201
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Fiorentino J, Torres-Padilla ME, Scialdone A. Measuring and Modeling Single-Cell Heterogeneity and Fate Decision in Mouse Embryos. Annu Rev Genet 2020; 54:167-187. [PMID: 32867543 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-021920-110200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity is a property of any living system; however, its relationship with cellular fate decision remains an open question. Recent technological advances have enabled valuable insights, especially in complex systems such as the mouse embryo. In this review, we discuss recent studies that characterize cellular heterogeneity at different levels during mouse development, from the two-cell stage up to gastrulation. In addition to key experimental findings, we review mathematical modeling approaches that help researchers interpret these findings. Disentangling the role of heterogeneity in cell fate decision will likely rely on the refined integration of experiments, large-scale omics data, and mathematical modeling, complemented by the use of synthetic embryos and gastruloids as promising in vitro models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Fiorentino
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany; .,Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE) and Institute of Computational Biology (ICB), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany; .,Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Antonio Scialdone
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany; .,Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE) and Institute of Computational Biology (ICB), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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202
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Self-organization of organoids from endoderm-derived cells. J Mol Med (Berl) 2020; 99:449-462. [PMID: 33221939 PMCID: PMC8026476 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-02010-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Organoids constitute biological systems which are used to model organ development, homeostasis, regeneration, and disease in vitro and hold promise for use in therapy. Reflecting in vivo development, organoids form from tissue cells or pluripotent stem cells. Cues provided from the media and individual cells promote self-organization of these uniform starting cells into a structure, with emergent differentiated cells, morphology, and often functionality that resemble the tissue of origin. Therefore, organoids provide a complement to two-dimensional in vitro culture and in vivo animal models of development, providing the experimental control and flexibility of in vitro methods with the three-dimensional context of in vivo models, with fewer ethical restraints than human or animal work. However, using organoids, we are only just beginning to understand on the cellular level how the external conditions and signaling between individual cells promote the emergence of cells and structures. In this review, we focus specifically on organoids derived from endodermal tissues: the starting conditions of the cells, signaling mechanisms, and external media that allow the emergence of higher order self-organization.
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203
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Minn KT, Fu YC, He S, Dietmann S, George SC, Anastasio MA, Morris SA, Solnica-Krezel L. High-resolution transcriptional and morphogenetic profiling of cells from micropatterned human ESC gastruloid cultures. eLife 2020. [PMID: 33206048 DOI: 10.1101/2020.1101.1122.915777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian gastrulation, germ layers arise and are shaped into the body plan while extraembryonic layers sustain the embryo. Human embryonic stem cells, cultured with BMP4 on extracellular matrix micro-discs, reproducibly differentiate into gastruloids, expressing markers of germ layers and extraembryonic cells in radial arrangement. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and cross-species comparisons with mouse, cynomolgus monkey gastrulae, and post-implantation human embryos, we reveal that gastruloids contain cells transcriptionally similar to epiblast, ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm, primordial germ cells, trophectoderm, and amnion. Upon gastruloid dissociation, single cells reseeded onto micro-discs were motile and aggregated with the same but segregated from distinct cell types. Ectodermal cells segregated from endodermal and extraembryonic but mixed with mesodermal cells. Our work demonstrates that the gastruloid system models primate-specific features of embryogenesis, and that gastruloid cells exhibit evolutionarily conserved sorting behaviors. This work generates a resource for transcriptomes of human extraembryonic and embryonic germ layers differentiated in a stereotyped arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyaw Thu Minn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Yuheng C Fu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Shenghua He
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Sabine Dietmann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Division of Nephrology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Steven C George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States
| | - Mark A Anastasio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Samantha A Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
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204
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Minn KT, Fu YC, He S, Dietmann S, George SC, Anastasio MA, Morris SA, Solnica-Krezel L. High-resolution transcriptional and morphogenetic profiling of cells from micropatterned human ESC gastruloid cultures. eLife 2020; 9:e59445. [PMID: 33206048 PMCID: PMC7728446 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During mammalian gastrulation, germ layers arise and are shaped into the body plan while extraembryonic layers sustain the embryo. Human embryonic stem cells, cultured with BMP4 on extracellular matrix micro-discs, reproducibly differentiate into gastruloids, expressing markers of germ layers and extraembryonic cells in radial arrangement. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and cross-species comparisons with mouse, cynomolgus monkey gastrulae, and post-implantation human embryos, we reveal that gastruloids contain cells transcriptionally similar to epiblast, ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm, primordial germ cells, trophectoderm, and amnion. Upon gastruloid dissociation, single cells reseeded onto micro-discs were motile and aggregated with the same but segregated from distinct cell types. Ectodermal cells segregated from endodermal and extraembryonic but mixed with mesodermal cells. Our work demonstrates that the gastruloid system models primate-specific features of embryogenesis, and that gastruloid cells exhibit evolutionarily conserved sorting behaviors. This work generates a resource for transcriptomes of human extraembryonic and embryonic germ layers differentiated in a stereotyped arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyaw Thu Minn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Yuheng C Fu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Shenghua He
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
| | - Sabine Dietmann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Division of Nephrology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Steven C George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Mark A Anastasio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Samantha A Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
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205
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Sozen B, Demir N, Zernicka-Goetz M. BMP signalling is required for extra-embryonic ectoderm development during pre-to-post-implantation transition of the mouse embryo. Dev Biol 2020; 470:84-94. [PMID: 33217407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
At implantation, the mouse embryo undergoes a critical transformation which requires the precise spatiotemporal control of signalling pathways necessary for morphogenesis and developmental progression. The role played by such signalling pathways during this transition are largely unexplored, due to the inaccessibility of the embryo during the implantation when it becomes engulfed by uterine tissues. Genetic studies demonstrate that mutant embryos for BMPs die around gastrulation. Here we have aimed to dissect the role of BMPs during pre-to post-implantation transition by using a protocol permitting the development of the embryo beyond implantation stages in vitro and using stem cells to mimic post-implantation tissue organisation. By assessing both the canonical and non-canonical mechanisms of BMP, we show that the loss of canonical BMP activity compromises the extra-embryonic ectoderm development. Our analyses demonstrate that BMP signalling maintains stem cell populations within both embryonic/extra-embryonic tissues during pre-to post-implantation development. These results may provide insight into the role played by BMP signalling in controlling early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, 07070, Turkey; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Necdet Demir
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, 07070, Turkey
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
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206
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Rossi G, Broguiere N, Miyamoto M, Boni A, Guiet R, Girgin M, Kelly RG, Kwon C, Lutolf MP. Capturing Cardiogenesis in Gastruloids. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 28:230-240.e6. [PMID: 33176168 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are powerful models for studying tissue development, physiology, and disease. However, current culture systems disrupt the inductive tissue-tissue interactions needed for the complex morphogenetic processes of native organogenesis. Here, we show that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can be coaxed to robustly undergo fundamental steps of early heart organogenesis with an in-vivo-like spatiotemporal fidelity. These axially patterned embryonic organoids (gastruloids) mimic embryonic development and support the generation of cardiovascular progenitors, including first and second heart fields. The cardiac progenitors self-organize into an anterior domain reminiscent of a cardiac crescent before forming a beating cardiac tissue near a putative primitive gut-like tube, from which it is separated by an endocardial-like layer. These findings unveil the surprising morphogenetic potential of mESCs to execute key aspects of organogenesis through the coordinated development of multiple tissues. This platform could be an excellent tool for studying heart development in unprecedented detail and throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Rossi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Broguiere
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrea Boni
- Viventis Microscopy Sàrl, EPFL Innovation Park, Building C, Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Romain Guiet
- Faculté des Sciences de la Vie, Bioimaging and Optics Platform, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Bâtiment AI, Station 15, Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Mehmet Girgin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Robert G Kelly
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015 Vaud, Switzerland.
