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Cumplido N, Arratia G, Desvignes T, Muñoz-Sánchez S, Postlethwait JH, Allende ML. Hox genes control homocercal caudal fin development and evolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj5991. [PMID: 38241378 PMCID: PMC10798566 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Ancient bony fishes had heterocercal tails, like modern sharks and sturgeons, with asymmetric caudal fins and a vertebral column extending into an elongated upper lobe. Teleost fishes, in contrast, developed a homocercal tail characterized by two separate equal-sized fin lobes and the body axis not extending into the caudal fin. A similar heterocercal-to-homocercal transition occurs during teleost ontogeny, although the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms for either transition remain unresolved. Here, we investigated the role of hox13 genes in caudal fin formation as these genes control posterior identity in animals. Analysis of expression profiles of zebrafish hox13 paralogs and phenotypes of CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants showed that double hoxb13a and hoxc13a mutants fail to form a caudal fin. Furthermore, single mutants display heterocercal-like morphologies not seen since Mesozoic fossil teleosteomorphs. Relaxation of functional constraints after the teleost genome duplication may have allowed hox13 duplicates to neo- or subfunctionalize, ultimately contributing to the evolution of a homocercal tail in teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Cumplido
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Arratia
- University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Thomas Desvignes
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Salomé Muñoz-Sánchez
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Miguel L. Allende
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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2
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Masak G, Davidson LA. Constructing the pharyngula: Connecting the primary axial tissues of the head with the posterior axial tissues of the tail. Cells Dev 2023; 176:203866. [PMID: 37394035 PMCID: PMC10756936 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2023.203866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The pharyngula stage of vertebrate development is characterized by stereotypical arrangement of ectoderm, mesoderm, and neural tissues from the anterior spinal cord to the posterior, yet unformed tail. While early embryologists over-emphasized the similarity between vertebrate embryos at the pharyngula stage, there is clearly a common architecture upon which subsequent developmental programs generate diverse cranial structures and epithelial appendages such as fins, limbs, gills, and tails. The pharyngula stage is preceded by two morphogenetic events: gastrulation and neurulation, which establish common shared structures despite the occurrence of cellular processes that are distinct to each of the species. Even along the body axis of a singular organism, structures with seemingly uniform phenotypic characteristics at the pharyngula stage have been established by different processes. We focus our review on the processes underlying integration of posterior axial tissue formation with the primary axial tissues that creates the structures laid out in the pharyngula. Single cell sequencing and novel gene targeting technologies have provided us with new insights into the differences between the processes that form the anterior and posterior axis, but it is still unclear how these processes are integrated to create a seamless body. We suggest that the primary and posterior axial tissues in vertebrates form through distinct mechanisms and that the transition between these mechanisms occur at different locations along the anterior-posterior axis. Filling gaps that remain in our understanding of this transition could resolve ongoing problems in organoid culture and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneva Masak
- Integrative Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Integrative Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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3
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Liu Y, Kim YS, Xue X, Kobayashi N, Sun S, Yang Q, Pourquié O, Fu J. A human pluripotent stem cell-based somitogenesis model using microfluidics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.29.564399. [PMID: 37961125 PMCID: PMC10634932 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.29.564399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Emerging human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based embryo models are useful for studying human embryogenesis. Particularly, there are hPSC-based somitogenesis models using free-floating culture that recapitulate somite formation. Somitogenesis in vivo involves intricately orchestrated bio-chemical and -mechanical events. However, none of the current somitogenesis models controls biochemical gradients or biomechanical signals in the culture, limiting their applicability to untangle complex biochemical-biomechanical interactions that drive somitogenesis. Here we report a new human somitogenesis model by confining hPSC-derived presomitic mesoderm (PSM) tissues in microfabricated trenches. Exogenous microfluidic morphogen gradients imposed on PSM cause axial patterning and trigger spontaneous rostral-to-caudal somite formation. A mechanical theory is developed to explain the size dependency between somites and PSM. The microfluidic somitogenesis model is further exploited to reveal regulatory roles of cellular and tissue biomechanics in somite formation. This study presents a useful microengineered, hPSC-based model for understanding the bio-chemical and -mechanical events that guide somite formation.
