantly reduced blastocyst development and increased tight junction permeability in KD embryos, as assessed by FITC uptake. In summary, elevated expression of Specc1 in the morula and blastocyst may affect blastocyst formation, including tight junction complex during the morula to blastocyst transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulah Lee
- Division of Animal and Dairy Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Inchul Choi
- Division of Animal and Dairy Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
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23
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Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Principles of Self-Organization of the Mammalian Embryo. Cell 2021; 183:1467-1478. [PMID: 33306953 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Early embryogenesis is a conserved and self-organized process. In the mammalian embryo, the potential for self-organization is manifested in its extraordinary developmental plasticity, allowing a correctly patterned embryo to arise despite experimental perturbation. The underlying mechanisms enabling such regulative development have long been a topic of study. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of the self-organizing principles behind the regulative nature of the early mammalian embryo. We argue that geometrical constraints, feedback between mechanical and biochemical factors, and cellular heterogeneity are all required to ensure the developmental plasticity of mammalian embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Present address: Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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24
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Toyooka Y. Pluripotent stem cells in the research for extraembryonic cell differentiation. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:127-139. [PMID: 33583019 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are pluripotent stem cell populations derived from the preimplantation embryo and are used to study the differentiation of many types of somatic and germ cells in developing embryos. They are also used to study cell lineages of extraembryonic tissues, such as the trophectoderm (TE) and the primitive endoderm (PrE). mESC cultures are suitable systems for reproducing cellular and molecular events occurring during the differentiation of these cell types, such as changes in gene expression patterns, signaling events, and genome rearrangements although the consistency between the results obtained using mESCs and those of in vivo studies on embryos should be carefully taken into account. Since TE and PrE cells can be induced from mESCs in vitro, mESC cultures are useful systems to study differentiation of these cell lineages during development, if used appropriately. In addition, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), are capable of generating extraembryonic lineages in vitro and are promising tools to study the differentiation of these lineages in the human embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Toyooka
- Department of Clinical Application, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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25
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Carreiro LE, Santos GSD, Luedke FE, Goissis MD. Cell differentiation events in pre-implantation mouse and bovine embryos. Anim Reprod 2021; 18:e20210054. [PMID: 35035540 PMCID: PMC8747937 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2021-0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Early mammal embryogenesis starts with oocyte fertilization, giving rise to the zygote. The events that the newly formed zygote surpasses are crucial to the embryo developmental success. Shortly after activation of its genome, cells of the embryo segregate into the inner cell mass (ICM) or the trophectoderm (TE). The first will give rise to the embryo while the latter will become the placenta. This first segregation involves cellular and molecular processes that include cell polarity linked to intracellular pathway activation, which will regulate the transcription of trophectoderm-related genes. Then, cells of the ICM undergo the second event of mammalian cell differentiation, which consists of the separation between epiblast (EPI) and hypoblast or primitive endoderm (PrE). This second segregation involves paracrine signaling, leading to differential expression of key genes that will dictate the fate of the cell. Although these processes are described in detail in the mouse, recent studies suggest that the bovine embryo could also be an interesting model for early development, since there are differences to the mouse and similarities with early human embryogenesis. In this review, we gathered the main data available in the literature upon bovine and mouse early development events, suggesting that both models should be analyzed and studied in a complementary way, to better model early events occurring in human development.