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207
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Goryachev AB, Mallo M. Patterning and Morphogenesis From Cells to Organisms: Progress, Common Principles and New Challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:602483. [PMID: 33240896 PMCID: PMC7677302 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.602483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Goryachev
- SynthSys, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Moisés Mallo
- Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
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208
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Visualization and quantification of dynamic intercellular coupling in human embryonic stem cells using single cell sonoporation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18253. [PMID: 33106521 PMCID: PMC7589565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75347-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctions (GJs), which are proteinaceous channels, couple adjacent cells by permitting direct exchange of intracellular molecules with low molecular weights. GJ intercellular communication (GJIC) plays a critical role in regulating behaviors of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), affecting their proliferation and differentiation. Here we report a novel use of sonoporation that enables single cell intracellular dye loading and dynamic visualization/quantification of GJIC in hESC colonies. By applying a short ultrasound pulse to excite single microbubbles tethered to cell membranes, a transient pore on the cell membrane (sonoporation) is generated which allows intracellular loading of dye molecules and influx of Ca2+ into single hESCs. We employ live imaging for continuous visualization of intercellular dye transfer and Ca2+ diffusion in hESC colonies. We quantify cell–cell permeability based on dye diffusion using mass transport models. Our results reveal heterogeneous intercellular connectivity and a variety of spatiotemporal characteristics of intercellular Ca2+ waves in hESC colonies induced by sonoporation of single cells.
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209
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Rosado-Olivieri EA, Brivanlou AH. Gastruloids Gain Muscle: Somite Formation in Embryo-Like Structures. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 26:467-468. [PMID: 32243802 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Gastruloids are embryo-like structures that display key features of post-implantation embryonic development, yet whether they fully recapitulate in vivo embryogenesis remains unsolved. Recently in Nature, van den Brink et al. (2020) performed high-resolution gene expression analysis to identify significant similarities between mouse gastruloids and embryos in positional lineage segregation and somite formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin A Rosado-Olivieri
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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210
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Izmailova LS, Vorotelyak EA, Vasiliev AV. In Vitro Modeling of the Early Development of Mouse and Human Embryos. Russ J Dev Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360420050045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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211
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Sahu S, Sharan SK. Translating Embryogenesis to Generate Organoids: Novel Approaches to Personalized Medicine. iScience 2020; 23:101485. [PMID: 32864586 PMCID: PMC7441954 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The astounding capacity of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to differentiate and self-organize has revolutionized the development of 3D cell culture models. The major advantage is its ability to mimic in vivo microenvironments and cellular interactions when compared with the classical 2D cell culture models. Recent innovations in generating embryo-like structures (including blastoids and gastruloids) from PSCs have advanced the experimental accessibility to understand embryogenesis with immense potential to model human development. Taking cues on how embryonic development leads to organogenesis, PSCs can also be directly differentiated to form mini-organs or organoids of a particular lineage. Organoids have opened new avenues to augment our understanding of stem cell and regenerative biology, tissue homeostasis, and disease mechanisms. In this review, we provide insights from developmental biology with a comprehensive resource of signaling pathways that in a coordinated manner form embryo-like structures and organoids. Moreover, the advent of assembloids and multilineage organoids from PSCs opens a new dimension to study paracrine function and multi-tissue interactions in vitro. Although this led to an avalanche of enthusiasm to utilize organoids for organ transplantation studies, we examine the current limitations and provide perspectives to improve reproducibility, scalability, functional complexity, and cell-type characterization. Taken together, these 3D in vitro organ-specific and patient-specific models hold great promise for drug discovery, clinical management, and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sounak Sahu
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Building 560, Room 32-04, 1050 Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Shyam K. Sharan
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Building 560, Room 32-33, 1050 Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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212
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Bardot ES, Hadjantonakis AK. Mouse gastrulation: Coordination of tissue patterning, specification and diversification of cell fate. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103617. [PMID: 32473204 PMCID: PMC7534585 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
During mouse embryonic development a mass of pluripotent epiblast tissue is transformed during gastrulation to generate the three definitive germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. During gastrulation, a spatiotemporally controlled sequence of events results in the generation of organ progenitors and positions them in a stereotypical fashion throughout the embryo. Key to the correct specification and differentiation of these cell fates is the establishment of an axial coordinate system along with the integration of multiple signals by individual epiblast cells to produce distinct outcomes. These signaling domains evolve as the anterior-posterior axis is established and the embryo grows in size. Gastrulation is initiated at the posteriorly positioned primitive streak, from which nascent mesoderm and endoderm progenitors ingress and begin to diversify. Advances in technology have facilitated the elaboration of landmark findings that originally described the epiblast fate map and signaling pathways required to execute those fates. Here we will discuss the current state of the field and reflect on how our understanding has shifted in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S Bardot
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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213
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Sawai T, Minakawa T, Pugh J, Akatsuka K, Yamashita JK, Fujita M. The moral status of human embryo-like structures: potentiality matters?: The moral status of human synthetic embryos. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e50984. [PMID: 32715543 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
New techniques to generate and culture embryo-like structures from stem cells require a more fine-grained distinction of potential to define the moral status of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Sawai
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), KUIAS Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Minakawa
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jonathan Pugh
- Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Oxford, UK
| | - Kyoko Akatsuka
- Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jun K Yamashita
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Misao Fujita
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), KUIAS Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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214
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Zhang PY, Fan Y, Tan T, Yu Y. Generation of Artificial Gamete and Embryo From Stem Cells in Reproductive Medicine. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:781. [PMID: 32793569 PMCID: PMC7387433 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the great growing need for assisted reproduction technologies (ART), additional solutions for patients without functional gametes are strongly needed. Due to ethical restrictions, limited studies can be performed on human gametes and embryos; however, artificial gametes and embryos represent a new hope for clinical application and basic research in the field of reproductive medicine. Here, we provide a review of the research progress and possible application of artificial gametes and embryos from different species, including mice, monkeys and humans. Gametes specification from adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as well as propagation of stem cells from the reproductive system and from organized embryos, which are similar to blastocysts, have been realized in some nonhuman mammals, but not all achievements can be replicated in humans. This area of research remains noteworthy and requires further study and effort to achieve the reconstitution of the entire cycle of gametogenesis and embryo development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu-Yao Zhang
- Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Fan
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Tan
- Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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215
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Abstract
Organoids form through self-organization processes in which initially homogeneous populations of stem cells spontaneously break symmetry and undergo in-vivo-like pattern formation and morphogenesis, though the processes controlling this are poorly characterized. While these in vitro self-organized tissues far exceed the microscopic and functional complexity obtained by current tissue engineering technologies, they are non-physiological in shape and size and have limited function and lifespan. Here, we discuss how engineering efforts for guiding stem-cell-based development at multiple stages can form the basis for the assembly of highly complex and rationally designed self-organizing multicellular systems with increased robustness and physiological relevance.
