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Rutowicz K, Lüthi J, de Groot R, Holtackers R, Yakimovich Y, Pazmiño DM, Gandrillon O, Pelkmans L, Baroux C. Multiscale chromatin dynamics and high entropy in plant iPSC ancestors. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261703. [PMID: 38738286 PMCID: PMC11234377 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261703] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant protoplasts provide starting material for of inducing pluripotent cell masses that are competent for tissue regeneration in vitro, analogous to animal induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Dedifferentiation is associated with large-scale chromatin reorganisation and massive transcriptome reprogramming, characterised by stochastic gene expression. How this cellular variability reflects on chromatin organisation in individual cells and what factors influence chromatin transitions during culturing are largely unknown. Here, we used high-throughput imaging and a custom supervised image analysis protocol extracting over 100 chromatin features of cultured protoplasts. The analysis revealed rapid, multiscale dynamics of chromatin patterns with a trajectory that strongly depended on nutrient availability. Decreased abundance in H1 (linker histones) is hallmark of chromatin transitions. We measured a high heterogeneity of chromatin patterns indicating intrinsic entropy as a hallmark of the initial cultures. We further measured an entropy decline over time, and an antagonistic influence by external and intrinsic factors, such as phytohormones and epigenetic modifiers, respectively. Collectively, our study benchmarks an approach to understand the variability and evolution of chromatin patterns underlying plant cell reprogramming in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Rutowicz
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joel Lüthi
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinoud de Groot
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - René Holtackers
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yauhen Yakimovich
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diana M. Pazmiño
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Gandrillon
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, University of Lyon, ENS de Lyon,69342 Lyon, France
| | - Lucas Pelkmans
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Célia Baroux
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Du Y, Benny PA, Schlueter RJ, Gurary A, Lum-Jones A, Lassiter CB, AlAkwaa FM, Tiirikainen M, Towner D, Ward WS, Garmire LX. Multi-omics Analysis of Umbilical Cord Hematopoietic Stem Cells from a Multi-ethnic Cohort of Hawaii Reveals the Transgenerational Effect of Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Obesity. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.07.27.24310936. [PMID: 39108521 PMCID: PMC11302719 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.27.24310936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Background Maternal obesity is a health concern that may predispose newborns to a high risk of medical problems later in life. To understand the transgenerational effect of maternal obesity, we conducted a multi-omics study, using DNA methylation and gene expression in the CD34+/CD38-/Lin- umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells (uHSCs) and metabolomics of the cord blood, all from a multi-ethnic cohort (n=72) from Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii (collected between 2016 and 2018). Results Differential methylation (DM) analysis unveiled a global hypermethylation pattern in the maternal pre-pregnancy obese group (BH adjusted p<0.05), after adjusting for major clinical confounders. Comprehensive functional analysis showed hypermethylation in promoters of genes involved in cell cycle, protein synthesis, immune signaling, and lipid metabolism. Utilizing Shannon entropy on uHSCs methylation, we discerned notably higher quiescence of uHSCs impacted by maternal obesity. Additionally, the integration of multi-omics data-including methylation, gene expression, and metabolomics-provided further evidence of dysfunctions in adipogenesis, erythropoietin production, cell differentiation, and DNA repair, aligning with the findings at the epigenetic level. Conclusions This study reveals the significant correlation between pre-pregnancy maternal obesity and multi-omics level molecular changes in the uHSCs of offspring, particularly in DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuheng Du
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Paula A. Benny
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
| | - Ryan J. Schlueter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
| | - Alexandra Gurary
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
| | - Annette Lum-Jones
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Population Sciences of the Pacific Program-Epidemiology, Honolulu, HI
| | - Cameron B Lassiter
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Population Sciences of the Pacific Program-Epidemiology, Honolulu, HI
| | | | - Maarit Tiirikainen
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Population Sciences of the Pacific Program-Epidemiology, Honolulu, HI
| | - Dena Towner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
| | - W. Steven Ward
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
| | - Lana X Garmire
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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3
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Teschendorff AE. Computational single-cell methods for predicting cancer risk. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1503-1514. [PMID: 38856037 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent biotechnological breakthroughs, cancer risk prediction remains a formidable computational and experimental challenge. Addressing it is critical in order to improve prevention, early detection and survival rates. Here, I briefly summarize some key emerging theoretical and computational challenges as well as recent computational advances that promise to help realize the goals of cancer-risk prediction. The focus is on computational strategies based on single-cell data, in particular on bottom-up network modeling approaches that aim to estimate cancer stemness and dedifferentiation at single-cell resolution from a systems-biological perspective. I will describe two promising methods, a tissue and cell-lineage independent one based on the concept of diffusion network entropy, and a tissue and cell-lineage specific one that uses transcription factor regulons. Application of these tools to single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq data from stages prior to invasive cancer reveal that they can successfully delineate the heterogeneous inter-cellular cancer-risk landscape, identifying those cells that are more likely to turn cancerous. Bottom-up systems biological modeling of single-cell omic data is a novel computational analysis paradigm that promises to facilitate the development of preventive, early detection and cancer-risk prediction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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4
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Lin H, Hu H, Feng Z, Xu F, Lyu J, Li X, Liu L, Yang G, Shuai J. SCTC: inference of developmental potential from single-cell transcriptional complexity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:6114-6128. [PMID: 38709881 PMCID: PMC11194082 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Inferring the developmental potential of single cells from scRNA-Seq data and reconstructing the pseudo-temporal path of cell development are fundamental but challenging tasks in single-cell analysis. Although single-cell transcriptional diversity (SCTD) measured by the number of expressed genes per cell has been widely used as a hallmark of developmental potential, it may lead to incorrect estimation of differentiation states in some cases where gene expression does not decrease monotonously during the development process. In this study, we propose a novel metric called single-cell transcriptional complexity (SCTC), which draws on insights from the economic complexity theory and takes into account the sophisticated structure information of scRNA-Seq count matrix. We show that SCTC characterizes developmental potential more accurately than SCTD, especially in the early stages of development where cells typically have lower diversity but higher complexity than those in the later stages. Based on the SCTC, we provide an unsupervised method for accurate, robust, and transferable inference of single-cell pseudotime. Our findings suggest that the complexity emerging from the interplay between cells and genes determines the developmental potential, providing new insights into the understanding of biological development from the perspective of complexity theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Lin
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
| | - Huan Hu
- Institute of Applied Genomics, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Zhen Feng
- First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Physics, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241002, China
| | - Jie Lyu
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Liyu Liu
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Smart Materials, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Gen Yang
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jianwei Shuai
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