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26
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Gerri C, McCarthy A, Alanis-Lobato G, Demtschenko A, Bruneau A, Loubersac S, Fogarty NME, Hampshire D, Elder K, Snell P, Christie L, David L, Van de Velde H, Fouladi-Nashta AA, Niakan KK. Initiation of a conserved trophectoderm program in human, cow and mouse embryos. Nature 2020; 587:443-447. [PMID: 32968278 PMCID: PMC7116563 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2759-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Current understandings of cell specification in early mammalian pre-implantation development are based mainly on mouse studies. The first lineage differentiation event occurs at the morula stage, with outer cells initiating a trophectoderm (TE) placental progenitor program. The inner cell mass arises from inner cells during subsequent developmental stages and comprises precursor cells of the embryo proper and yolk sac1. Recent gene-expression analyses suggest that the mechanisms that regulate early lineage specification in the mouse may differ in other mammals, including human2-5 and cow6. Here we show the evolutionary conservation of a molecular cascade that initiates TE segregation in human, cow and mouse embryos. At the morula stage, outer cells acquire an apical-basal cell polarity, with expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) at the contact-free domain, nuclear expression of Hippo signalling pathway effectors and restricted expression of TE-associated factors such as GATA3, which suggests initiation of a TE program. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inhibition of aPKC by small-molecule pharmacological modulation or Trim-Away protein depletion impairs TE initiation at the morula stage. Our comparative embryology analysis provides insights into early lineage specification and suggests that a similar mechanism initiates a TE program in human, cow and mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gerri
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Afshan McCarthy
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Andrej Demtschenko
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Bruneau
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
| | - Sophie Loubersac
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Norah M E Fogarty
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Hampshire
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Laurent David
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, SFR Santé, Inserm UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France
| | - Hilde Van de Velde
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, UZ-Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ali A Fouladi-Nashta
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Kathy K Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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27
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Royer C, Leonavicius K, Kip A, Fortin D, Nandi K, Vincent A, Jones C, Child T, Coward K, Graham C, Srinivas S. Establishment of a relationship between blastomere geometry and YAP localisation during compaction. Development 2020; 147:dev.189449. [PMID: 32928909 PMCID: PMC7561472 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Precise patterning within the three-dimensional context of tissues, organs and embryos implies that cells can sense their relative position. During preimplantation development, outside and inside cells rely on apicobasal polarity and the Hippo pathway to choose their fate. Despite recent findings suggesting that mechanosensing might be central to this process, the relationship between blastomere geometry (i.e. shape and position) and the Hippo pathway effector YAP remains unknown. We used a highly quantitative approach to analyse information on the geometry and YAP localisation of individual blastomeres of mouse and human embryos. We identified the proportion of exposed cell surface area as most closely correlating with the nuclear localisation of YAP. To test this relationship, we developed several hydrogel-based approaches to alter blastomere geometry in cultured embryos. Unbiased clustering analyses of blastomeres from such embryos revealed that this relationship emerged during compaction. Our results therefore pinpoint the time during early embryogenesis when cells acquire the ability to sense changes in geometry and provide a new framework for how cells might integrate signals from different membrane domains to assess their relative position within the embryo. Highlighted Article: Localisation of YAP, a key factor during the first cell fate decision, is linked to individual blastomere geometry within the three-dimentional environment of the preimplantation embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Royer
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Karolis Leonavicius
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Annemarie Kip
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Deborah Fortin
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Kirtirupa Nandi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Anna Vincent
- Oxford Fertility, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Oxford OX4 2HW, UK
| | - Celine Jones
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Tim Child
- Oxford Fertility, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Oxford OX4 2HW, UK.,Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kevin Coward
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Chris Graham
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Shankar Srinivas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
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28
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Salinas-Saavedra M, Martindale MQ. Par protein localization during the early development of Mnemiopsis leidyi suggests different modes of epithelial organization in the metazoa. eLife 2020; 9:54927. [PMID: 32716297 PMCID: PMC7441587 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In bilaterians and cnidarians, epithelial cell-polarity is regulated by the interactions between Par proteins, Wnt/PCP signaling pathway, and cell-cell adhesion. Par proteins are highly conserved across Metazoa, including ctenophores. But strikingly, ctenophore genomes lack components of the Wnt/PCP pathway and cell-cell adhesion complexes raising the question if ctenophore cells are polarized by mechanisms involving Par proteins. Here, by using immunohistochemistry and live-cell imaging of specific mRNAs, we describe for the first time the subcellular localization of selected Par proteins in blastomeres and epithelial cells during the embryogenesis of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. We show that these proteins distribute differently compared to what has been described for other animals, even though they segregate in a host-specific fashion when expressed in cnidarian embryos. This differential localization might be related to the emergence of different junctional complexes during metazoan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Salinas-Saavedra
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, United States
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, United States
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29
