Endocytic traffic in trophectoderm and polarised blastomeres of the mouse preimplantation embryo

Preimplantation trophectoderm: a 'quick-fix' protector for embryo survival?

The trophectoderm (TE) epithelium forms the outer layer of the mammalian blastocyst and generates the blastocoel through vectorial transport. Its differentiation during cleavage, studied mainly in mouse, is integrated with blastocyst morphogenesis with key roles for cell polarisation, asymmetric cell divisions, cell signalling, regulatory transcription factors and cellular inheritance. The TE provides a physical and cellular protection to the emerging lineages of the embryo essential for the integrity of blastocyst development. Here, two examples of TE differentiation are considered in some detail where this immediate protective function for embryo survival is assessed: (i) cellular processes from TE at the polar-mural junctional zone in the early blastocyst that later form filopodia traversing the blastocoel, and (ii) the endocytic system which matures and polarises during differentiation. Understanding the broad role for TE in regulating early morphogenesis and environmental protection of the embryo, including these two examples, have clinical as well as biological relevance.

Importance of prostate androgen-regulated mucin-like protein 1 in development of the bovine blastocyst

Background

Prostate androgen-regulated mucin-like protein 1 (PARM1) is a pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic glycoprotein involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region of PARM1 has been associated with competence of bovine embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage. Here we tested the importance of PARM1 for development by evaluating consequences of reducing PARM1 mRNA abundance on embryonic development and differentiation, gene expression and resistance to ER stress.

Results

Knockdown of PARM1 using an anti-PARM1 GapmeR did not affect competence of embryos to develop into blastocysts but decreased the number of trophectoderm (TE) cells in the blastocyst and tended to increase the number of cells in the blastocyst inner cell mass (ICM). Treatment of embryos with anti-PARM1 GapmeR affected expression of 4 and 3 of 90 genes evaluated at the compact-morula and blastocyst stage of development at days 5.5 and 7.5 after fertilization, respectively. In morulae, treatment increased expression of DAB2, INADL, and STAT3 and decreased expression of CCR2. At the blastocyst stage, knockdown of PARM1 increased expression of PECAM and TEAD4 and decreased expression of CCR7. The potential role of PARM1 in ER stress response was determined by evaluating effects of knockdown of PARM1 on development of embryos after exposure to heat shock or tunicamycin and on expression of ATF6, DDIT3 and EIF2AK3 at the compact morula and blastocyst stages. Both heat shock and tunicamycin reduced the percent of embryos becoming a blastocyst but response was unaffected by PARM1 knockdown. Similarly, there was no effect of knockdown on steady-state amounts of ATF6, DDIT3 or EIF2AK3.

Conclusion

PARM1 participates in formation of TE and ICM cells in early embryonic development but there is no evidence for the role of PARM1 in the ER stress response.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12861-019-0195-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Lineage allocation and cell polarity during mouse embryogenesis

The first developmental lineage allocation during the generation of the mouse blastocyst is to outer trophoblast or to inner pluriblast (inner cell mass; ICM) cells. This allocation seems to be initiated at the 8-cell stage, when blastomeres polarise. Polarisation is followed by differentiative divisions at the subsequent two cleavage divisions to generate polar outer and non-polar inner 16- and 32-cells. The key events in polarisation are regulated post-translationally through a cell contact-mediated pathway, which imposes a heritable determinant-like organisation on the blastomere cortex. Two proteins in particular, E-cadherin and ezrin, are intimately involved in the generation and stabilisation of developmentally significant information. Transcriptional differences between lineages appear to follow and may coincide with the lineage commitment of cells.