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5
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Miao J, Zhang K, Yang Y, Xu S, Du J, Wu T, Tao C, Wang Y, Yang S. Single-nucleus transcriptomics reveal cardiac cell type-specific diversification in metabolic disease transgenic pigs. iScience 2024; 27:110015. [PMID: 38868189 PMCID: PMC11166884 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac damage is widely present in patients with metabolic diseases, but the exact pathophysiological mechanisms involved remain unclear. The porcine heart is an ideal material for cardiovascular research due to its similarities to the human heart. This study evaluated pathological features and performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) on myocardial samples from both wild-type and metabolic disease-susceptible transgenic pigs (previously established). We found that transgenic pigs exhibited lipid metabolism disturbances and myocardial injury after a high-fat high-sucrose diet intervention. snRNA-seq reveals the cellular landscape of healthy and metabolically disturbed pig hearts and identifies the major cardiac cell populations affected by metabolic diseases. Within metabolic disorder hearts, metabolically active cardiomyocytes exhibited impaired function and reduced abundance. Moreover, massive numbers of reparative LYVE1+ macrophages were lost. Additionally, proinflammatory endothelial cells were activated with high expression of multiple proinflammatory cytokines. Our findings provide insights into the cellular mechanisms of metabolic disease-induced myocardial injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiakun Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Kaiyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Juan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tianwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Cong Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shulin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
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6
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Lenz G. Heterogeneity generating capacity in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167226. [PMID: 38734320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cells of multicellular organisms generate heterogeneity in a controlled and transient fashion during embryogenesis, which can be reactivated in pathologies such as cancer. Although genomic heterogeneity is an important part of tumorigenesis, continuous generation of phenotypic heterogeneity is central for the adaptation of cancer cells to the challenges of tumorigenesis and response to therapy. Here I discuss the capacity of generating heterogeneity, hereafter called cell hetness, in cancer cells both as the activation of hetness oncogenes and inactivation of hetness tumor suppressor genes, which increase the generation of heterogeneity, ultimately producing an increase in adaptability and cell fitness. Transcriptomic high hetness states in therapy-tolerant cell states denote its importance in cancer resistance to therapy. The definition of the concept of hetness will allow the understanding of its origins, its control during embryogenesis, its loss of control in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics and its active targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Lenz
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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7
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Zhu L, Wang J. Quantifying Landscape-Flux via Single-Cell Transcriptomics Uncovers the Underlying Mechanism of Cell Cycle. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308879. [PMID: 38353329 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Recent developments in single-cell sequencing technology enable the acquisition of entire transcriptome data. Understanding the underlying mechanism and identifying the driving force of transcriptional regulation governing cell function directly from these data remains challenging. This study reconstructs a continuous vector field of the cell cycle based on discrete single-cell RNA velocity to quantify the single-cell global nonequilibrium dynamic landscape-flux. It reveals that large fluctuations disrupt the global landscape and genetic perturbations alter landscape-flux, thus identifying key genes in maintaining cell cycle dynamics and predicting associated functional effects. Additionally, it quantifies the fundamental energy cost of the cell cycle initiation and unveils that sustaining the cell cycle requires curl flux and dissipation to maintain the oscillatory phase coherence. This study enables the inference of the cell cycle gene regulatory networks directly from the single-cell transcriptomic data, including the feedback mechanisms and interaction intensity. This provides a golden opportunity to experimentally verify the landscape-flux theory and also obtain its associated quantifications. It also offers a unique framework for combining the landscape-flux theory and single-cell high-through sequencing experiments for understanding the underlying mechanisms of the cell cycle and can be extended to other nonequilibrium biological processes, such as differentiation development and disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligang Zhu
- College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Jin Wang
- Center for Theoretical Interdisciplinary Sciences, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
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8
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Baptista A, MacArthur BD, Banerji CRS. Charting cellular differentiation trajectories with Ricci flow. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2258. [PMID: 38480714 PMCID: PMC10937996 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45889-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex biological processes, such as cellular differentiation, require intricate rewiring of intra-cellular signalling networks. Previous characterisations revealed a raised network entropy underlies less differentiated and malignant cell states. A connection between entropy and Ricci curvature led to applications of discrete curvatures to biological networks. However, predicting dynamic biological network rewiring remains an open problem. Here we apply Ricci curvature and Ricci flow to biological network rewiring. By investigating the relationship between network entropy and Forman-Ricci curvature, theoretically and empirically on single-cell RNA-sequencing data, we demonstrate that the two measures do not always positively correlate, as previously suggested, and provide complementary rather than interchangeable information. We next employ Ricci flow to derive network rewiring trajectories from stem cells to differentiated cells, accurately predicting true intermediate time points in gene expression time courses. In summary, we present a differential geometry toolkit for understanding dynamic network rewiring during cellular differentiation and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Baptista
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London, NW1 2DB, UK.
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
| | - Ben D MacArthur
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London, NW1 2DB, UK
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Christopher R S Banerji
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London, NW1 2DB, UK.
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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9
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Rüegg AB, van der Weijden VA, de Sousa JA, von Meyenn F, Pausch H, Ulbrich SE. Developmental progression continues during embryonic diapause in the roe deer. Commun Biol 2024; 7:270. [PMID: 38443549 PMCID: PMC10914810 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05944-w] [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: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryonic diapause in mammals is a temporary developmental delay occurring at the blastocyst stage. In contrast to other diapausing species displaying a full arrest, the blastocyst of the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) proliferates continuously and displays considerable morphological changes in the inner cell mass. We hypothesised that developmental progression also continues during this period. Here we evaluate the mRNA abundance of developmental marker genes in embryos during diapause and elongation. Our results show that morphological rearrangements of the epiblast during diapause correlate with gene expression patterns and changes in cell polarity. Immunohistochemical staining further supports these findings. Primitive endoderm formation occurs during diapause in embryos composed of around 3,000 cells. Gastrulation coincides with elongation and thus takes place after embryo reactivation. The slow developmental progression makes the roe deer an interesting model for unravelling the link between proliferation and differentiation and requirements for embryo survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Rüegg
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vera A van der Weijden
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
- Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - João Agostinho de Sousa
- ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ferdinand von Meyenn
- ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Pausch
- ETH Zurich, Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne E Ulbrich
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland.