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Płusa B, Piliszek A. Common principles of early mammalian embryo self-organisation. Development 2020; 147:147/14/dev183079. [PMID: 32699138 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pre-implantation mammalian development unites extreme plasticity with a robust outcome: the formation of a blastocyst, an organised multi-layered structure ready for implantation. The process of blastocyst formation is one of the best-known examples of self-organisation. The first three cell lineages in mammalian development specify and arrange themselves during the morphogenic process based on cell-cell interactions. Despite decades of research, the unifying principles driving early mammalian development are still not fully defined. Here, we discuss the role of physical forces, and molecular and cellular mechanisms, in driving self-organisation and lineage formation that are shared between eutherian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenika Płusa
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Anna Piliszek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Postepu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
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30
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Toyooka Y. Trophoblast lineage specification in the mammalian preimplantation embryo. Reprod Med Biol 2020; 19:209-221. [PMID: 32684820 PMCID: PMC7360972 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The establishment of the trophectoderm (TE) and the inner cell mass (ICM) is the first cell lineage segregation that occurs in mammalian preimplantation development. TE will contribute to the placenta while ICM cells give rise to the epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PrE). There are two historical models for TE/ICM segregation: the positional (inside-outside) model and the polarity model, but both models alone cannot explain the mechanism of TE/ICM segregation. METHODS This article discusses a current possible model based on recent studies including the finding through live-cell imaging of the expression patterns of caudal type homeobox 2 (Cdx2), a key transcription factor of TE differentiation in the mouse embryo. RESULTS It was observed that a part of outer Cdx2-expressing blastomeres was internalized at the around 20- to 30-cell stage, downregulates Cdx2, ceases TE differentiation, and participates in ICM lineages. CONCLUSION The early blastomere, which starts differentiation toward the TE cell fate, still has plasticity and can change its fate. Differentiation potency of all blastomeres until approximately the 32-cell stage is presumably not irreversibly restricted even if they show heterogeneity in their epigenetic modifications or gene expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Toyooka
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA)Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
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31
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Amargant F, Barragan M, Vassena R, Vernos I. Insights of the tubulin code in gametes and embryos: from basic research to potential clinical applications in humans†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:575-589. [PMID: 30247519 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are intracellular filaments that define in space and in time a large number of essential cellular functions such as cell division, morphology and motility, intracellular transport and flagella and cilia assembly. They are therefore essential for spermatozoon and oocyte maturation and function, and for embryo development. The dynamic and functional properties of the microtubules are in large part defined by various classes of interacting proteins including MAPs (microtubule associated proteins), microtubule-dependent motors, and severing and modifying enzymes. Multiple mechanisms regulate these interactions. One of them is defined by the high diversity of the microtubules themselves generated by the combination of different tubulin isotypes and by several tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs). This generates a so-called tubulin code that finely regulates the specific set of proteins that associates with a given microtubule thereby defining the properties and functions of the network. Here we provide an in depth review of the current knowledge on the tubulin isotypes and PTMs in spermatozoa, oocytes, and preimplantation embryos in various model systems and in the human species. We focus on functional implications of the tubulin code for cytoskeletal function, particularly in the field of human reproduction and development, with special emphasis on gamete quality and infertility. Finally, we discuss some of the knowledge gaps and propose future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farners Amargant
- Clínica EUGIN, Barcelona, Spain.,Cell and Developmental Biology Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Isabelle Vernos
- Cell and Developmental Biology Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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32
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ROCK and RHO Playlist for Preimplantation Development: Streaming to HIPPO Pathway and Apicobasal Polarity in the First Cell Differentiation. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2020; 229:47-68. [PMID: 29177764 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-63187-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In placental mammalian development, the first cell differentiation produces two distinct lineages that emerge according to their position within the embryo: the trophectoderm (TE, placenta precursor) differentiates in the surface, while the inner cell mass (ICM, fetal body precursor) forms inside. Here, we discuss how such position-dependent lineage specifications are regulated by the RHOA subfamily of small GTPases and RHO-associated coiled-coil kinases (ROCK). Recent studies in mouse show that activities of RHO/ROCK are required to promote TE differentiation and to concomitantly suppress ICM formation. RHO/ROCK operate through the HIPPO signaling pathway, whose cell position-specific modulation is central to establishing unique gene expression profiles that confer cell fate. In particular, activities of RHO/ROCK are essential in outside cells to promote nuclear localization of transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ, the downstream effectors of HIPPO signaling. Nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ depends on the formation of apicobasal polarity in outside cells, which requires activities of RHO/ROCK. We propose models of how RHO/ROCK regulate lineage specification and lay out challenges for future investigations to deepen our understanding of the roles of RHO/ROCK in preimplantation development. Finally, as RHO/ROCK may be inhibited by certain pharmacological agents, we discuss their potential impact on human preimplantation development in relation to fertility preservation in women.
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33
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Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Building an apical domain in the early mouse embryo: Lessons, challenges and perspectives. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 62:144-149. [PMID: 31869760 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cell polarization is critical for lineage segregation and morphogenesis during mammalian embryogenesis. However, the processes and mechanisms that establish cell polarity in the mammalian embryo are not well understood. Recent studies suggest that unique regulatory mechanisms are deployed by the mouse embryo to establish cell polarization. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of cell polarity establishment, focusing on the formation of the apical domain in the mouse embryo. We will also discuss outstanding questions and possible directions for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhu
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK.