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216
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Resto Irizarry AM, Nasr Esfahani S, Fu J. Bioengineered pluripotent stem cell models: new approaches to explore early human embryo development. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 66:52-58. [PMID: 32673946 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human development is a complex process in which environmental signals and factors encoded by the genome interact to engender cell fate changes and self-organization that drive the progressive formation of the human body. Herein, we discuss engineered biomimetic platforms with controllable environments that are being used to develop human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based embryo models (or embryoids) that recapitulate a wide range of early human embryonic developmental events. Coupled with genome editing tools, single-cell analysis, and computational models, they can be used to parse the spatiotemporal dynamics that lead to differentiation, patterning, and growth in early human development. Furthermore, we discuss ongoing efforts in human extraembryonic lineage derivation and what can be learned from mouse embryoid models that have used both embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells. Finally, we discuss promising bioengineering tools for the generation of more controllable systems and the need for validation of findings from hPSC-based embryoid models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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217
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Experimental embryology of gastrulation: pluripotent stem cells as a new model system. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 64:78-83. [PMID: 32663757 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation is an inherently complicated process involving a well-orchestrated series of collective cellular behaviours that lead to the emergence of the body plan of the organism. A convenient method to explore the mechanical and chemical interactions that underpin this process, is to isolate specific tissues and to allow them to develop in isolation or in a novel environment. These approaches are the essence of experimental embryology and have enabled an understanding of the underlying principles of embryogenesis, in a way that observation alone could not. The recent rise of 3D culture systems using Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) has enabled the extension of this approach to mammalian systems. Here, we argue that these ESC based methods are consistent with the program of experimental embryology, and discuss the insights that can be gained from this perspective, particularly focussing the process of gastrulation and the associated emergence of the body plan.
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218
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Baillie-Benson P, Moris N, Martinez Arias A. Pluripotent stem cell models of early mammalian development. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 66:89-96. [PMID: 32645551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells derived from the early mammalian embryo offer a convenient model system for studying cell fate decisions in embryogenesis. The last 10 years have seen a boom in the popularity of two-dimensional micropatterns and three-dimensional stem cell culture systems as a way to recreate the architecture and interactions of particular cell populations during development. These methods enable the controlled exploration of cellular organization and patterning during development, using cell lines instead of embryos. They have established a new class of in vitro model system for pre-implantation and peri-implantation embryogenesis, ranging from models of the blastocyst stage, through gastrulation and toward early organogenesis. This review aims to set these systems in context and to highlight the strengths and suitability of each approach in modelling early mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Baillie-Benson
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
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219
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Herrera-Perez RM, Kasza KE. Manipulating the Patterns of Mechanical Forces That Shape Multicellular Tissues. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 34:381-391. [PMID: 31577169 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00018.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, spatial and temporal patterns of mechanical forces help to transform unstructured groups of cells into complex, functional tissue architectures. Here, we review emerging approaches to manipulate these patterns of forces to investigate the mechanical mechanisms that shape multicellular tissues, with a focus on recent experimental studies of epithelial tissue sheets in the embryo of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
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220
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Abstract
The blastocyst stage and the subsequent implantation are critical for a successful pregnancy, yet are challenging to study in vivo. In this issue of Stem Cell Reports, Kime et al. (2019) describe a novel way to generate blastocyst-like structures only from pluripotent stem cells. These structures mimic several aspects of the early embryo, offering a new promising tool to study this stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Pour
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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221
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Axis Specification in Zebrafish Is Robust to Cell Mixing and Reveals a Regulation of Pattern Formation by Morphogenesis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2984-2994.e3. [PMID: 32559447 PMCID: PMC7416079 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental question in developmental biology is how the early embryo establishes the spatial coordinate system that is later important for the organization of the embryonic body plan. Although we know a lot about the signaling and gene-regulatory networks required for this process, much less is understood about how these can operate to pattern tissues in the context of the extensive cell movements that drive gastrulation. In zebrafish, germ layer specification depends on the inheritance of maternal mRNAs [1, 2, 3], cortical rotation to generate a dorsal pole of β-catenin activity [4, 5, 6, 7, 8], and the release of Nodal signals from the yolk syncytial layer (YSL) [9, 10, 11, 12]. To determine whether germ layer specification is robust to altered cell-to-cell positioning, we separated embryonic cells from the yolk and allowed them to develop as spherical aggregates. These aggregates break symmetry autonomously to form elongated structures with an anterior-posterior pattern. Both forced reaggregation and endogenous cell mixing reveals how robust early axis specification is to spatial disruption of maternal pre-patterning. During these movements, a pole of Nodal signaling emerges that is required for explant elongation via the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Blocking of PCP-dependent elongation disrupts the shaping of opposing poles of BMP and Wnt/TCF activity and the anterior-posterior patterning of neural tissue. These results lead us to suggest that embryo elongation plays a causal role in timing the exposure of cells to changes in BMP and Wnt signal activity during zebrafish gastrulation. Video Abstract
Whole-zebrafish 256-cell stage embryo explants elongate Patterned germ layers are established Mesoderm formation is robust to extensive cell mixing Inhibition of morphogenesis blocks formation of signaling gradients
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222
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Serrano Nájera G, Weijer CJ. Cellular processes driving gastrulation in the avian embryo. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103624. [PMID: 32562871 PMCID: PMC7511600 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation consists in the dramatic reorganisation of the epiblast, a one-cell thick epithelial sheet, into a multilayered embryo. In chick, the formation of the internal layers requires the generation of a macroscopic convection-like flow, which involves up to 50,000 epithelial cells in the epiblast. These cell movements locate the mesendoderm precursors into the midline of the epiblast to form the primitive streak. There they acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, ingress into the embryo and migrate outward to populate the inner embryonic layers. This review covers what is currently understood about how cell behaviours ultimately cause these morphogenetic events and how they are regulated. We discuss 1) how the biochemical patterning of the embryo before gastrulation creates compartments of differential cell behaviours, 2) how the global epithelial flows arise from the coordinated actions of individual cells, 3) how the cells delaminate individually from the epiblast during the ingression, and 4) how cells move after the ingression following stereotypical migration routes. We conclude by exploring new technical advances that will facilitate future research in the chick model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Serrano Nájera