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10
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Wadkin LE, Makarenko I, Parker NG, Shukurov A, Figueiredo FC, Lako M. Human Stem Cells for Ophthalmology: Recent Advances in Diagnostic Image Analysis and Computational Modelling. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2023; 9:57-66. [PMID: 38145008 PMCID: PMC10739444 DOI: 10.1007/s40778-023-00229-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review To explore the advances and future research directions in image analysis and computational modelling of human stem cells (hSCs) for ophthalmological applications. Recent Findings hSCs hold great potential in ocular regenerative medicine due to their application in cell-based therapies and in disease modelling and drug discovery using state-of-the-art 2D and 3D organoid models. However, a deeper characterisation of their complex, multi-scale properties is required to optimise their translation to clinical practice. Image analysis combined with computational modelling is a powerful tool to explore mechanisms of hSC behaviour and aid clinical diagnosis and therapy. Summary Many computational models draw on a variety of techniques, often blending continuum and discrete approaches, and have been used to describe cell differentiation and self-organisation. Machine learning tools are having a significant impact in model development and improving image classification processes for clinical diagnosis and treatment and will be the focus of much future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. E. Wadkin
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - I. Makarenko
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - N. G. Parker
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - A. Shukurov
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - F. C. Figueiredo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - M. Lako
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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11
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Mao S, Su J, Wang L, Bo X, Li C, Chen H. A transcriptome-based single-cell biological age model and resource for tissue-specific aging measures. Genome Res 2023; 33:1381-1394. [PMID: 37524436 PMCID: PMC10547252 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277491.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Accurately measuring biological age is crucial for improving healthcare for the elderly population. However, the complexity of aging biology poses challenges in how to robustly estimate aging and interpret the biological significance of the traits used for estimation. Here we present SCALE, a statistical pipeline that quantifies biological aging in different tissues using explainable features learned from literature and single-cell transcriptomic data. Applying SCALE to the "Mouse Aging Cell Atlas" (Tabula Muris Senis) data, we identified tissue-level transcriptomic aging programs for more than 20 murine tissues and created a multitissue resource of mouse quantitative aging-associated genes. We observe that SCALE correlates well with other age indicators, such as the accumulation of somatic mutations, and can distinguish subtle differences in aging even in cells of the same chronological age. We further compared SCALE with other transcriptomic and methylation "clocks" in data from aging muscle stem cells, Alzheimer's disease, and heterochronic parabiosis. Our results confirm that SCALE is more generalizable and reliable in assessing biological aging in aging-related diseases and rejuvenating interventions. Overall, SCALE represents a valuable advancement in our ability to measure aging accurately, robustly, and interpretably in single cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulin Mao
- Yuanpei College, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiayu Su
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Longteng Wang
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Joint Graduate Program of Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaochen Bo
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Cheng Li
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
- Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hebing Chen
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China;
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12
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Repina NA, Johnson HJ, Bao X, Zimmermann JA, Joy DA, Bi SZ, Kane RS, Schaffer DV. Optogenetic control of Wnt signaling models cell-intrinsic embryogenic patterning using 2D human pluripotent stem cell culture. Development 2023; 150:dev201386. [PMID: 37401411 PMCID: PMC10399980 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
In embryonic stem cell (ESC) models for early development, spatially and temporally varying patterns of signaling and cell types emerge spontaneously. However, mechanistic insight into this dynamic self-organization is limited by a lack of methods for spatiotemporal control of signaling, and the relevance of signal dynamics and cell-to-cell variability to pattern emergence remains unknown. Here, we combine optogenetic stimulation, imaging and transcriptomic approaches to study self-organization of human ESCs (hESC) in two-dimensional (2D) culture. Morphogen dynamics were controlled via optogenetic activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling (optoWnt), which drove broad transcriptional changes and mesendoderm differentiation at high efficiency (>99% cells). When activated within cell subpopulations, optoWnt induced cell self-organization into distinct epithelial and mesenchymal domains, mediated by changes in cell migration, an epithelial to mesenchymal-like transition and TGFβ signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that such optogenetic control of cell subpopulations can be used to uncover signaling feedback mechanisms between neighboring cell types. These findings reveal that cell-to-cell variability in Wnt signaling is sufficient to generate tissue-scale patterning and establish a hESC model system for investigating feedback mechanisms relevant to early human embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A. Repina
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hunter J. Johnson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Xiaoping Bao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joshua A. Zimmermann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David A. Joy
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shirley Z. Bi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ravi S. Kane
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David V. Schaffer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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13
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Frasch MG. Heart Rate Variability Code: Does It Exist and Can We Hack It? Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:822. [PMID: 37508849 PMCID: PMC10375964 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10070822] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A code is generally defined as a system of signals or symbols for communication. Experimental evidence is synthesized for the presence and utility of such communication in heart rate variability (HRV) with particular attention to fetal HRV: HRV contains signatures of information flow between the organs and of response to physiological or pathophysiological stimuli as signatures of states (or syndromes). HRV exhibits features of time structure, phase space structure, specificity with respect to (organ) target and pathophysiological syndromes, and universality with respect to species independence. Together, these features form a spatiotemporal structure, a phase space, that can be conceived of as a manifold of a yet-to-be-fully understood dynamic complexity. The objective of this article is to synthesize physiological evidence supporting the existence of HRV code: hereby, the process-specific subsets of HRV measures indirectly map the phase space traversal reflecting the specific information contained in the code required for the body to regulate the physiological responses to those processes. The following physiological examples of HRV code are reviewed, which are reflected in specific changes to HRV properties across the signal-analytical domains and across physiological states and conditions: the fetal systemic inflammatory response, organ-specific inflammatory responses (brain and gut), chronic hypoxia and intrinsic (heart) HRV (iHRV), allostatic load (physiological stress due to surgery), and vagotomy (bilateral cervical denervation). Future studies are proposed to test these observations in more depth, and the author refers the interested reader to the referenced publications for a detailed study of the HRV measures involved. While being exemplified mostly in the studies of fetal HRV, the presented framework promises more specific fetal, postnatal, and adult HRV biomarkers of health and disease, which can be obtained non-invasively and continuously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Gerbert Frasch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Institute on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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14
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McElroy M, Green K, Voulgarakis NK. Self-Regulated Symmetry Breaking Model for Stem Cell Differentiation. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:e25050815. [PMID: 37238570 DOI: 10.3390/e25050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In conventional disorder-order phase transitions, a system shifts from a highly symmetric state, where all states are equally accessible (disorder) to a less symmetric state with a limited number of available states (order). This transition may occur by varying a control parameter that represents the intrinsic noise of the system. It has been suggested that stem cell differentiation can be considered as a sequence of such symmetry-breaking events. Pluripotent stem cells, with their capacity to develop into any specialized cell type, are considered highly symmetric systems. In contrast, differentiated cells have lower symmetry, as they can only carry out a limited number of functions. For this hypothesis to be valid, differentiation should emerge collectively in stem cell populations. Additionally, such populations must have the ability to self-regulate intrinsic noise and navigate through a critical point where spontaneous symmetry breaking (differentiation) occurs. This study presents a mean-field model for stem cell populations that considers the interplay of cell-cell cooperativity, cell-to-cell variability, and finite-size effects. By introducing a feedback mechanism to control intrinsic noise, the model can self-tune through different bifurcation points, facilitating spontaneous symmetry breaking. Standard stability analysis showed that the system can potentially differentiate into several cell types mathematically expressed as stable nodes and limit cycles. The existence of a Hopf bifurcation in our model is discussed in light of stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelynn McElroy
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Kaylie Green
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Nikolaos K Voulgarakis
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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15
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Kang C, McElroy M, Voulgarakis NK. Emergent Criticality in Coupled Boolean Networks. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:e25020235. [PMID: 36832602 PMCID: PMC9955248 DOI: 10.3390/e25020235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Early embryonic development involves forming all specialized cells from a fluid-like mass of identical stem cells. The differentiation process consists of a series of symmetry-breaking events, starting from a high-symmetry state (stem cells) to a low-symmetry state (specialized cells). This scenario closely resembles phase transitions in statistical mechanics. To theoretically study this hypothesis, we model embryonic stem cell (ESC) populations through a coupled Boolean network (BN) model. The interaction is applied using a multilayer Ising model that considers paracrine and autocrine signaling, along with external interventions. It is demonstrated that cell-to-cell variability can be interpreted as a mixture of steady-state probability distributions. Simulations have revealed that such models can undergo a series of first- and second-order phase transitions as a function of the system parameters that describe gene expression noise and interaction strengths. These phase transitions result in spontaneous symmetry-breaking events that generate new types of cells characterized by various steady-state distributions. Coupled BNs have also been shown to self-organize in states that allow spontaneous cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Kang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Madelynn McElroy