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34
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Abstract
Mammalian embryogenesis depends on maternal factors accumulated in eggs prior to fertilization and on placental transfers later in gestation. In this review, we focus on initial events when the organism has insufficient newly synthesized embryonic factors to sustain development. These maternal factors regulate preimplantation embryogenesis both uniquely in pronuclear formation, genome reprogramming and cell fate determination and more universally in regulating cell division, transcription and RNA metabolism. Depletion, disruption or inappropriate persistence of maternal factors can result in developmental defects in early embryos. To better understand the origins of these maternal effects, we include oocyte maturation processes that are responsible for their production. We focus on recent publications and reference comprehensive reviews that include earlier scientific literature of early mouse development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Jurrien Dean
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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35
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Israel S, Ernst M, Psathaki OE, Drexler HCA, Casser E, Suzuki Y, Makalowski W, Boiani M, Fuellen G, Taher L. An integrated genome-wide multi-omics analysis of gene expression dynamics in the preimplantation mouse embryo. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13356. [PMID: 31527703 PMCID: PMC6746714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49817-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Early mouse embryos have an atypical translational machinery that consists of cytoplasmic lattices and is poorly competent for translation. Hence, the impact of transcriptomic changes on the operational level of proteins is predicted to be relatively modest. To investigate this, we performed liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and mRNA sequencing at seven developmental stages, from the mature oocyte to the blastocyst, and independently validated our data by immunofluorescence and qPCR. We detected and quantified 6,550 proteins and 20,535 protein-coding transcripts. In contrast to the transcriptome – where changes occur early, mostly at the 2-cell stage – our data indicate that the most substantial changes in the proteome take place towards later stages, between the morula and blastocyst. We also found little to no concordance between the changes in protein and transcript levels, especially for early stages, but observed that the concordance increased towards the morula and blastocyst, as did the number of free ribosomes. These results are consistent with the cytoplasmic lattice-to-free ribosome transition being a key mediator of developmental regulation. Finally, we show how these data can be used to appraise the strengths and limitations of mRNA-based studies of pre-implantation development and expand on the list of known developmental markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Israel
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Roentgenstr. 20, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Mathias Ernst
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann Str. 8, 18057, Rostock, Germany.,Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Olympia E Psathaki
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Roentgenstr. 20, 48149, Muenster, Germany.,University of Osnabrück, Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics Osnabrück (CellNanOs), Integrated Bioimaging Facility Osnabrück (iBiOs), Barbarastr. 11, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Hannes C A Drexler
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Roentgenstr. 20, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Ellen Casser
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Roentgenstr. 20, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan
| | - Wojciech Makalowski
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Münster, Niels Stensen Str. 14, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Michele Boiani
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Roentgenstr. 20, 48149, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Georg Fuellen
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann Str. 8, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Leila Taher
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann Str. 8, 18057, Rostock, Germany. .,Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
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36
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Filimonow K, Saiz N, Suwińska A, Wyszomirski T, Grabarek JB, Ferretti E, Piliszek A, Plusa B, Maleszewski M. No evidence of involvement of E-cadherin in cell fate specification or the segregation of Epi and PrE in mouse blastocysts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212109. [PMID: 30735538 PMCID: PMC6368326 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During preimplantation mouse development stages, emerging pluripotent epiblast (Epi) and extraembryonic primitive endoderm (PrE) cells are first distributed in the blastocyst in a "salt-and-pepper" manner before they segregate into separate layers. As a result of segregation, PrE cells become localised on the surface of the inner cell mass (ICM), and the Epi is enclosed by the PrE on one side and by the trophectoderm on the other. During later development, a subpopulation of PrE cells migrates away from the ICM and forms the parietal endoderm (PE), while cells remaining in contact with the Epi form the visceral endoderm (VE). Here, we asked: what are the mechanisms mediating Epi and PrE cell segregation and the subsequent VE vs PE specification? Differences in cell adhesion have been proposed; however, we demonstrate that the levels of plasma membrane-bound E-cadherin (CDH1, cadherin 1) in Epi and PrE cells only differ after the segregation of these lineages within the ICM. Moreover, manipulating E-cadherin levels did not affect lineage specification or segregation, thus failing to confirm its role during these processes. Rather, we report changes in E-cadherin localisation during later PrE-to-PE transition which are accompanied by the presence of Vimentin and Twist, supporting the hypothesis that an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process occurs in the mouse peri-implantation blastocyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Filimonow
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Nestor Saiz