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4
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Genuth MA, Kojima Y, Jülich D, Kiryu H, Holley SA. Automated time-lapse data segmentation reveals in vivo cell state dynamics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf1814. [PMID: 37267354 PMCID: PMC10413672 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf1814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic development proceeds as a series of orderly cell state transitions built upon noisy molecular processes. We defined gene expression and cell motion states using single-cell RNA sequencing data and in vivo time-lapse cell tracking data of the zebrafish tailbud. We performed a parallel identification of these states using dimensional reduction methods and a change point detection algorithm. Both types of cell states were quantitatively mapped onto embryos, and we used the cell motion states to study the dynamics of biological state transitions over time. The time average pattern of cell motion states is reproducible among embryos. However, individual embryos exhibit transient deviations from the time average forming left-right asymmetries in collective cell motion. Thus, the reproducible pattern of cell states and bilateral symmetry arise from temporal averaging. In addition, collective cell behavior can be a source of asymmetry rather than a buffer against noisy individual cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A. Genuth
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Kojima
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Division of Systems Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4668550, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Dörthe Jülich
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hisanori Kiryu
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Scott A. Holley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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5
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Uriu K, Morelli LG. Orchestration of tissue shape changes and gene expression patterns in development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 147:24-33. [PMID: 36631335 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In development, tissue shape changes and gene expression patterns give rise to morphogenesis. Understanding tissue shape changes requires the analysis of mechanical properties of the tissue such as tissue rigidity, cell influx from neighboring tissues, cell shape changes and cell proliferation. Local and global gene expression patterns can be influenced by neighbor exchange and tissue shape changes. Here we review recent studies on the mechanisms for tissue elongation and its influences on dynamic gene expression patterns by focusing on vertebrate somitogenesis. We first introduce mechanical and biochemical properties of the segmenting tissue that drive tissue elongation. Then, we discuss patterning in the presence of cell mixing, scaling of signaling gradients, and dynamic phase waves of rhythmic gene expression under tissue shape changes. We also highlight the importance of theoretical approaches to address the relation between tissue shape changes and patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Uriu
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192 Japan.
| | - Luis G Morelli
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Polo Científico Tecnológico, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Física, FCEyN UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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6
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Özelçi E, Mailand E, Rüegg M, Oates AC, Sakar MS. Deconstructing body axis morphogenesis in zebrafish embryos using robot-assisted tissue micromanipulation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7934. [PMID: 36566327 PMCID: PMC9789989 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35632-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Classic microsurgical techniques, such as those used in the early 1900s by Mangold and Spemann, have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of embryonic development. However, these techniques are highly specialized, leading to issues of inter-operator variability. Here we introduce a user-friendly robotic microsurgery platform that allows precise mechanical manipulation of soft tissues in zebrafish embryos. Using our platform, we reproducibly targeted precise regions of tail explants, and quantified the response in real-time by following notochord and presomitic mesoderm (PSM) morphogenesis and segmentation clock dynamics during vertebrate anteroposterior axis elongation. We find an extension force generated through the posterior notochord that is strong enough to buckle the structure. Our data suggest that this force generates a unidirectional notochord extension towards the tailbud because PSM tissue around the posterior notochord does not let it slide anteriorly. These results complement existing biomechanical models of axis elongation, revealing a critical coupling between the posterior notochord, the tailbud, and the PSM, and show that somite patterning is robust against structural perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Özelçi
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erik Mailand
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Rüegg
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C. Oates
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mahmut Selman Sakar
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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7
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Qin Y, Huang X, Cai Z, Cai B, He J, Yao Y, Zhou C, Kuang J, Yang Y, Chen H, Chen Y, Ou S, Chen L, Wu F, Guo N, Yuan Y, Zhang X, Pang W, Feng Z, Yu S, Liu J, Cao S, Pei D. Regeneration of the human segmentation clock in somitoids in vitro. EMBO J 2022; 41:e110928. [PMID: 36245268 PMCID: PMC9713707 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022110928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Each vertebrate species appears to have a unique timing mechanism for forming somites along the vertebral column, and the process in human remains poorly understood at the molecular level due to technical and ethical limitations. Here, we report the reconstitution of human segmentation clock by direct reprogramming. We first reprogrammed human urine epithelial cells to a presomitic mesoderm (PSM) state capable of long-term self-renewal and formation of somitoids with an anterior-to-posterior axis. By inserting the RNA reporter Pepper into HES7 and MESP2 loci of these iPSM cells, we show that both transcripts oscillate in the resulting somitoids at ~5 h/cycle. GFP-tagged endogenous HES7 protein moves along the anterior-to-posterior axis during somitoid formation. The geo-sequencing analysis further confirmed anterior-to-posterior polarity and revealed the localized expression of WNT, BMP, FGF, and RA signaling molecules and HOXA-D family members. Our study demonstrates the direct reconstitution of human segmentation clock from somatic cells, which may allow future dissection of the mechanism and components of such a clock and aid regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xingnan Huang