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Nikolaos K. Voulgarakis
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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16
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Zhang Y, Xie Y, Lu W, Xu S, Wang X, Zhou W, Zhang Y, Ding X, Zhao S. Identification of resident progenitors labeled with Top2a responsible for proximal tubular regeneration in ischemia reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury. Cell Signal 2023; 101:110506. [PMID: 36309330 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110506] [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: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury is a common fatal disease with complex etiology and limited treatment methods. Proximal tubules (PTs) are the most vulnerable segment. Not only in injured kidneys but also in normal kidneys, shedding of PTs often happens. However, the source cells and mechanism of their regeneration remain unclear. METHODS ScRNA and snRNA sequencing data of acute injured or normal kidney were downloaded from GEO database to identify the candidate biomarker of progenitor of proximal tubules. SLICE algorithm and CytoTRACE analyses were employed to evaluate the stemness of progenitors. Then the repairing trajectory was constructed through pseudotime analyses. SCENIC algorithm was used to detect cell-type-specific regulon. With spatial transcriptome data, the location of progenitors was simulated. Neonatal/ adult/ aged mice and preconditioning AKI mice model and deconvolution of 2 RNA-seq data were employed for validation. RESULTS Through cluster identification, PT cluster expressed Top2a specifically was identified to increase significantly during AKI. With relatively strong stemness, the Top2a-labeled PT cluster tended to be the origin of the repairing trajectory. Moreover, the cluster was regulated by Pbx3-based regulon and possessed great segmental heterogeneity. Changes of Top2a between neonatal and aged mice and among AKI models validated the progenitor role of Top2a-labeled cluster. CONCLUSIONS Our study provided transcriptomic evidence that resident proximal tubular progenitors labeled with Top2a participated in regeneration. Considering the segmental heterogeneity, we find that there is a group of reserve progenitor cells in each tubular segment. When AKI occurs, the reserve progenitors of each tubular segment proliferate and replenish first, and PT-progenitors, a cluster with no obvious PT markers replenish each subpopulation of the reserve cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Yeqing Xie
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease; Kidney and Dialysis Institute of Shanghai; Kidney and Blood Purification Key Laboratory of Shanghai
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Sujuan Xu
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Weiran Zhou
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Yingjia Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Xiaoqiang Ding
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease; Kidney and Dialysis Institute of Shanghai; Kidney and Blood Purification Key Laboratory of Shanghai.
| | - Shuan Zhao
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease; Kidney and Dialysis Institute of Shanghai; Kidney and Blood Purification Key Laboratory of Shanghai.
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17
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Toh K, Saunders D, Verd B, Steventon B. Zebrafish neuromesodermal progenitors undergo a critical state transition in vivo. iScience 2022; 25:105216. [PMID: 36274939 PMCID: PMC9579027 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition state model of cell differentiation proposes that a transient window of gene expression stochasticity precedes entry into a differentiated state. Here, we assess this theoretical model in zebrafish neuromesodermal progenitors (NMps) in vivo during late somitogenesis stages. We observed an increase in gene expression variability at the 24 somite stage (24ss) before their differentiation into spinal cord and paraxial mesoderm. Analysis of a published 18ss scRNA-seq dataset showed that the NMp population is noisier than its derivatives. By building in silico composite gene expression maps from image data, we assigned an 'NM index' to in silico NMps based on the expression of neural and mesodermal markers and demonstrated that cell population heterogeneity peaked at 24ss. Further examination revealed cells with gene expression profiles incongruent with their prospective fate. Taken together, our work supports the transition state model within an endogenous cell fate decision making event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kane Toh
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Dillan Saunders
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Berta Verd
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
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18
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Abstract
Chromatin architecture, a key regulator of gene expression, can be inferred using chromatin contact data from chromosome conformation capture, or Hi-C. However, classical Hi-C does not preserve multi-way contacts. Here we use long sequencing reads to map genome-wide multi-way contacts and investigate higher order chromatin organization in the human genome. We use hypergraph theory for data representation and analysis, and quantify higher order structures in neonatal fibroblasts, biopsied adult fibroblasts, and B lymphocytes. By integrating multi-way contacts with chromatin accessibility, gene expression, and transcription factor binding, we introduce a data-driven method to identify cell type-specific transcription clusters. We provide transcription factor-mediated functional building blocks for cell identity that serve as a global signature for cell types. Mapping higher order chromatin architecture is important. Here the authors use long sequencing reads to map genome-wide multi-way contacts and investigate higher order chromatin organisation; they use hypergraph theory for data representation and analysis, and apply this to different cell types.
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19
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Capp JP, Thomas F. From developmental to atavistic bet-hedging: How cancer cells pervert the exploitation of random single-cell phenotypic fluctuations. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200048. [PMID: 35839471 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200048] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stochastic gene expression plays a leading developmental role through its contribution to cell differentiation. It is also proposed to promote phenotypic diversification in malignant cells. However, it remains unclear if these two forms of cellular bet-hedging are identical or rather display distinct features. Here we argue that bet-hedging phenomena in cancer cells are more similar to those occurring in unicellular organisms than to those of normal metazoan cells. We further propose that the atavistic bet-hedging strategies in cancer originate from a hijacking of the normal developmental bet-hedging of metazoans. Finally, we discuss the constraints that may shape the atavistic bet-hedging strategies of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pascal Capp
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, INSA / University of Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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20
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Gan Y, Guo C, Guo W, Xu G, Zou G. Entropy-based inference of transition states and cellular trajectory for single-cell transcriptomics. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6607748. [PMID: 35696651 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac225] [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: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) technology allows researchers to characterize the cell types, states and transitions during dynamic biological processes at single-cell resolution. One of the critical tasks is to infer pseudo-time trajectory. However, the existence of transition cells in the intermediate state of complex biological processes poses a challenge for the trajectory inference. Here, we propose a new single-cell trajectory inference method based on transition entropy, named scTite, to identify transitional states and reconstruct cell trajectory from scRNA-seq data. Taking into account the continuity of cellular processes, we introduce a new metric called transition entropy to measure the uncertainty of a cell belonging to different cell clusters, and then identify cell states and transition cells. Specifically, we adopt different strategies to infer the trajectory for the identified cell states and transition cells, and combine them to obtain a detailed cell trajectory. For the identified cell clusters, we utilize the Wasserstein distance based on the probability distribution to calculate distance between clusters, and construct the minimum spanning tree. Meanwhile, we adopt the signaling entropy and partial correlation coefficient to determine transition paths, which contain a group of transition cells with the largest similarity. Then the transitional paths and the MST are combined to infer a refined cell trajectory. We apply scTite to four real scRNA-seq datasets and an integrated dataset, and conduct extensive performance comparison with nine existing trajectory inference methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can reconstruct the cell trajectory more accurately than the compared algorithms. The scTite software package is available at https://github.com/dblab2022/scTite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanglan Gan
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Donghua University, 201600, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Guo
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Donghua University, 201600, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjing Guo
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Donghua University, 201600, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangwei Xu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Donghua University, 201600, Shanghai, China
| | - Guobing Zou
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China
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21
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Emergent phenomena in living systems: A statistical mechanical perspective. J Biosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-021-00247-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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22
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Generation and characterization of stable pig pregastrulation epiblast stem cell lines. Cell Res 2022; 32:383-400. [PMID: 34848870 PMCID: PMC8976023 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00592-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pig epiblast-derived pluripotent stem cells are considered to have great potential and broad prospects for human therapeutic model development and livestock breeding. Despite ongoing attempts since the 1990s, no stably defined pig epiblast-derived stem cell line has been established. Here, guided by insights from a large-scale single-cell transcriptome analysis of pig embryos from embryonic day (E) 0 to E14, specifically, the tracing of pluripotency changes during epiblast development, we developed an in vitro culture medium for establishing and maintaining stable pluripotent stem cell lines from pig E10 pregastrulation epiblasts (pgEpiSCs). Enabled by chemical inhibition of WNT-related signaling in combination with growth factors in the FGF/ERK, JAK/STAT3, and Activin/Nodal pathways, pgEpiSCs maintain their pluripotency transcriptome features, similar to those of E10 epiblast cells, and normal karyotypes after more than 240 passages and have the potential to differentiate into three germ layers. Strikingly, ultradeep in situ Hi-C analysis revealed functional impacts of chromatin 3D-spatial associations on the transcriptional regulation of pluripotency marker genes in pgEpiSCs. In practice, we confirmed that pgEpiSCs readily tolerate at least three rounds of successive gene editing and generated cloned gene-edited live piglets. Our findings deliver on the long-anticipated promise of pig pluripotent stem cells and open new avenues for biological research, animal husbandry, and regenerative biomedicine.