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Aneta Suwińska
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wyszomirski
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, The University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna B. Grabarek
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anna Piliszek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Berenika Plusa
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MM); (BP)
| | - Marek Maleszewski
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
- * E-mail: (MM); (BP)
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37
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Marikawa Y, Alarcon VB. RHOA activity in expanding blastocysts is essential to regulate HIPPO-YAP signaling and to maintain the trophectoderm-specific gene expression program in a ROCK/actin filament-independent manner. Mol Hum Reprod 2019; 25:43-60. [PMID: 30395288 PMCID: PMC6497036 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gay048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What molecular signals are required to maintain the functional trophectoderm (TE) during blastocyst expansion of the late stage of preimplantation development? SUMMARY ANSWER The activity of ras homology family member A (RHOA) GTPases is necessary to retain the expanded blastocyst cavity and also to sustain the gene expression program specific to TE. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY At the early stages of preimplantation development, the precursor of the TE lineage is generated through the molecular signals that integrate RHOA, RHO-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK), the apicobasal cell polarity, and the HIPPO-Yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway. By contrast, molecular mechanisms regulating the maintenance of the TE characteristics at the later stage, which is crucial for blastocyst hatching and implantation, are scarcely understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Expanding mouse blastocysts, obtained from crosses of the F1 (C57BL6 × DBA/2) strain, were exposed to chemical agents that interfere with RHOA, ROCK, or the actin cytoskeleton for up to 8 h, and effects on the blastocyst cavity, HIPPO-YAP signaling, and cell lineage-specific gene expression profiles were examined. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Mouse embryos at the embryonic stage E3.5 (expanding blastocysts) and E4.5 (fully expanded blastocysts) were treated with RHOA inhibitor (C3 exoenzyme), ROCK inhibitor (Y27632), or actin filament disruptors (cytochalasin B and latrunculin A). The integrity of the blastocyst cavity was evaluated based on the gross morphology. Effects on HIPPO-YAP signaling were assessed based on the presence of nuclearized YAP protein by immunofluorescence staining and the expression of YAP/TEA domain family member (TEAD) target genes by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The impact of these disruptors on cell lineages was evaluated based on expression of the TE-specific and inner cell mass-specific marker genes by qRT-PCR. The integrity of the apicobasal cell polarity was assessed by localization of protein kinase C zeta (PRKCZ; apical) and scribbled planar cell polarity (SCRIB; basal) proteins by immunofluorescence staining. For comparisons, cultured cell lines, NIH/3T3 (mouse fibroblast) and P19C5 (mouse embryonal carcinoma), were also treated with RHOA inhibitor, ROCK inhibitor, and actin filament disruptors for up to 8 h, and effects on HIPPO-YAP signaling were assessed based on expression of YAP/TEAD target genes by qRT-PCR. Each experiment was repeated using three independent batches of embryos (n = 40-80 per batch) or cell collections. Statistical analyses of data were performed, using one-way ANOVA and two-sample t-test. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Inhibition of RHOA deflated the cavity, diminished nuclear YAP (P < 0.01), and down-regulated the YAP/TEAD target and TE-specific marker genes in both E3.5 and E4.5 blastocysts (P < 0.05), indicating that the maintenance of the key TE characteristics is dependent on RHOA activity. However, inhibition of ROCK or disruption of actin filament only deflated the blastocyst cavity, but did not alter HIPPO-YAP signaling or lineage-specific gene expressions, suggesting that the action of RHOA to sustain the TE-specific gene expression program is not mediated by ROCK or the actomyosin cytoskeleton. By contrast, ROCK inhibitor and actin filament disruptors diminished YAP/TEAD target gene expressions in cultured cells to a greater extent than RHOA inhibitor, implicating that the regulation of HIPPO-YAP signaling in expanding blastocysts is distinctly different from that in the cell lines. Furthermore, the apicobasal cell polarity proteins in the expanding blastocyst were mislocalized by ROCK inhibition but not by RHOA inhibition, indicating that cell polarity is not linked to regulation of HIPPO-YAP signaling. Taken together, our study suggests that RHOA activity is essential to maintain the TE lineage in the expanding blastocyst and it regulates HIPPO-YAP signaling and the lineage-specific gene expression program through mechanisms that are independent of ROCK or actomyosin cytoskeleton. LARGE-SCALE DATA Not applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study was conducted using one species, the mouse. Direct translation of the experiments and findings to human fertility preservation and ART requires further investigations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The elucidation of the mechanisms of TE formation is highly pertinent to fertility preservation in women. Our findings may raise awareness among providers of ART that the TE is sensitive to disturbance even in the late stage of blastocyst expansion and that rational approaches should be devised to avoid conditions that may impair the TE and its function. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by grants from the Ingeborg v.F. McKee Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation (16ADVC-78882 to V.B.A.), and the National Institutes of Health (P20 GM103457 and R03 HD088839 to V.B.A.). The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Vernadeth B Alarcon
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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38