Interrelationships of the hemifacial microsomia-VATER, VATER, and sirenomelia phenotypes

The phenotypes of hemifacial microsomia-VATER, VATER, and sirenomelia patients suggest a sequence of overlapping developmental abnormalities. The malformations of 247 hemifacial microsomia (HFM) patients with one or more anomalies in other body regions were analyzed and compared with those of 255 VATER and 101 sirenomelia patients studied in the same fashion. The HFM patients were analyzed in four subgroups delineated by the number of their concomitant VATER ascertainment abnormalities (VAA). Three or more VAA occurred in 33 HFM patients who were designated to have the HFM-VATER phenotype and while no significant alteration of the HFM phenotype was found, there were notable differences in the analyses of the 20 malformation categories studied. Analyzed in separate heart and blood vessel (BV) categories, occurrences of BV defects in HFM patients with 0-1 VAA were low (4-6%) and due to anomalies other than single umbilical arteries (SUA). The BV abnormalities increased to 20% in the HFM with two VAA, HFM-VATER, and VATER phenotypes with equal occurrences of SUA and other BV anomalies. The incidence of SUA was markedly increased (64%) in the sirenomelia. Heart defects rose from 22% to 40% with the increasing VAA in individual HFM patients but were less in VATER (29%) and sirenomelia (21%) patients and were attributed to complex, conotruncal, and other early embryonic anomalies. Unilateral agenesis of paired organs systems occurred frequently and, possibly, can be attributed to an absent blood supply. Each phenotype of the sequence also had increased VAA, rib/vertebrae hypersegmentation, and monozygotic twinning. The variation in the incidences of malformations in the three phenotypes can be attributed to their relative location in the craniocranial organogenesis sequence of normal human embryologic development.

Role of ultrastructural studies in the analysis of cell lineage in the mammalian pre-implantation embryo

Ultrastructural studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of cell lineage differentiation in the mammalian pre-implantation embryo. Such studies have documented, and continue to document, morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics of the cell lineages established during the pre-implantation period in eutherian embryos, principally that of the mouse. This review evaluates these contributions and identifies areas of study in which ultrastructural analysis is most likely to have an important role in the future.

Transcytosis in thyroid follicle cells: regulation and implications for thyroglobulin transport

In order to analyze quantitatively the translocation of plasma membrane during endocytosis and transcytosis and the regulation of these processes in thyroid follicle cells, the apical cell surfaces of resting and TSH-stimulated inside-out follicles were labeled with cationized ferritin. Morphometric analyses showed that the rates of endocytosis and transcytosis are TSH-dependent. More interestingly, whereas the effect of TSH on endocytosis was transient (with a maximum at 16 min), the effect on transcytosis continued to increase until the end of the experiment (i.e, 70 min). During 1 h of endocytosis, the fraction of membrane involved in transcytosis increased by a factor 4 upon TSH stimulation, corresponding to about 12% of the internalized apical plasma membrane area. Cooling to 15 degrees C slowed down, but did not block endocytosis entirely, whereas transcytosis and transfer to lysosomes were totally inhibited In order to quantitate transcytosis of thyroglobulin (TG) and to ascertain whether this molecule undergoes cleavage during transcytosis, inside-out follicles were incubated in a medium containing 3H-labeled TG in the presence of TSH; upon washing and reopening of follicles, the luminal fluid containing TG after transcytosis was found to contain about 10% of the total radioactivity taken up by follicle cells. Transcytosed TG proved to be unmodified with respect to its electrophoretic mobility. We conclude that (i) the fraction of transcytosed TG corresponds approximately to the fraction of membrane involved in this process, (ii) TG does not undergo cleavage during transcytosis, (iii) endocytosis and transcytosis are regulated by TSH but differ in their kinetics after stimulation, and (iv) transcytosis is affected by temperature in a similar way as transfer to lysosomes, suggesting the existence of a common gating step for both pathways.