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23
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Zheng Y, Zhang L, Jin L, Zhang P, Li F, Guo M, Gao Q, Zeng Y, Li M, Zeng W. Unraveling three-dimensional chromatin structural dynamics during spermatogonial differentiation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101559. [PMID: 34979097 PMCID: PMC8814405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are able to undergo both self-renewal and differentiation. Unlike self-renewal, which replenishes the SSC and progenitor pool, differentiation is an irreversible process committing cells to meiosis. Although the preparations for meiotic events in differentiating spermatogonia (Di-SG) are likely to be accompanied by alterations in chromatin structure, the three-dimensional chromatin architectural differences between SSCs and Di-SG, and the higher-order chromatin dynamics during spermatogonial differentiation, have not been systematically investigated. Here, we performed in situ high-throughput chromosome conformation capture, RNA-seq, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analyses on porcine undifferentiated spermatogonia (which consist of SSCs and progenitors) and Di-SG. We identified that Di-SG exhibited less compact chromatin structural organization, weakened compartmentalization, and diminished topologically associating domains in comparison with undifferentiated spermatogonia, suggesting that diminished higher-order chromatin architecture in meiotic cells, as shown by recent reports, might be preprogrammed in Di-SG. Our data also revealed that A/B compartments, representing open or closed chromatin regions respectively, and topologically associating domains were related to dynamic gene expression during spermatogonial differentiation. Furthermore, we unraveled the contribution of promoter-enhancer interactions to premeiotic transcriptional regulation, which has not been accomplished in previous studies due to limited cell input and resolution. Together, our study uncovered the three-dimensional chromatin structure of SSCs/progenitors and Di-SG, as well as the interplay between higher-order chromatin architecture and dynamic gene expression during spermatogonial differentiation. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms for SSC self-renewal and differentiation and have implications for diagnosis and treatment of male sub-/infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lingkai Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Long Jin
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fuyuan Li
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yao Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mingzhou Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
| | - Wenxian Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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24
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Lindsly S, Chen C, Liu S, Ronquist S, Dilworth S, Perlman M, Rajapakse I. 4DNvestigator: time series genomic data analysis toolbox. Nucleus 2021; 12:58-64. [PMID: 33794739 PMCID: PMC8049205 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2021.1910437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Data on genome organization and output over time, or the 4D Nucleome (4DN), require synthesis for meaningful interpretation. Development of tools for the efficient integration of these data is needed, especially for the time dimension. We present the '4DNvestigator', a user-friendly network-based toolbox for the analysis of time series genome-wide genome structure (Hi-C) and gene expression (RNA-seq) data. Additionally, we provide methods to quantify network entropy, tensor entropy, and statistically significant changes in time series Hi-C data at different genomic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lindsly
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Can Chen
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sijia Liu
- MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, IBM Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Michigan State University, MI, USA
| | - Scott Ronquist
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Michael Perlman
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Indika Rajapakse
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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25
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Wei R, Quan J, Li S, Liu H, Guan X, Jiang Z, Wang X. Integrative Analysis of Biomarkers Through Machine Learning Identifies Stemness Features in Colorectal Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:724860. [PMID: 34568334 PMCID: PMC8456021 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.724860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are characterized by self-renewal and plasticity, are highly correlated with tumor metastasis and drug resistance. To fully understand the role of CSCs in colorectal cancer (CRC), we evaluated the stemness traits and prognostic value of stemness-related genes in CRC. Methods: In this study, the data from 616 CRC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were assessed and subtyped based on the mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi). The correlations of cancer stemness with the immune microenvironment, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation regulators were analyzed. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify the crucial stemness-related genes and modules. Furthermore, a prognostic expression signature was constructed using the Lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis. The signature was validated via multiplex immunofluorescence staining of tissue samples in an independent cohort of 48 CRC patients. Results: This study suggests that high-mRNAsi scores are associated with poor overall survival in stage IV CRC patients. Moreover, the levels of TMB and m6A RNA methylation regulators were positively correlated with mRNAsi scores, and low-mRNAsi scores were characterized by increased immune activity in CRC. The analysis identified 34 key genes as candidate prognosis biomarkers. Finally, a three-gene prognostic signature (PARPBP, KNSTRN, and KIF2C) was explored together with specific clinical features to construct a nomogram, which was successfully validated in an external cohort. Conclusion: There is a unique correlation between CSCs and the prognosis of CRC patients, and the novel biomarkers related to cell stemness could accurately predict the clinical outcomes of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Wei
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jichuan Quan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuofeng Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hengchang Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Guan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Jiang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xishan Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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26
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Kannan S, Farid M, Lin BL, Miyamoto M, Kwon C. Transcriptomic entropy benchmarks stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturation against endogenous tissue at single cell level. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009305. [PMID: 34534204 PMCID: PMC8448341 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The immaturity of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived tissues has emerged as a universal problem for their biomedical applications. While efforts have been made to generate adult-like cells from PSCs, direct benchmarking of PSC-derived tissues against in vivo development has not been established. Thus, maturation status is often assessed on an ad-hoc basis. Single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) offers a promising solution, though cross-study comparison is limited by dataset-specific batch effects. Here, we developed a novel approach to quantify PSC-derived cardiomyocyte (CM) maturation through transcriptomic entropy. Transcriptomic entropy is robust across datasets regardless of differences in isolation protocols, library preparation, and other potential batch effects. With this new model, we analyzed over 45 scRNA-seq datasets and over 52,000 CMs, and established a cross-study, cross-species CM maturation reference. This reference enabled us to directly compare PSC-CMs with the in vivo developmental trajectory and thereby to quantify PSC-CM maturation status. We further found that our entropy-based approach can be used for other cell types, including pancreatic beta cells and hepatocytes. Our study presents a biologically relevant and interpretable metric for quantifying PSC-derived tissue maturation, and is extensible to numerous tissue engineering contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj Kannan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Farid
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brian L. Lin
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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27
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Wadkin LE, Orozco-Fuentes S, Neganova I, Lako M, Parker NG, Shukurov A. A mathematical modelling framework for the regulation of intra-cellular OCT4 in human pluripotent stem cells. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254991. [PMID: 34347824 PMCID: PMC8336844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential to differentiate into all cell types, a property known as pluripotency. A deeper understanding of how pluripotency is regulated is required to assist in controlling pluripotency and differentiation trajectories experimentally. Mathematical modelling provides a non-invasive tool through which to explore, characterise and replicate the regulation of pluripotency and the consequences on cell fate. Here we use experimental data of the expression of the pluripotency transcription factor OCT4 in a growing hPSC colony to develop and evaluate mathematical models for temporal pluripotency regulation. We consider fractional Brownian motion and the stochastic logistic equation and explore the effects of both additive and multiplicative noise. We illustrate the use of time-dependent carrying capacities and the introduction of Allee effects to the stochastic logistic equation to describe cell differentiation. We conclude both methods adequately capture the decline in OCT4 upon differentiation, but the Allee effect model has the advantage of allowing differentiation to occur stochastically in a sub-set of cells. This mathematical framework for describing intra-cellular OCT4 regulation can be extended to other transcription factors and developed into predictive models.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Wadkin