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Cornelis J Weijer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
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223
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Ren X, Zhong G, Zhang Q, Zhang L, Sun Y, Zhang Z. Reconstruction of cell spatial organization from single-cell RNA sequencing data based on ligand-receptor mediated self-assembly. Cell Res 2020; 30:763-778. [PMID: 32541867 PMCID: PMC7608415 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-020-0353-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revolutionized transcriptomic studies by providing unprecedented cellular and molecular throughputs, but spatial information of individual cells is lost during tissue dissociation. While imaging-based technologies such as in situ sequencing show great promise, technical difficulties currently limit their wide usage. Here we hypothesize that cellular spatial organization is inherently encoded by cell identity and can be reconstructed, at least in part, by ligand-receptor interactions, and we present CSOmap, a computational tool to infer cellular interaction de novo from scRNA-seq. We show that CSOmap can successfully recapitulate the spatial organization of multiple organs of human and mouse including tumor microenvironments for multiple cancers in pseudo-space, and reveal molecular determinants of cellular interactions. Further, CSOmap readily simulates perturbation of genes or cell types to gain novel biological insights, especially into how immune cells interact in the tumor microenvironment. CSOmap can be a widely applicable tool to interrogate cellular organizations based on scRNA-seq data for various tissues in diverse systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwen Ren
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Guojie Zhong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Qiming Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Sun
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Zemin Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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224
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Fedorchak NJ, Iyer N, Ashton RS. Bioengineering tissue morphogenesis and function in human neural organoids. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 111:52-59. [PMID: 32540123 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, scientists have begun to model CNS development, function, and disease in vitro using human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived organoids. Using traditional protocols, these 3D tissues are generated by combining the innate emergent properties of differentiating hPSC aggregates with a bioreactor environment that induces interstitial transport of oxygen and nutrients and an optional supportive hydrogel extracellular matrix (ECM). During extended culture, the hPSC-derived neural organoids (hNOs) obtain millimeter scale sizes with internal microscale cytoarchitectures, cellular phenotypes, and neuronal circuit behaviors mimetic of those observed in the developing brain, eye, or spinal cord. Early studies evaluated the cytoarchitectural and phenotypical character of these organoids and provided unprecedented insight into the morphogenetic processes that govern CNS development. Comparisons to human fetal tissues revealed their significant similarities and differences. While hNOs have current disease modeling applications and significant future promise, their value as anatomical and physiological models is limited because they fail to form reproducibly and recapitulate more mature in vivo features. These include biomimetic macroscale tissue morphology, positioning of morphogen signaling centers to orchestrate appropriate spatial organization and intra- and inter-connectivity of discrete tissue regions, maturation of physiologically relevant neural circuits, and formation of vascular networks that can support sustained in vitro tissue growth. To address these inadequacies scientists have begun to integrate organoid culture with bioengineering techniques and methodologies including genome editing, biomaterials, and microfabricated and microfluidic platforms that enable spatiotemporal control of cellular differentiation or the biochemical and biophysical cues that orchestrate organoid morphogenesis. This review will examine recent advances in hNO technologies and culture strategies that promote reproducible in vitro morphogenesis and greater biomimicry in structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai J Fedorchak
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Nisha Iyer
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Randolph S Ashton
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States.
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225
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An in vitro model of early anteroposterior organization during human development. Nature 2020; 582:410-415. [PMID: 32528178 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The body plan of the mammalian embryo is shaped through the process of gastrulation, an early developmental event that transforms an isotropic group of cells into an ensemble of tissues that is ordered with reference to three orthogonal axes1. Although model organisms have provided much insight into this process, we know very little about gastrulation in humans, owing to the difficulty of obtaining embryos at such early stages of development and the ethical and technical restrictions that limit the feasibility of observing gastrulation ex vivo2. Here we show that human embryonic stem cells can be used to generate gastruloids-three-dimensional multicellular aggregates that differentiate to form derivatives of the three germ layers organized spatiotemporally, without additional extra-embryonic tissues. Human gastruloids undergo elongation along an anteroposterior axis, and we use spatial transcriptomics to show that they exhibit patterned gene expression. This includes a signature of somitogenesis that suggests that 72-h human gastruloids show some features of Carnegie-stage-9 embryos3. Our study represents an experimentally tractable model system to reveal and examine human-specific regulatory processes that occur during axial organization in early development.
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226
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Sozen B, Cox AL, De Jonghe J, Bao M, Hollfelder F, Glover DM, Zernicka-Goetz M. Self-Organization of Mouse Stem Cells into an Extended Potential Blastoid. Dev Cell 2020; 51:698-712.e8. [PMID: 31846649 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian blastocysts comprise three distinct cell lineages essential for development beyond implantation: the pluripotent epiblast, which generates the future embryo, and surrounding it the extra-embryonic primitive endoderm and the trophectoderm tissues. Embryonic stem cells can reintegrate into embryogenesis but contribute primarily to epiblast lineages. Here, we show that mouse embryonic stem cells cultured under extended pluripotent conditions (EPSCs) can be partnered with trophoblast stem cells to self-organize into blastocyst-like structures with all three embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages. Morphogenetic and transcriptome profiling analyses reveal that these blastocyst-like structures show distinct embryonic-abembryonic axes and primitive endoderm differentiation and can initiate the transition from the pre- to post-implantation egg cylinder morphology in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andy L Cox
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Joachim De Jonghe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Min Bao
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - David M Glover
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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227
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Oates AC. Waiting on the Fringe: cell autonomy and signaling delays in segmentation clocks. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:61-70. [PMID: 32505051 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The rhythmic and sequential segmentation of the vertebrate body axis into somites during embryogenesis is governed by a multicellular, oscillatory patterning system called the segmentation clock. Despite many overt similarities between vertebrates, differences in genetic and dynamic regulation have been reported, raising intriguing questions about the evolution and conservation of this fundamental patterning process. Recent studies have brought insights into two important and related issues: (1) whether individual cells of segmentation clocks are autonomous oscillators or require cell-cell communication for their rhythm; and (2) the role of delays in the cell-cell communication that synchronizes the population of genetic oscillators. Although molecular details differ between species, conservation may exist at the level of the dynamics, hinting at rules for evolutionary trajectories in the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Oates
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Switzerland.