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Frum T, Murphy TM, Ralston A. HIPPO signaling resolves embryonic cell fate conflicts during establishment of pluripotency in vivo. eLife 2018; 7:42298. [PMID: 30526858 PMCID: PMC6289571 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian development, the challenge for the embryo is to override intrinsic cellular plasticity to drive cells to distinct fates. Here, we unveil novel roles for the HIPPO signaling pathway in controlling cell positioning and expression of Sox2, the first marker of pluripotency in the mouse early embryo. We show that maternal and zygotic YAP1 and WWTR1 repress Sox2 while promoting expression of the trophectoderm gene Cdx2 in parallel. Yet, Sox2 is more sensitive than Cdx2 to Yap1/Wwtr1 dosage, leading cells to a state of conflicted cell fate when YAP1/WWTR1 activity is moderate. Remarkably, HIPPO signaling activity resolves conflicted cell fate by repositioning cells to the interior of the embryo, independent of its role in regulating Sox2 expression. Rather, HIPPO antagonizes apical localization of Par complex components PARD6B and aPKC. Thus, negative feedback between HIPPO and Par complex components ensure robust lineage segregation. As an embryo develops, its cells divide, grow and migrate in specific patterns to build an organized collection of cells that go on to form our tissues and organs. One of the first steps – well before the embryo has implanted into the womb – is to allocate cells to make part of the placenta. Once this process is complete, the remaining cells continue building the organism. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can develop into any part of the body. Scientists think that the embryo manages to sort ‘placenta cells’ from pluripotent ones with the help of certain proteins, which the mother has packaged into her eggs. To investigate this further, Frum et al. used genetic tools to track a specific gene called Sox2 that identifies pluripotent cells as soon as they are formed in mouse embryos. The experiments revealed that the mother places two closely related proteins known as YAP1 and WWTR1 within each egg, which help to make placenta cells different from pluripotent cells. Moreover, both proteins enable the embryo to segregate these two cell types to two different locations: placenta cells are moved to the outer layer of the embryo, while pluripotent cells are moved to the inside. Current technologies allow researchers to create pluripotent cells in the laboratory. But these approaches often result in error, failing to replicate the embryo’s natural ability. By studying how embryos form and arrange pluripotent cells, scientists hope to advance stem cell technology (which emerge from pluripotent cells). This may help to find new ways to heal damaged tissues and organs, or to treat or even prevent many diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Frum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
| | - Tayler M Murphy
- Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Reproductive and Developmental Biology Training Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
| | - Amy Ralston
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Reproductive and Developmental Biology Training Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
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39
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Abstract
We present an overview of symmetry breaking in early mammalian development as a continuous process from compaction to specification of the body axes. While earlier studies have focused on individual symmetry-breaking events, recent advances enable us to explore progressive symmetry breaking during early mammalian development. Although we primarily discuss embryonic development of the mouse, as it is the best-studied mammalian model system to date, we also highlight the shared and distinct aspects between different mammalian species. Finally, we discuss how insights gained from studying mammalian development can be generalized in light of self-organization principles. With this review, we hope to highlight new perspectives in studying symmetry breaking and self-organization in multicellular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ting Zhang
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Takashi Hiiragi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany;
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40
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Kim EJY, Korotkevich E, Hiiragi T. Coordination of Cell Polarity, Mechanics and Fate in Tissue Self-organization. Trends Cell Biol 2018; 28:541-550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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41
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White MD, Zenker J, Bissiere S, Plachta N. Instructions for Assembling the Early Mammalian Embryo. Dev Cell 2018; 45:667-679. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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42
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Mihajlović AI, Bruce AW. The first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development: integrating cell position and polarity. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170210. [PMID: 29167310 PMCID: PMC5717349 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development, a population of outer-residing polar cells is segregated from a second population of inner apolar cells to form two distinct cell lineages: the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass (ICM), respectively. Historically, two models have been proposed to explain how the initial differences between these two cell populations originate and ultimately define them as the two stated early blastocyst stage cell lineages. The 'positional' model proposes that cells acquire distinct fates based on differences in their relative position within the developing embryo, while the 'polarity' model proposes that the differences driving the lineage segregation arise as a consequence of the differential inheritance of factors, which exhibit polarized subcellular localizations, upon asymmetric cell divisions. Although these two models have traditionally been considered separately, a growing body of evidence, collected over recent years, suggests the existence of a large degree of compatibility. Accordingly, the main aim of this review is to summarize the major historical and more contemporarily identified events that define the first cell-fate decision and to place them in the context of both the originally proposed positional and polarity models, thus highlighting their functional complementarity in describing distinct aspects of the developmental programme underpinning the first cell-fate decision in mouse embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar I Mihajlović