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - S Orozco-Fuentes
- Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - I Neganova
- Institute of Cytology, RAS St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M Lako
- Bioscience Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - N G Parker
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - A Shukurov
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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28
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Barua A, Beygi A, Hatzikirou H. Close to Optimal Cell Sensing Ensures the Robustness of Tissue Differentiation Process: The Avian Photoreceptor Mosaic Case. ENTROPY 2021; 23:e23070867. [PMID: 34356408 PMCID: PMC8303396 DOI: 10.3390/e23070867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The way that progenitor cell fate decisions and the associated environmental sensing are regulated to ensure the robustness of the spatial and temporal order in which cells are generated towards a fully differentiating tissue still remains elusive. Here, we investigate how cells regulate their sensing intensity and radius to guarantee the required thermodynamic robustness of a differentiated tissue. In particular, we are interested in finding the conditions where dedifferentiation at cell level is possible (microscopic reversibility), but tissue maintains its spatial order and differentiation integrity (macroscopic irreversibility). In order to tackle this, we exploit the recently postulated Least microEnvironmental Uncertainty Principle (LEUP) to develop a theory of stochastic thermodynamics for cell differentiation. To assess the predictive and explanatory power of our theory, we challenge it against the avian photoreceptor mosaic data. By calibrating a single parameter, the LEUP can predict the cone color spatial distribution in the avian retina and, at the same time, suggest that such a spatial pattern is associated with quasi-optimal cell sensing. By means of the stochastic thermodynamics formalism, we find out that thermodynamic robustness of differentiated tissues depends on cell metabolism and cell sensing properties. In turn, we calculate the limits of the cell sensing radius that ensure the robustness of differentiated tissue spatial order. Finally, we further constrain our model predictions to the avian photoreceptor mosaic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Barua
- Centre for Information Services and High Performance Computing, Technische Universität Dresden, Nöthnitzer Straße 46, 01062 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Alireza Beygi
- Centre for Information Services and High Performance Computing, Technische Universität Dresden, Nöthnitzer Straße 46, 01062 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Haralampos Hatzikirou
- Centre for Information Services and High Performance Computing, Technische Universität Dresden, Nöthnitzer Straße 46, 01062 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (A.B.)
- Mathematics Department, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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29
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Gene Expression at a Single Molecule Level: Implications for MDS and AML. Blood 2021; 138:625-636. [PMID: 34157070 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-genetic heterogeneity, or gene expression stochasticity, is an important source of variability in biological systems. With the advent and improvement of single molecule resolution technologies, it has been shown that transcription dynamics and resultant transcript number fluctuations generate significant cell-to-cell variability that has important biological effects and may contribute substantially to both tissue homeostasis and disease. In this respect, the pathophysiology of stem cell-derived malignancies such as AML and MDS, which has historically been studied at the ensemble level, may require re-evaluation. To that end, it is our aim in this review to highlight the results of recent single-molecule, biophysical, and systems studies of gene expression dynamics, with the explicit purpose of demonstrating how the insights from these basic science studies may help inform and progress the field of leukemia biology and, ultimately, research into novel therapies.
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30
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Lambert J, Lloret-Fernández C, Laplane L, Poole RJ, Jarriault S. On the origins and conceptual frameworks of natural plasticity-Lessons from single-cell models in C. elegans. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 144:111-159. [PMID: 33992151 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How flexible are cell identities? This problem has fascinated developmental biologists for several centuries and can be traced back to Abraham Trembley's pioneering manipulations of Hydra to test its regeneration abilities in the 1700s. Since the cell theory in the mid-19th century, developmental biology has been dominated by a single framework in which embryonic cells are committed to specific cell fates, progressively and irreversibly acquiring their differentiated identities. This hierarchical, unidirectional and irreversible view of cell identity has been challenged in the past decades through accumulative evidence that many cell types are more plastic than previously thought, even in intact organisms. The paradigm shift introduced by such plasticity calls into question several other key traditional concepts, such as how to define a differentiated cell or more generally cellular identity, and has brought new concepts, such as distinct cellular states. In this review, we want to contribute to this representation by attempting to clarify the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of cell plasticity and identity. In the context of these new frameworks we describe here an atlas of natural plasticity of cell identity in C. elegans, including our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play. The worm further provides interesting cases at the borderlines of cellular plasticity that highlight the conceptual challenges still ahead. We then discuss a set of future questions and perspectives arising from the studies of natural plasticity in the worm that are shared with other reprogramming and plasticity events across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Lambert
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Carla Lloret-Fernández
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie Laplane
- CNRS UMR 8590, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, IHPST, Paris, France
| | - Richard J Poole
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sophie Jarriault
- IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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31
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Teschendorff AE, Feinberg AP. Statistical mechanics meets single-cell biology. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:459-476. [PMID: 33875884 PMCID: PMC10152720 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell omics is transforming our understanding of cell biology and disease, yet the systems-level analysis and interpretation of single-cell data faces many challenges. In this Perspective, we describe the impact that fundamental concepts from statistical mechanics, notably entropy, stochastic processes and critical phenomena, are having on single-cell data analysis. We further advocate the need for more bottom-up modelling of single-cell data and to embrace a statistical mechanics analysis paradigm to help attain a deeper understanding of single-cell systems biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Andrew P Feinberg
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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32
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c-CSN: Single-cell RNA Sequencing Data Analysis by Conditional Cell-specific Network. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2021; 19:319-329. [PMID: 33684532 PMCID: PMC8602759 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The rapid advancement of single-cell technologies has shed new light on the complex mechanisms of cellular heterogeneity. However, compared to bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) suffers from higher noise and lower coverage, which brings new computational difficulties. Based on statistical independence, cell-specific network (CSN) is able to quantify the overall associations between genes for each cell, yet suffering from a problem of overestimation related to indirect effects. To overcome this problem, we propose the c-CSN method, which can construct the conditional cell-specific network (CCSN) for each cell. c-CSN method can measure the direct associations between genes by eliminating the indirect associations. c-CSN can be used for cell clustering and dimension reduction on a network basis of single cells. Intuitively, each CCSN can be viewed as the transformation from less “reliable” gene expression to more “reliable” gene–gene associations in a cell. Based on CCSN, we further design network flow entropy (NFE) to estimate the differentiation potency of a single cell. A number of scRNA-seq datasets were used to demonstrate the advantages of our approach. 1) One direct association network is generated for one cell. 2) Most existing scRNA-seq methods designed for gene expression matrices are also applicable to c-CSN-transformed degree matrices. 3) CCSN-based NFE helps resolving the direction of differentiation trajectories by quantifying the potency of each cell. c-CSN is publicly available at https://github.com/LinLi-0909/c-CSN.