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228
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Li ASW, Marikawa Y. Methoxyacetic acid inhibits histone deacetylase and impairs axial elongation morphogenesis of mouse gastruloids in a retinoic acid signaling-dependent manner. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:1043-1056. [PMID: 32496642 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Teratogenic potential has been linked to various industrial compounds. Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is a primary metabolite of the widely used organic solvent and plasticizer, methoxyethanol and dimethoxyethyl phthalate, respectively. Studies using model animals have shown that MAA acts as the proximate teratogen that causes various malformations in developing embryos. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms by which MAA exerts its teratogenic effects are not fully understood. METHODS Gastruloids of mouse P19C5 pluripotent stem cells, which recapitulate axial elongation morphogenesis of gastrulation-stage embryos, were explored as an in vitro model to investigate the teratogenic action of MAA. Morphometric parameters of gastruloids were measured to evaluate the morphogenetic effect, and transcript levels of various developmental regulator genes were examined to assess the impact on gene expression patterns. The effects of MAA on the level of retinoic acid (RA) signaling and histone deacetylase activity were also measured. RESULTS MAA reduced axial elongation of gastruloids at concentrations comparable to the teratogenic plasma level (5 mM) in vivo. MAA at 4 mM significantly altered the expression profiles of developmental regulator genes. In particular, it upregulated the RA signaling target genes. The concomitant suppression of RA signaling using a pharmacological agent alleviated the morphogenetic effect of MAA. MAA at 4 mM also significantly reduced the activity of purified histone deacetylase protein. CONCLUSIONS MAA impaired axial elongation morphogenesis in a RA signaling-dependent manner in mouse gastruloids, possibly through the inhibition of histone deacetylase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen S W Li
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Yusuke Marikawa
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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229
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Samal P, Maurer P, van Blitterswijk C, Truckenmüller R, Giselbrecht S. A New Microengineered Platform for 4D Tracking of Single Cells in a Stem-Cell-Based In Vitro Morphogenesis Model. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1907966. [PMID: 32346909 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201907966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recently developed stem-cell-based in vitro models of morphogenesis can help shed light on the mechanisms involved in embryonic patterning. These models are showcased using traditional cell culture platforms and materials, which allow limited control over the biological system and usually do not support high-content imaging. In contrast, using advanced microengineered tools can help in microscale control, long-term culture, and real-time data acquisition from such biological models and aid in elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Here, a new culturing, manipulation and analysis platform is described to study in vitro morphogenesis using thin polycarbonate film-based microdevices. A pipeline consisting of open-source software to quantify 3D cell movement using 4D image acquisition is developed to analyze cell migration within the multicellular clusters. It is shown that the platform can be used to control and study morphogenesis in non-adherent cultures of the P19C5 mouse stem cell line and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) that show symmetry breaking and axial elongation events similar to early embryonic development. Using the new platform, it is found that localized cell proliferation and coordinated cell migration result in elongation morphogenesis of the P19C5 aggregates. Further, it is found that polarization and elongation of mESC aggregates are dependent on directed cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinak Samal
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp Maurer
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Clemens van Blitterswijk
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Roman Truckenmüller
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Giselbrecht
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
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230
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Li R, Zhong C, Yu Y, Liu H, Sakurai M, Yu L, Min Z, Shi L, Wei Y, Takahashi Y, Liao HK, Qiao J, Deng H, Nuñez-Delicado E, Rodriguez Esteban C, Wu J, Izpisua Belmonte JC. Generation of Blastocyst-like Structures from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Cell Cultures. Cell 2020; 179:687-702.e18. [PMID: 31626770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A single mouse blastomere from an embryo until the 8-cell stage can generate an entire blastocyst. Whether laboratory-cultured cells retain a similar generative capacity remains unknown. Starting from a single stem cell type, extended pluripotent stem (EPS) cells, we established a 3D differentiation system that enabled the generation of blastocyst-like structures (EPS-blastoids) through lineage segregation and self-organization. EPS-blastoids resembled blastocysts in morphology and cell-lineage allocation and recapitulated key morphogenetic events during preimplantation and early postimplantation development in vitro. Upon transfer, some EPS-blastoids underwent implantation, induced decidualization, and generated live, albeit disorganized, tissues in utero. Single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that EPS-blastoids contained all three blastocyst cell lineages and shared transcriptional similarity with natural blastocysts. We also provide proof of concept that EPS-blastoids can be generated from adult cells via cellular reprogramming. EPS-blastoids provide a unique platform for studying early embryogenesis and pave the way to creating viable synthetic embryos by using cultured cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghui Li
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Cuiqing Zhong
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yang Yu
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Haisong Liu
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Masahiro Sakurai
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Leqian Yu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zheying Min
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Universidad Catolica, San Antonio de Murcia, Campus de los Jeronimos, 135, Guadalupe 30107, Murcia, Spain
| | - Yulei Wei
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China
| | - Yuta Takahashi
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hsin-Kai Liao
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Universidad Catolica, San Antonio de Murcia, Campus de los Jeronimos, 135, Guadalupe 30107, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jie Qiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hongkui Deng
- University of Peking, 5 Yiheyuan Rd, Haidian Qu, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Estrella Nuñez-Delicado
- Universidad Catolica, San Antonio de Murcia, Campus de los Jeronimos, 135, Guadalupe 30107, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Jun Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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231
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Yukawa H, Fujiwara M, Kobayashi K, Kumon Y, Miyaji K, Nishimura Y, Oshimi K, Umehara Y, Teki Y, Iwasaki T, Hatano M, Hashimoto H, Baba Y. A quantum thermometric sensing and analysis system using fluorescent nanodiamonds for the evaluation of living stem cell functions according to intracellular temperature. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:1859-1868. [PMID: 36132503 PMCID: PMC9419001 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00146e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular thermometry techniques play an important role in elucidating the relationship between the intracellular temperature and stem cell functions. However, there have been few reports on thermometry techniques that can detect the intracellular temperature of cells during several days of incubation. In this study, we developed a novel quantum thermometric sensing and analysis system (QTAS) using fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs). FNDs could label adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) at high efficiency with 24 h of incubation, and no cytotoxicity was observed in ASCs labeled with less than 500 μg mL-1 of FNDs. The peak of FNDs was confirmed at approximately 2.87 GHz with the characteristic fluorescence spectra of NV centers that could be optically detected (optically detected magnetic resonance [ODMR]). The ODMR peak clearly shifted to the high-frequency side as the temperature decreased and gave a mean temperature dependence of -(77.6 ± 11.0) kHz °C-1, thus the intracellular temperature of living ASCs during several days of culturing could be precisely measured using the QTAS. Moreover, the intracellular temperature was found to influence the production of growth factors and the degree of differentiation into adipocytes and osteocytes. These data suggest that the QTAS can be used to investigate the relationship between intracellular temperature and cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Yukawa
- Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
- Institute of Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology Chiba Japan
| | - Masazumi Fujiwara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Kaori Kobayashi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
| | - Yuka Kumon
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
| | - Kazu Miyaji
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
| | - Yushi Nishimura
- Institute of Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology Chiba Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Keisuke Oshimi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Yumi Umehara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Yoshio Teki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Takayuki Iwasaki
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Mutsuko Hatano