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander W Bruce
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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43
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Schmidt A, Grosshans J. Dynamics of cortical domains in early Drosophila development. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:131/7/jcs212795. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.212795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Underlying the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is an actin cortex that includes actin filaments and associated proteins. A special feature of all polarized and epithelial cells are cortical domains, each of which is characterized by specific sets of proteins. Typically, an epithelial cell contains apical, subapical, lateral and basal domains. The domain-specific protein sets contain evolutionarily conserved proteins, as well as cell-type-specific factors. Among the conserved proteins are, the Par proteins, Crumbs complex and the lateral proteins Scribbled and Discs large 1. Organization of the plasma membrane into cortical domains is dynamic and depends on cell type, differentiation and developmental stage. The dynamics of cortical organization is strikingly visible in early Drosophila embryos, which increase the number of distinct cortical domains from one, during the pre-blastoderm stage, to two in syncytial blastoderm embryos, before finally acquiring the four domains that are typical for epithelial cells during cellularization. In this Review, we will describe the dynamics of cortical organization in early Drosophila embryos and discuss the processes and mechanisms underlying cortical remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Schmidt
- Institute for Developmental Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Grosshans
- Institute for Developmental Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Nikolaou S, Hadjikypri X, Ioannou G, Elia A, Georgiades P. Functional and phenotypic distinction of the first two trophoblast subdivisions and identification of the border between them during early postimplantation: A prerequisite for understanding early patterning during placentogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 496:64-69. [PMID: 29305264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.12.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The early stages of mouse placentogenesis (placenta formation) involve poorly understood patterning events within polar trophectoderm-derived trophoblast, the progenitor of all placental trophoblast cell types. By early postimplantation [embryonic day 5.5 (E5.5)], this patterning causes early trophoblast to become subdivided into extraembryonic ectoderm (ExE) and ectoplacental cone (EPC). A prerequisite to understanding this patterning requires knowing the location of ExE-EPC border and being able to distinguish the entire ExE from EPC at E5.5/E6.5, a time when the proamnioitic cavity within ExE is not fully established. However, these issues are unknown, as they have not been directly addressed. Here, we directly addressed these using trophoblast explant culture to functionally test for the location of ExE-EPC border, combined with phenotypic characterization of trophoblast proximal and distal to it. We show for the first time that the proximal-distal level of ExE-EPC border within E5.5/E6.5 trophoblast coincides with where Reichert's membrane (outermost basement membrane of conceptus) inserts into early trophoblast and with the proximal limit of extraembryonic visceral endoderm (primitive endoderm derivative covering part of early trophoblast). Based on these novel findings, we discovered that (a) the entire E5.5/E6.5 ExE can be distinguished from EPC because it is epithelial and specifically expresses Erf and Claudin4 and (b) at E5.5/E6.5, the entire EPC differs from ExE in that it is not epithelial and specifically expresses Snail. This work is expected to contribute to understanding the cellular and molecular basis of early trophoblast patterning during placentogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros Nikolaou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, University Campus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Xenia Hadjikypri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, University Campus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Giasemia Ioannou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, University Campus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Artemis Elia
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, University Campus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Pantelis Georgiades
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, University Campus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus.
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Miller A, Hendrich B. Chromatin Remodelling Proteins and Cell Fate Decisions in Mammalian Preimplantation Development. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2018; 229:3-14. [PMID: 29177761 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-63187-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The very first cell divisions in mammalian embryogenesis produce a ball of cells, each with the potential to form any cell in the developing embryo or placenta. At some point, the embryo produces enough cells that some are located on the outside of the embryo, while others are completely surrounded by other cells. It is at this point that cells undergo the very first lineage commitment event: outer cells form the trophectoderm and lose the potential to form embryonic lineages, while inner cells form the Inner Cell Mass, which retain embryonic potential. Cell identity is defined by gene expression patterns, and gene expression is largely controlled by how the DNA is packaged into chromatin. A number of protein complexes exist which are able to use the energy of ATP to remodel chromatin: that is, to alter the nucleosome topology of chromatin. Here, we summarise the evidence that chromatin remodellers play essential roles in the successful completion of preimplantation development in mammals and describe recent efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms through which chromatin remodellers facilitate the successful completion of the first cell fate decisions in mammalian embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzy Miller
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Brian Hendrich
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK.