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33
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Abstract
Only a small fraction of the tumor cell population, glioma-initiating cells (GICs) help glioblastoma propagate, invade, evade immune recognition, repair DNA in response to radiation more efficiently, remodel the microenvironment for optimal growth, and actively pump out chemotherapies. Recent data hint that efforts toward GIC characterization and quantification can help predict patient outcomes, and yet the different subpopulations of GICs remain incompletely understood. A better understanding of GIC subtypes and functions proves critical for engineering targeted therapies. Challenges for doing so are discussed, and dopamine receptor antagonists are introduced as new means to enhance the efficacy of the current standard-of-care against GICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Muftuoglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 300 Stein Plaza Driveway, Suite 420, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1714, USA
| | - Frank Pajonk
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1714, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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34
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Guillemin A, Stumpf MPH. Noise and the molecular processes underlying cell fate decision-making. Phys Biol 2021; 18:011002. [PMID: 33181489 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abc9d1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell fate decision-making events involve the interplay of many molecular processes, ranging from signal transduction to genetic regulation, as well as a set of molecular and physiological feedback loops. Each aspect offers a rich field of investigation in its own right, but to understand the whole process, even in simple terms, we need to consider them together. Here we attempt to characterise this process by focussing on the roles of noise during cell fate decisions. We use a range of recent results to develop a view of the sequence of events by which a cell progresses from a pluripotent or multipotent to a differentiated state: chromatin organisation, transcription factor stoichiometry, and cellular signalling all change during this progression, and all shape cellular variability, which becomes maximal at the transition state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Guillemin
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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35
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Erenpreisa J, Salmina K, Anatskaya O, Cragg MS. Paradoxes of cancer: Survival at the brink. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 81:119-131. [PMID: 33340646 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The fundamental understanding of how Cancer initiates, persists and then progresses is evolving. High-resolution technologies, including single-cell mutation and gene expression measurements, are now attainable, providing an ever-increasing insight into the molecular details. However, this higher resolution has shown that somatic mutation theory itself cannot explain the extraordinary resistance of cancer to extinction. There is a need for a more Systems-based framework of understanding cancer complexity, which in particular explains the regulation of gene expression during cell-fate decisions. Cancer displays a series of paradoxes. Here we attempt to approach them from the view-point of adaptive exploration of gene regulatory networks at the edge of order and chaos, where cell-fate is changed by oscillations between alternative regulators of cellular senescence and reprogramming operating through self-organisation. On this background, the role of polyploidy in accessing the phylogenetically pre-programmed "oncofetal attractor" state, related to unicellularity, and the de-selection of unsuitable variants at the brink of cell survival is highlighted. The concepts of the embryological and atavistic theory of cancer, cancer cell "life-cycle", and cancer aneuploidy paradox are dissected under this lense. Finally, we challenge researchers to consider that cancer "defects" are mostly the adaptation tools of survival programs that have arisen during evolution and are intrinsic of cancer. Recognition of these features should help in the development of more successful anti-cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristine Salmina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | | | - Mark S Cragg
- Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
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36
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Banerjee M, Volpert V. Stochastic intracellular regulation can remove oscillations in a model of tissue growth. MATHEMATICAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY-A JOURNAL OF THE IMA 2020; 37:551-568. [PMID: 32735317 DOI: 10.1093/imammb/dqaa009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The work is devoted to the analysis of cell population dynamics where cells make a choice between differentiation and apoptosis. This choice is based on the values of intracellular proteins whose concentrations are described by a system of ordinary differential equations with bistable dynamics. Intracellular regulation and cell fate are controlled by the extracellular regulation through the number of differentiated cells. It is shown that the total cell number necessarily oscillates if the initial condition in the intracellular regulation is fixed. These oscillations can be suppressed if the initial condition is a random variable with a sufficiently large variation. Thus, the result of the work suggests a possible answer to the question about the role of stochasticity in the intracellular regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Banerjee
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, India
| | - V Volpert
- Institut Camille Jordan, UMR 5208 CNRS, University Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.,INRIA, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Institut Camille Jordan, 43 Bd. du 11 Novembre 1918, 69200 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.,Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow 117198, Russian Federation
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37
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Dotson GA, Ryan CW, Chen C, Muir L, Rajapakse I. Cellular reprogramming: Mathematics meets medicine. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2020; 13:e1515. [PMID: 33289324 PMCID: PMC8867497 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Generating needed cell types using cellular reprogramming is a promising strategy for restoring tissue function in injury or disease. A common method for reprogramming is addition of one or more transcription factors that confer a new function or identity. Advancements in transcription factor selection and delivery have culminated in successful grafting of autologous reprogrammed cells, an early demonstration of their clinical utility. Though cellular reprogramming has been successful in a number of settings, identification of appropriate transcription factors for a particular transformation has been challenging. Computational methods enable more sophisticated prediction of relevant transcription factors for reprogramming by leveraging gene expression data of initial and target cell types, and are built on mathematical frameworks ranging from information theory to control theory. This review highlights the utility and impact of these mathematical frameworks in the field of cellular reprogramming. This article is categorized under: Reproductive System Diseases > Reproductive System Diseases>Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Reproductive System Diseases > Reproductive System Diseases>Stem Cells and Development Reproductive System Diseases > Reproductive System Diseases>Computational Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A. Dotson
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Charles W. Ryan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Can Chen
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Lindsey Muir
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Indika Rajapakse
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
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38
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Capp JP, Thomas F. Tissue-disruption-induced cellular stochasticity and epigenetic drift: Common origins of aging and cancer? Bioessays 2020; 43:e2000140. [PMID: 33118188 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Age-related and cancer-related epigenomic modifications have been associated with enhanced cell-to-cell gene expression variability that characterizes increased cellular stochasticity. Since gene expression variability appears to be highly reduced by-and epigenetic and phenotypic stability acquired through-direct or long-range cellular interactions during cell differentiation, we propose a common origin for aging and cancer in the failure to control cellular stochasticity by cell-cell interactions. Tissue-disruption-induced cellular stochasticity associated with epigenetic drift would be at the origin of organ dysfunction because of an increase in phenotypic variation among cells, ultimately leading to cell death and organ failure through a loss of coordination in cellular functions, and eventually to cancerization. We propose mechanistic research perspectives to corroborate this hypothesis and explore its evolutionary consequences, highlighting a positive correlation between the median age of mass loss onset (a proxy for the onset of organ aging) and the median age at cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pascal Capp