Differentiation of trophoblast of the baboon blastocyst

The structure of trophoblast of the baboon blastocyst undergoes a number of maturational changes from the early blastocyst to the late blastocyst stage. The striking expansion of the blastocyst that occurs during the preimplantation period is accompanied by the development of an extensive endocytic apparatus. Cationized ferritin labels coated depressions and vesicles near the apical cell surface, numerous uncoated tubules and larger apical vesicles, and multivesicular bodies within trophoblast cells. Basally and laterally the labeled components are primarily small uncoated vesicles and tubules. Small, discrete clusters of ferritin particles were seen within the basolateral compartment between trophoblast and its basal lamina and beneath trophoblast cells that do not have a basal lamina. the results indicate that ingested materials may be directed in two pathways, one involving breakdown within the lysosomal system and one involving transcytosis. The zona pellucida is a trilaminar structure consisting of a fibrillar outer layer that often contains spermatozoa, an intermediate zone, and an inner layer containing columns of dense zonal material. Loss of the zona occurs after expansion of the blastocyst and development of the endocytic organelles. During the late blastocyst stage, syncytial trophoblast differentiates at the margin of the polar trophoblast. Because blastocysts were flushed from the uterus, it could not be determined whether azonal blastocysts had been adherent to the uterine surface prior to collection.

Macromolecular transport in rabbit blastocysts: evidence for a specific uteroglobin transport system

Though uterine proteins are found within the blastocoel of the rabbit blastocyst, the mechanisms involved in protein entry into the blastocoel have not been studied. To investigate potential avenues of protein entry into the blastocoel, we have monitored uptake of a fluorescent, fluid-phase marker (lucifer yellow) into the rabbit blastocyst trophectodermal cell. In addition, we have measured the transtrophectodermal permeabilities of several uterine proteins (uteroglobin (UTG), rabbit serum albumin, rabbit IgG), and radiolabeled fluid-phase markers (sucrose, polyethylene glycol, dextran) in the 6- and 7-day post-coitus rabbit blastocyst. Extrablastocoelic lucifer yellow (LY) was rapidly endocytosed by the trophectodermal cell and was subsequently trapped in a perinuclear compartment for at least 30 min after removal of the extracellular dye. The slow rate of LY turnover within the endocytic compartments implies that the rate of fluid-phase transcytosis was negligible. Permeability coefficients of the fluid-phase markers and proteins, with the exception of UTG, decreased with increasing molecular weight of each compound tested. These data are consistent with the conclusion that these compounds traverse the trophectoderm via a 'leak' pathway, as opposed to a transcytotic pathway. In contrast, permeability of 125I-UTG when compared to the other compounds, was 10-fold greater than would be predicted based on its molecular weight. Furthermore, the flux of radioiodinated UTG displayed saturation kinetics with a Km of 19.5 micrograms/ml and a Vmax of 132 ng.cm-2.h-1. Sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the radioiodinated protein recovered from the blastocoel was of a lower molecular weight than native UTG and was not immunoreactive with goat anti-UTG antibody. Our data are consistent with the idea that UTG is transported across the trophectoderm by a receptor-mediated system, and UTG is modified intracellularly during transport to a protein of a lower molecular weight.

Developmental control of human preimplantation embryos: a comparative approach

The period for which oocyte-derived factors are engaged in the control of human embryonic development involves at least the first four cell cycles after fertilization. The maternal-embryonic transition in humans 8- to 16-cell embryos is a relatively vulnerable process, the failure of which entails developmental arrest of the given blastomere. The very early cellular differentiative events in human embryos, including blastomere surface polarization and segregation of the inner cell mass and trophectoderm cell lineages, appear to be dependent largely on the maternal genetic program. However, the embryonic genome is required for the formation of the blastocyst cavity, which is necessary to allow further differentiation of the first two embryonic tissues. Blastomeres with major developmental defects are removed by fragmentation and their loss is compensated by proliferation of remaining normal blastomeres. This mechanism is also mainly responsible for the regulation of ploidy through elimination of aneuploid blastomeres. The data presented suggest that embryos of individual mammalian species may differ in the timing of relevant developmental changes at the cellular and molecular levels. This should be taken into account when findings obtained on embryos of one species are used to anticipate the behavior of embryos of another species under identical conditions.