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46
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Cell Polarity-Dependent Regulation of Cell Allocation and the First Lineage Specification in the Preimplantation Mouse Embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 128:11-35. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Jiang X, An W, Yang X, Lin J, Ma S, Wang D, Tang S. Asymmetric distribution of CRUMBS polarity complex proteins from compacted 8-cell to blastocyst stage during mouse preimplantation development. Gene Expr Patterns 2017; 27:93-98. [PMID: 29155075 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During mouse preimplantation development, blastomeres are equipotent until polarity establishment at compacted 8-cell stage. The intrinsic nature of polarity is the asymmetric distribution of polarity proteins between inside and outside blastomeres along the direction of apical-basal axis. This study investigated the early developmental temporal and spatial expression of the main CRUMBS polarity complex proteins in the mouse preimplantation embryo. We observed that Crb3, Pals1, Patj and Mpdz are transcribed in the mouse preimplantation embryo. However, the asymmetric distribution of these polarity proteins is not established until the compacted 8-cell stage. From compaction and thereafter, CRB3 and PALS1 are progressively enriched in the apical membrane, while PATJ and MPDZ are discretely localized at both tight junctions and the apical membrane adjacent to tight junctions. These temporal and spatial distribution patterns suggest that CRUMBS polarity complex might be involved in the cell polarity establishment in the early mouse embryo and reinforce the viewpoint that developmentally spatial asymmetries are first set up at the compaction stage. The present study provides a foundation for further investigation on the functions of CRUMBS polarity complex in trophectoderm specification and blastocyst morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlong Jiang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China
| | - Wenzhong An
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China
| | - Jieye Lin
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China
| | - Shiliang Ma
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China
| | - Dajia Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, China.
| | - Shuang Tang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China.
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Actomyosin polarisation through PLC-PKC triggers symmetry breaking of the mouse embryo. Nat Commun 2017; 8:921. [PMID: 29030553 PMCID: PMC5640629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00977-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishment of cell polarity in the mammalian embryo is fundamental for the first cell fate decision that sets aside progenitor cells for both the new organism and the placenta. Yet the sequence of events and molecular mechanism that trigger this process remain unknown. Here, we show that de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo occurs in two distinct phases at the 8-cell stage. In the first phase, an apical actomyosin network is formed. This is a pre-requisite for the second phase, in which the Par complex localises to the apical domain, excluding actomyosin and forming a mature apical cap. Using a variety of approaches, we also show that phospholipase C-mediated PIP2 hydrolysis is necessary and sufficient to trigger the polarisation of actomyosin through the Rho-mediated recruitment of myosin II to the apical cortex. Together, these results reveal the molecular framework that triggers de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo. The molecular trigger that establishes cell polarity in the mammalian embryo is unclear. Here, the authors show that de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo at the 8-cell stage is directed by Phospholipase C and Protein kinase C and occurs in two phases: polarisation of actomyosin followed by the Par complex.
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49
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Maître JL. Mechanics of blastocyst morphogenesis. Biol Cell 2017; 109:323-338. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201700029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie; PSL Research University; CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934; Paris France
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50
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Campanale JP, Sun TY, Montell DJ. Development and dynamics of cell polarity at a glance. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:1201-1207. [PMID: 28365593 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.188599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells exhibit morphological and molecular asymmetries that are broadly categorized as cell polarity. The cell polarity established in early embryos prefigures the macroscopic anatomical asymmetries characteristic of adult animals. For example, eggs and early embryos have polarized distributions of RNAs and proteins that generate global anterior/posterior and dorsal/ventral axes. The molecular programs that polarize embryos are subsequently reused in multiple contexts. Epithelial cells require apical/basal polarity to establish their barrier function. Migrating cells polarize in the direction of movement, creating distinct leading and trailing structures. Asymmetrically dividing stem cells partition different molecules between themselves and their daughter cells. Cell polarity can develop de novo, be maintained through rounds of cell division and be dynamically remodeled. In this Cell Science at a Glance review and poster, we describe molecular asymmetries that underlie cell polarity in several cellular contexts. We highlight multiple developmental systems that first establish cell/developmental polarity, and then maintain it. Our poster showcases repeated use of the Par, Scribble and Crumbs polarity complexes, which drive the development of cell polarity in many cell types and organisms. We then briefly discuss the diverse and dynamic changes in cell polarity that occur during cell migration, asymmetric cell division and in planar polarized tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Campanale
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Thomas Y Sun
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Denise J Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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