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Hideki Hashimoto
- School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University Hyogo Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Baba
- Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
- Institute of Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology Chiba Japan
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232
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Gallardo A, Molina A, Asenjo HG, Martorell-Marugán J, Montes R, Ramos-Mejia V, Sanchez-Pozo A, Carmona-Sáez P, Lopez-Onieva L, Landeira D. The molecular clock protein Bmal1 regulates cell differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:e201900535. [PMID: 32284355 PMCID: PMC7156284 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals optimize their physiology to the light-dark cycle by synchronization of the master circadian clock in the brain with peripheral clocks in the rest of the tissues of the body. Circadian oscillations rely on a negative feedback loop exerted by the molecular clock that is composed by transcriptional activators Bmal1 and Clock, and their negative regulators Period and Cryptochrome. Components of the molecular clock are expressed during early development, but onset of robust circadian oscillations is only detected later during embryogenesis. Here, we have used naïve pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to study the role of Bmal1 during early development. We found that, compared to wild-type cells, Bmal1-/- mESCs express higher levels of Nanog protein and altered expression of pluripotency-associated signalling pathways. Importantly, Bmal1-/- mESCs display deficient multi-lineage cell differentiation capacity during the formation of teratomas and gastrula-like organoids. Overall, we reveal that Bmal1 regulates pluripotent cell differentiation and propose that the molecular clock is an hitherto unrecognized regulator of mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amador Gallardo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Aldara Molina
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Helena G Asenjo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Jordi Martorell-Marugán
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Atrys Health S.A., Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Montes
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Sanchez-Pozo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Carmona-Sáez
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Statistics and Operational Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Lourdes Lopez-Onieva
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - David Landeira
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
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233
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Ameneiro C, Moreira T, Fuentes-Iglesias A, Coego A, Garcia-Outeiral V, Escudero A, Torrecilla D, Mulero-Navarro S, Carvajal-Gonzalez JM, Guallar D, Fidalgo M. BMAL1 coordinates energy metabolism and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:e201900534. [PMID: 32284354 PMCID: PMC7156282 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BMAL1 is essential for the regulation of circadian rhythms in differentiated cells and adult stem cells, but the molecular underpinnings of its function in pluripotent cells, which hold a great potential in regenerative medicine, remain to be addressed. Here, using transient and permanent loss-of-function approaches in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we reveal that although BMAL1 is dispensable for the maintenance of the pluripotent state, its depletion leads to deregulation of transcriptional programs linked to cell differentiation commitment. We further confirm that depletion of Bmal1 alters the differentiation potential of ESCs in vitro. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BMAL1 participates in the regulation of energy metabolism maintaining a low mitochondrial function which is associated with pluripotency. Loss-of-function of Bmal1 leads to the deregulation of metabolic gene expression associated with a shift from glycolytic to oxidative metabolism. Our results highlight the important role that BMAL1 plays at the exit of pluripotency in vitro and provide evidence implicating a non-canonical circadian function of BMAL1 in the metabolic control for cell fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ameneiro
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Tiago Moreira
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Alejandro Fuentes-Iglesias
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Physiology, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Alba Coego
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Vera Garcia-Outeiral
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Physiology, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Adriana Escudero
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Physiology, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Daniel Torrecilla
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sonia Mulero-Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Jose Maria Carvajal-Gonzalez
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Diana Guallar
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Fidalgo
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)-Health Research Institute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Physiology, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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234
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Engineering functional organs starting from stem or progenitor cells holds promise to address the urgent need for organ transplants. However, to date, the development of complex organ structures remains an open challenge. RECENT FINDINGS Among multiple approaches to organ regeneration that are being investigated, two main directions can be identified, namely the patterned deposition of cells to impose specific structures, using bioprinting technologies, and (ii) the spontaneous development of organoids, according to principles of self-organization. In this review, we shortly describe the advantages and limitations of these paradigms and we discuss how they can synergize their positive features to better control and robustly develop organs from stem cells, toward organogenesis by design. SUMMARY The outlined possibilities to bring together tools and concepts of bioprinting and self-organization will be relevant not only to generate implantable organs, but also to dissect fundamental mechanisms of organogenesis and to test therapeutic strategies in modeled pathological settings.
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235
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Hannezo E, Heisenberg CP. Mechanochemical Feedback Loops in Development and Disease. Cell 2020; 178:12-25. [PMID: 31251912 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that both mechanical and biochemical signals play important roles in development and disease. The development of complex organisms, in particular, has been proposed to rely on the feedback between mechanical and biochemical patterning events. This feedback occurs at the molecular level via mechanosensation but can also arise as an emergent property of the system at the cellular and tissue level. In recent years, dynamic changes in tissue geometry, flow, rheology, and cell fate specification have emerged as key platforms of mechanochemical feedback loops in multiple processes. Here, we review recent experimental and theoretical advances in understanding how these feedbacks function in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard Hannezo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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236
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Schauer A, Pinheiro D, Hauschild R, Heisenberg CP. Zebrafish embryonic explants undergo genetically encoded self-assembly. eLife 2020; 9:55190. [PMID: 32250246 PMCID: PMC7190352 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cell cultures are thought to self-organize into embryoid bodies, able to undergo symmetry-breaking, germ layer specification and even morphogenesis. Yet, it is unclear how to reconcile this remarkable self-organization capacity with classical experiments demonstrating key roles for extrinsic biases by maternal factors and/or extraembryonic tissues in embryogenesis. Here, we show that zebrafish embryonic tissue explants, prepared prior to germ layer induction and lacking extraembryonic tissues, can specify all germ layers and form a seemingly complete mesendoderm anlage. Importantly, explant organization requires polarized inheritance of maternal factors from dorsal-marginal regions of the blastoderm. Moreover, induction of endoderm and head-mesoderm, which require peak Nodal-signaling levels, is highly variable in explants, reminiscent of embryos with reduced Nodal signals from the extraembryonic tissues. Together, these data suggest that zebrafish explants do not undergo bona fide self-organization, but rather display features of genetically encoded self-assembly, where intrinsic genetic programs control the emergence of order.
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237
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Synthetic human embryology: towards a quantitative future. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:30-35. [PMID: 32172182 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Study of early human embryo development is essential for advancing reproductive and regenerative medicine. Traditional human embryological studies rely on embryonic tissue specimens, which are difficult to acquire due to technical challenges and ethical restrictions. The availability of human stem cells with developmental potentials comparable to pre-implantation and peri-implantation human embryonic and extraembryonic cells, together with properly engineered in vitro culture environments, allow for the first time researchers to generate self-organized multicellular structures in vitro that mimic the structural and molecular features of their in vivo counterparts. The development of these stem cell-based, synthetic human embryo models offers a paradigm-shifting experimental system for quantitative measurements and perturbations of multicellular development, critical for advancing human embryology and reproductive and regenerative medicine without using intact human embryos.