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Zepo Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academic and SciencesGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Baomei Cai
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
| | - Jiangping He
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
| | - Yuxiang Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Chunhua Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Junqi Kuang
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yihang Yang
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Huan Chen
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
| | - Yating Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academic and SciencesGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Sihua Ou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academic and SciencesGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lijun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academic and SciencesGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Fang Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ning Guo
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yapei Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Wei Pang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Ziyu Feng
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
| | - Shengyong Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jing Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
| | - Shangtao Cao
- Center for Cell Lineage and AtlasBioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory)GuangzhouChina
- Guangzhou LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
| | - Duanqing Pei
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life SciencesWestlake UniversityHangzhouChina
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8
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Canales Coutiño B, Mayor R. Neural crest mechanosensors: Seeing old proteins in a new light. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1792-1801. [PMID: 35901790 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical forces exerted on neural crest cells control their collective migration and differentiation. This perspective discusses our current understanding of neural crest mechanotransduction during cell migration and differentiation. Additionally, we describe proteins that have mechanosensitive functions in other systems, such as mechanosensitive G-protein-coupled receptors, mechanosensitive ion channels, cell-cell adhesion, and cell-matrix-interacting proteins, and highlight that these same proteins have in the past been studied in neural crest development from a purely signaling point of view. We propose that future studies elucidate the mechanosensitive functions these receptors may play in neural crest development and integrate this with their known molecular role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Canales Coutiño
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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9
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Lowell S, Blin G. In preprints: the problem of producing precise patterns. Development 2022; 149:274911. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sally Lowell
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Guillaume Blin
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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10
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Veenvliet JV, Lenne PF, Turner DA, Nachman I, Trivedi V. Sculpting with stem cells: how models of embryo development take shape. Development 2021; 148:dev192914. [PMID: 34908102 PMCID: PMC8722391 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative understanding how these morphogenetic information modules pattern and shape the mammalian embryo is still lacking, mostly owing to the inaccessibility of the embryo in vivo for direct observation and manipulation. These impediments are circumvented by the developmental engineering of embryo-like structures (stembryos) from pluripotent stem cells that are easy to access, track, manipulate and scale. Here, we explain how unlocking distinct levels of embryo-like architecture through controlled modulations of the cellular environment enables the identification of minimal sets of mechanical and biochemical inputs necessary to pattern and shape the mammalian embryo. We detail how this can be complemented with precise measurements and manipulations of tissue biochemistry, mechanics and geometry across spatial and temporal scales to provide insights into the mechanochemical feedback loops governing embryo morphogenesis. Finally, we discuss how, even in the absence of active manipulations, stembryos display intrinsic phenotypic variability that can be leveraged to define the constraints that ensure reproducible morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - David A. Turner
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, William Henry Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Martin BL. Mesoderm induction and patterning: Insights from neuromesodermal progenitors. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:37-45. [PMID: 34840081 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of mesoderm inducing signals helped usher in the era of molecular developmental biology, and today the mechanisms of mesoderm induction and patterning are still intensely studied. Mesoderm induction begins during gastrulation, but recent evidence in vertebrates shows that this process continues after gastrulation in a group of posteriorly localized cells called neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs). NMPs reside within the post-gastrulation embryonic structure called the tailbud, where they make a lineage decision between ectoderm (spinal cord) and mesoderm. The majority of NMP-derived mesoderm generates somites, but also contributes to lateral mesoderm fates such as endothelium. The discovery of NMPs provides a new paradigm in which to study vertebrate mesoderm induction. This review will discuss mechanisms of mesoderm induction within NMPs, and how they have informed our understanding of mesoderm induction more broadly within vertebrates as well as animal species outside of the vertebrate lineage. Special focus will be given to the signaling networks underlying NMP-derived mesoderm induction and patterning, as well as emerging work on the significance of partial epithelial-mesenchymal states in coordinating cell fate and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA.
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