Mammalian blastocyst: transport functions in a developing epithelium

This article reviews the current state of knowledge concerning morphological and physiological mechanisms important to growth and differentiation of the mammalian blastocyst between compaction and implantation. Morphological processes occur in conjunction with major changes in transport systems that control the movement of substances into and out of the embryo. Compaction is a morphological development that is associated with the formation of an outer squamous epithelium, the trophectoderm, which regulates the composition of the medium bathing the presumptive embryo (the inner cell mass). Implantation involves the interaction of two epithelia, the adhesion between the trophectoderm and the maternal endometrium. Before adhesion, the blastocyst lies free in the uterine fluid and exchanges occur between this fluid and the embryo. Apposition of these epithelia is brought about in part by expansion of the blastocyst and removal of the uterine fluid. Blastocyst physiology is an inherently important field because vectorial transport system development and the genes that regulate it can be studied.

Ultrastructure of preimplantation rabbit embryos exposed to visible light and room temperature

Early cleavage stage embryos (day 1 p.c.) and morulae (day 3 p.c.) of rabbits were exposed to visible (standard) lighting (1600 lx) and room (standard) temperature (23 degrees C) during a 24 h in-vitro culture. Control embryos were cultured in darkness at 37 degrees C. Development was assessed by light and electron microscopy as well as by the cytochemical demonstration of glycogen. In day 1 and day 3 embryos standard temperature induced swelling of the SER and Golgi complex vesicles. Major changes in day 1 embryos consisted of smallish microtubules - like crystalloids, and in day 3 embryos of unusually large SER vesicles. In both embryonic ages cleavage rate and development was more retarded by standard temperature than by standard lighting. Standard lighting, however, led to distinct signs of degeneration and cell death. The mode of cell damage seemed to be different in light exposed early cleavage stages and morulae: In day 1 embryos cytoplasmic degeneration was predominant while the majority of cells in day 3 embryos died by apoptosis. Despite clear indications of cell damage, cleavage rate was not notably impaired compared with non-exposed controls. Glycogen increased during development from cleavage stages to early blastocysts. The distribution was not changed either by exposure to standard temperature nor by standard lighting. The results demonstrate that day 1 embryos were clearly more susceptible to lighting whereas day 3 embryos were more affected by temperature. The mode of damage exerted by both the physical environmental factors was different. Reduction to standard temperature interfered mainly with the organization of the cytoskeleton and intracellular transport of organelles, while exposure to standard lighting led to cell degeneration and death.

A quantitative analysis of cell allocation to trophectoderm and inner cell mass in the mouse blastocyst

The allocation of cells to the trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) in the mouse blastocyst has been examined by labelling early morulae (16-cell stage) with the short-term cell lineage marker yellow-green fluorescent latex (FL) microparticles. FL is endocytosed exclusively into the outside polar cell population and remains autonomous to the progeny of these blastomeres. Rhodamine-concanavalin A was used as a contemporary marker for outside cells in FL-labelled control (16-cell stage) and cultured (approximately 32- to 64-cell stage) embryos, immediately prior to the disaggregation and analysis of cell labelling patterns. By this technique, the ratio of outside to inside cell numbers in 16-cell embryos was shown to vary considerably between embryos (mean 10.8:5.2; range 9:7 to 14:2). In cultured embryos, the trophectoderm was derived almost exclusively (over 99% cells) from outside polar 16-cell blastomeres. The origin of the ICM varied between embryos; on average, most cells (75%) were descended from inside nonpolar blastomeres with the remainder derived from the outside polar lineage, presumably by differentiative cleavage. In blastocysts examined by serial sectioning, polar-derived ICM cells were localised mainly in association with trophectoderm and were absent from the ICM core. In nascent blastocysts with exactly 32 cells an inverse relationship was found between the proportion of the ICM descended from the polar lineage and the deduced size of the inside 16-cell population. From these results, it is concluded that interembryonic variation in the outside to inside cell number ratio in 16-cell morulae is compensated by the extent of polar 16-cell allocation to the ICM at the next division, thereby regulating the trophectoderm to ICM cell number ratio in early blastocysts.