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238
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Hadjantonakis AK, Siggia ED, Simunovic M. In vitro modeling of early mammalian embryogenesis. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 13:134-143. [PMID: 32440574 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic embryology endeavors to use stem cells to recapitulate the first steps of mammalian development that define the body axes and first stages of fate assignment. Well-engineered synthetic systems provide an unparalleled assay to disentangle and quantify the contributions of individual tissues as well as the molecular components driving embryogenesis. Experiments using a mixture of mouse embryonic and extra-embryonic stem cell lines show a surprising degree of self-organization akin to certain milestones in the development of intact mouse embryos. To further advance the field and extend the mouse results to human, it is crucial to develop a better control of the assembly process as well as to establish a deeper understanding of the developmental state and potency of cells used in experiments at each step of the process. We review recent advances in the derivation of embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells, and we highlight recent efforts in reconstructing the structural and signaling aspects of embryogenesis in three-dimensional tissue cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mijo Simunovic
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia Univerisity, 116 and Broadway, New York, NY 10025
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239
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Abstract
Understanding how mammalian organisms achieve the full diversity of cell types in the adult organism is a central goal of developmental cell biology. Recent work has shown that some embryonic precursor cells can self-organize into developmental structures but the mechanisms of gene regulation that contribute to this process remain unknown. Here we show embryonic stem cells self-organize into distinct gene expression states that resemble developmental gene programs. We find that microRNAs, small noncoding regulators of gene expression, play a critical role in organizing fluctuations across gene networks to help achieve this organization into distinct expression states. Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) contain the potential to form a diverse array of cells with distinct gene expression states, namely the cells of the adult vertebrate. Classically, diversity has been attributed to cells sensing their position with respect to external morphogen gradients. However, an alternative is that diversity arises in part from cooption of fluctuations in the gene regulatory network. Here we find ESCs exhibit intrinsic heterogeneity in the absence of external gradients by forming interconverting cell states. States vary in developmental gene expression programs and display distinct activity of microRNAs (miRNAs). Notably, miRNAs act on neighborhoods of pluripotency genes to increase variation of target genes and cell states. Loss of miRNAs that vary across states reduces target variation and delays state transitions, suggesting variable miRNAs organize and propagate variation to promote state transitions. Together these findings provide insight into how a gene regulatory network can coopt variation intrinsic to cell systems to form robust gene expression states. Interactions between intrinsic heterogeneity and environmental signals may help achieve developmental outcomes.
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240
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van den Brink SC, Alemany A, van Batenburg V, Moris N, Blotenburg M, Vivié J, Baillie-Johnson P, Nichols J, Sonnen KF, Martinez Arias A, van Oudenaarden A. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal somitogenesis in gastruloids. Nature 2020; 582:405-409. [PMID: 32076263 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Gastruloids are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic stem cells that display key features of mammalian development after implantation, including germ-layer specification and axial organization1-3. To date, the expression pattern of only a small number of genes in gastruloids has been explored with microscopy, and the extent to which genome-wide expression patterns in gastruloids mimic those in embryos is unclear. Here we compare mouse gastruloids with mouse embryos using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. We identify various embryonic cell types that were not previously known to be present in gastruloids, and show that key regulators of somitogenesis are expressed similarly between embryos and gastruloids. Using live imaging, we show that the somitogenesis clock is active in gastruloids and has dynamics that resemble those in vivo. Because gastruloids can be grown in large quantities, we performed a small screen that revealed how reduced FGF signalling induces a short-tail phenotype in embryos. Finally, we demonstrate that embedding in Matrigel induces gastruloids to generate somites with the correct rostral-caudal patterning, which appear sequentially in an anterior-to-posterior direction over time. This study thus shows the power of gastruloids as a model system for exploring development and somitogenesis in vitro in a high-throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne C van den Brink
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna Alemany
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent van Batenburg
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marloes Blotenburg
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Vivié
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katharina F Sonnen
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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241
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Camacho-Aguilar E, Warmflash A. Insights into mammalian morphogen dynamics from embryonic stem cell systems. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 137:279-305. [PMID: 32143746 PMCID: PMC7713707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Morphogens play an essential role in cell fate specification and patterning including in laying out the mammalian body plan during gastrulation. In vivo studies have shed light on the signaling pathways involved in this process and the phenotypes associated with their disruption, however, several important open questions remain regarding how morphogens function in space and time. Self-organized patterning systems based on embryonic stem cells have emerged as a powerful platform for beginning to address these questions that is complementary to in vivo approaches. Here we review recent progress in understanding morphogen signaling dynamics and patterning in early mammalian development by taking advantage of cutting-edge embryonic stem cell technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.
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242
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Abstract
Our perception of the role of the previously considered 'selfish' or 'junk' DNA has been dramatically altered in the past 20 years or so. A large proportion of this non-coding part of mammalian genomes is repetitive in nature, classified as either satellites or transposons. While repetitive elements can be termed selfish in terms of their amplification, such events have surely been co-opted by the host, suggesting by itself a likely altruistic function for the organism at the subject of such natural selection. Indeed numerous examples of transposons regulating the functional output of the host genome have been documented. Transposons provide a powerful framework for large-scale relatively rapid concerted regulatory activities with the ability to drive evolution. Mammalian totipotency has emerged as one key stage of development in which transposon-mediated regulation of gene expression has taken centre stage in the past few years. During this period, large-scale (epigenetic) reprogramming must be accomplished in order to activate the host genome. In mice and men, one particular element murine endogenous retrovirus with leucine tRNA primer (MERVL) (and its counterpart human ERVL (HERVL)) appears to have acquired roles as a key driving force in this process. Here, I will discuss and interpret the current knowledge and its implications regarding the role of transposons, particularly of long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1s) and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), in the regulation of totipotency. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Crossroads between transposons and gene regulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, 81377 München, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, 82152 München, Germany
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243
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Gu Z, Guo J, Wang H, Wen Y, Gu Q. Bioengineered microenvironment to culture early embryos. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12754. [PMID: 31916359 PMCID: PMC7046478 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The abnormalities of early post-implantation embryos can lead to early pregnancy loss and many other syndromes. However, it is hard to study embryos after implantation due to the limited accessibility. The success of embryo culture in vitro can avoid the challenges of embryonic development in vivo and provide a powerful research platform for research in developmental biology. The biophysical and chemical cues of the microenvironments impart significant spatiotemporal effects on embryonic development. Here, we summarize the main strategies which enable researchers to grow embryos outside of the body while overcoming the implantation barrier, highlight the roles of engineered microenvironments in regulating early embryonic development, and finally discuss the future challenges and new insights of early embryo culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Gu
- School of Chemistry and Biological EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijingChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio‐inspired Materials and Interfacial ScienceTechnical Institute of Physics and ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jia Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yongqiang Wen
- School of Chemistry and Biological EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijingChina
| | - Qi Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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244
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Zylicz JJ. Defined Stem Cell Culture Conditions to Model Mouse Blastocyst Development. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 52:e105. [PMID: 31971672 DOI: 10.1002/cpsc.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The complex program of mouse development entails specification of the embryonic epiblast (Epi) as well as the extra-embryonic trophectoderm (TE) and primitive endoderm (PrE). These three lineages of mouse blastocyst can be modeled in vitro using stem cells derived from primary tissues. In these cultures, cells self-renew while retaining their developmental potential if put back into a developing embryo. Indeed, embryonic stem cells (ESC), when injected into a blastocyst, readily contribute to all embryonic lineages. Similarly, trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) will give rise to all TE-derived trophoblast lineages, and extraembryonic endoderm cells (XEN) will contribute to the PrE-derived yolk sack. These model systems are a powerful tool to study early development, lineage specification, and placenta formation. Only recently reproducible and chemically defined culture systems of these cells have been described. This overview discusses such novel methods for culturing ESC/TSC/XEN, as well as their molecular signatures and developmental potential. Recent strides in expanding the developmental potential of stem cells as well as achieving models more reminiscent of their in vivo counterparts are discussed. Finally, such in vitro stem cells can self-assemble into structures resembling embryos when used in novel 3D-culture systems. This article discusses the strengths and limitations of such "synthetic embryos" in studying developmental processes. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan J Zylicz
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, UPMC Paris-Sorbonne, Paris, France.,University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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245
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Schweisguth F, Corson F. Self-Organization in Pattern Formation. Dev Cell 2020; 49:659-677. [PMID: 31163171 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Self-organization is pervasive in development, from symmetry breaking in the early embryo to tissue patterning and morphogenesis. For a few model systems, the underlying molecular and cellular processes are now sufficiently characterized that mathematical models can be confronted with experiments, to explore the dynamics of pattern formation. Here, we review selected systems, ranging from cyanobacteria to mammals, where different forms of cell-cell communication, acting alone or together with positional cues, drive the patterning of cell fates, highlighting the insights that even very simple models can provide as well as the challenges on the path to a predictive understanding of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Schweisguth
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology F-75015 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR 3738 F-75015 Paris, France.
| | - Francis Corson
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Diderot 75005 Paris, France.
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246
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Hyun I, Munsie M, Pera MF, Rivron NC, Rossant J. Toward Guidelines for Research on Human Embryo Models Formed from Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 14:169-174. [PMID: 31951813 PMCID: PMC7015820 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few years, a number of research groups have reported striking progress on the generation of in vitro models from mouse and human stem cells that replicate aspects of early embryonic development. Not only do these models reproduce some key cell fate decisions but, especially in the mouse system, they also mimic the spatiotemporal arrangements of embryonic and extraembryonic tissues that are required for developmental patterning and implantation in the uterus. If such models could be developed for the early human embryo, they would have great potential benefits for understanding early human development, for biomedical science, and for reducing the use of animals and human embryos in research. However, guidelines for the ethical conduct of this line of work are at present not well defined. In this Forum article, we discuss some key aspects of this emerging area of research and provide some recommendations for its ethical oversight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insoo Hyun
- Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; The Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Megan Munsie
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Nicolas C Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Janet Rossant
- Hospital for Sick Children and the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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247
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Li QV, Rosen BP, Huangfu D. Decoding pluripotency: Genetic screens to interrogate the acquisition, maintenance, and exit of pluripotency. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2020; 12:e1464. [PMID: 31407519 PMCID: PMC6898739 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to unlimitedly self-renew and differentiate to any somatic cell lineage. A number of systems biology approaches have been used to define this pluripotent state. Complementary to systems level characterization, genetic screens offer a unique avenue to functionally interrogate the pluripotent state and identify the key players in pluripotency acquisition and maintenance, exit of pluripotency, and lineage differentiation. Here we review how genetic screens have helped us decode pluripotency regulation. We will summarize results from RNA interference (RNAi) based screens, discuss recent advances in CRISPR/Cas-based genetic perturbation methods, and how these advances have made it possible to more comprehensively interrogate pluripotency and differentiation through genetic screens. Such investigations will not only provide a better understanding of this unique developmental state, but may enhance our ability to use pluripotent stem cells as an experimental model to study human development and disease progression. Functional interrogation of pluripotency also provides a valuable roadmap for utilizing genetic perturbation to gain systems level understanding of additional cellular states, from later stages of development to pathological disease states. This article is categorized under: Developmental Biology > Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease Biological Mechanisms > Cell Fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing V. Li
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bess P. Rosen
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Danwei Huangfu
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
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248
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Morgani SM, Hadjantonakis AK. Signaling regulation during gastrulation: Insights from mouse embryos and in vitro systems. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 137:391-431. [PMID: 32143751 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is the process whereby cells exit pluripotency and concomitantly acquire and pattern distinct cell fates. This is driven by the convergence of WNT, BMP, Nodal and FGF signals, which are tightly spatially and temporally controlled, resulting in regional and stage-specific signaling environments. The combination, level and duration of signals that a cell is exposed to, according its position within the embryo and the developmental time window, dictates the fate it will adopt. The key pathways driving gastrulation exhibit complex interactions, which are difficult to disentangle in vivo due to the complexity of manipulating multiple signals in parallel with high spatiotemporal resolution. Thus, our current understanding of the signaling dynamics regulating gastrulation is limited. In vitro stem cell models have been established, which undergo organized cellular differentiation and patterning. These provide amenable, simplified, deconstructed and scalable models of gastrulation. While the foundation of our understanding of gastrulation stems from experiments in embryos, in vitro systems are now beginning to reveal the intricate details of signaling regulation. Here we discuss the current state of knowledge of the role, regulation and dynamic interaction of signaling pathways that drive mouse gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Morgani
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
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249
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Srivastava P, Kilian KA. Micro-Engineered Models of Development Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:357. [PMID: 31850326 PMCID: PMC6895561 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
During fetal development, embryonic cells are coaxed through a series of lineage choices which lead to the formation of the three germ layers and subsequently to all the cell types that are required to form an adult human body. Landmark cell fate decisions leading to symmetry breaking, establishment of the primitive streak and first tri-lineage differentiation happen after implantation, and therefore have been attributed to be a function of the embryo's spatiotemporal 3D environment. These mechanical and geometric cues induce a cascade of signaling pathways leading to cell differentiation and orientation. Due to the physiological, ethical, and legal limitations of accessing an intact human embryo for functional studies, multiple in-vitro models have been developed to try and recapitulate the key milestones of mammalian embryogenesis using mouse embryos, or mouse and human embryonic stem cells. More recently, the development of induced pluripotent stem cells represents a cell source which is being explored to prepare a developmental model, owing to their genetic and functional similarities to embryonic stem cells. Here we review the use of micro-engineered cell culture materials as platforms to define the physical and geometric contributions during the cell fate defining process and to study the underlying pathways. This information has applications in various biomedical contexts including tissue engineering, stem cell therapy, and organoid cultures for disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Srivastava
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristopher A. Kilian
- Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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250
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Sagner A, Briscoe J. Establishing neuronal diversity in the spinal cord: a time and a place. Development 2019; 146:146/22/dev182154. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.182154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The vertebrate spinal cord comprises multiple functionally distinct neuronal cell types arranged in characteristic positions. During development, these different types of neurons differentiate from transcriptionally distinct neural progenitors that are arrayed in discrete domains along the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes of the embryonic spinal cord. This organization arises in response to morphogen gradients acting upstream of a gene regulatory network, the architecture of which determines the spatial and temporal pattern of gene expression. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in deciphering the regulatory network that underlies the specification of distinct progenitor and neuronal cell identities. In this Review, we outline how distinct neuronal cell identities are established in response to spatial and temporal patterning systems, and outline novel experimental approaches to study the emergence and function of neuronal diversity in the spinal cord.
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