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, University of Toulouse, INSA, CNRS, INRAE, Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC (CREES), UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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39
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Plant AL, Halter M, Stinson J. Probing pluripotency gene regulatory networks with quantitative live cell imaging. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2733-2743. [PMID: 33101611 PMCID: PMC7560648 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.09.025] [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: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Live cell imaging uniquely enables the measurement of dynamic events in single cells, but it has not been used often in the study of gene regulatory networks. Network components can be examined in relation to one another by quantitative live cell imaging of fluorescent protein reporter cell lines that simultaneously report on more than one network component. A series of dual-reporter cell lines would allow different combinations of network components to be examined in individual cells. Dynamical information about interacting network components in individual cells is critical to predictive modeling of gene regulatory networks, and such information is not accessible through omics and other end point techniques. Achieving this requires that gene-edited cell lines are appropriately designed and adequately characterized to assure the validity of the biological conclusions derived from the expression of the reporters. In this brief review we discuss what is known about the importance of dynamics to network modeling and review some recent advances in optical microscopy methods and image analysis approaches that are making the use of quantitative live cell imaging for network analysis possible. We also discuss how strategies for genetic engineering of reporter cell lines can influence the biological relevance of the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Plant
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
| | - Michael Halter
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
| | - Jeffrey Stinson
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
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40
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Capp JP, Thomas F. A Similar Speciation Process Relying on Cellular Stochasticity in Microbial and Cancer Cell Populations. iScience 2020; 23:101531. [PMID: 33083761 PMCID: PMC7502340 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Similarities between microbial and cancer cells were noticed in recent years and serve as a basis for an atavism theory of cancer. Cancer cells would rely on the reactivation of an ancestral "genetic program" that would have been repressed in metazoan cells. Here we argue that cancer cells resemble unicellular organisms mainly in their similar way to exploit cellular stochasticity to produce cell specialization and maximize proliferation. Indeed, the relationship between low stochasticity, specialization, and quiescence found in normal differentiated metazoan cells is lost in cancer. On the contrary, low stochasticity and specialization are associated with high proliferation among cancer cells, as it is observed for the "specialist" cells in microbial populations that fully exploit nutritional resources to maximize proliferation. Thus, we propose a model where the appearance of cancer phenotypes can be solely due to an adaptation and a speciation process based on initial increase in cellular stochasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pascal Capp
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, University of Toulouse, INSA, CNRS, INRAE, 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC, UMR IRD 224, CNRS 5290, University of Montpellier, 34394 Montpellier, France
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41
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Ohata H, Shiokawa D, Obata Y, Sato A, Sakai H, Fukami M, Hara W, Taniguchi H, Ono M, Nakagama H, Okamoto K. NOX1-Dependent mTORC1 Activation via S100A9 Oxidation in Cancer Stem-like Cells Leads to Colon Cancer Progression. Cell Rep 2020; 28:1282-1295.e8. [PMID: 31365870 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with the refractory nature of cancer, and elucidating the targetable pathways for CSCs is crucial for devising innovative antitumor therapies. We find that the proliferation of CSC-enriched colon spheroids from clinical specimen is dependent on mTORC1 kinase, which is activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by NOX1, an NADPH oxidase. In the spheroid-derived xenograft tumors, NOX1 is preferentially expressed in LGR5-positive cells. Dependence on NOX1 expression or mTOR kinase activity is corroborated in the xenograft tumors and mouse colon cancer-derived organoids. NOX1 co-localizes with mTORC1 in VPS41-/VPS39-positive lysosomes, where mTORC1 binds to S100A9, a member of S100 calcium binding proteins, in a NOX1-produced ROS-dependent manner. S100A9 is oxidized by NOX1-produced ROS, which facilitates binding to mTORC1 and its activation. We propose that NOX1-dependent mTORC1 activation via S100A9 oxidation in VPS41-/VPS39-positive lysosomes is crucial for colon CSC proliferation and colon cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Ohata
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Daisuke Shiokawa
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuuki Obata
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Ai Sato
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Sakai
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Mayu Fukami
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Wakako Hara
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Taniguchi
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Masaya Ono
- Department of Clinical Proteomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nakagama
- National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Koji Okamoto
- Division of Cancer Differentiation, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
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42
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Capp JP, Laforge B. A Darwinian and Physical Look at Stem Cell Biology Helps Understanding the Role of Stochasticity in Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:659. [PMID: 32793600 PMCID: PMC7391792 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell analysis allows biologists to gain huge insight into cell differentiation and tissue structuration. Randomness of differentiation, both in vitro and in vivo, of pluripotent (multipotent) stem cells is now demonstrated to be mainly based on stochastic gene expression. Nevertheless, it remains necessary to incorporate this inherent stochasticity of developmental processes within a coherent scheme. We argue here that the theory called ontophylogenesis is more relevant and better fits with experimental data than alternative theories which have been suggested based on the notions of self-organization and attractor states. The ontophylogenesis theory considers the generation of a differentiated state as a constrained random process: randomness is provided by the stochastic dynamics of biochemical reactions while the environmental constraints, including cell inner structures and cell-cell interactions, drive the system toward a stabilized state of equilibrium. In this conception, biological organization during development can be seen as the result of multiscale constraints produced by the dynamical organization of the biological system which retroacts on the stochastic dynamics at lower scales. This scheme makes it possible to really understand how the generation of reproducible structures at higher organization levels can be fully compatible with probabilistic behavior at the lower levels. It is compatible with the second law of thermodynamics but allows the overtaking of the limitations exhibited by models only based on entropy exchanges which cannot cope with the description nor the dynamics of the mesoscopic and macroscopic organization of biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pascal Capp
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, University of Toulouse, INSA, CNRS, INRAE, Toulouse, France
| | - Bertrand Laforge
- LPNHE, UMR 7585, Sorbonne Université, CNRS/IN2P3, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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43
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Abstract
Cells can rapidly adapt to changing environments through nongenetic processes; however, the metabolic cost of such adaptation has never been considered. Here we demonstrate metabolic coupling in a remarkable, rapid adaptation process (1 in 1,000 cells adapt per hour) by simultaneously measuring metabolism and division of thousands of individual Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells using a droplet microfluidic system: droplets containing single cells are immobilized in a two-dimensional (2D) array, with osmotically induced changes in droplet volume being used to measure cell metabolism, while simultaneously imaging the cells to measure division. Following a severe challenge, most cells, while not dividing, continue to metabolize, displaying a remarkably wide diversity of metabolic trajectories from which adaptation events can be anticipated. Adaptation requires a characteristic amount of energy, indicating that it is an active process. The demonstration that metabolic trajectories predict a priori adaptation events provides evidence of tight energetic coupling between metabolism and regulatory reorganization in adaptation. This process allows S. cerevisiae to adapt on a physiological timescale, but related phenomena may also be important in other processes, such as cellular differentiation, cellular reprogramming, and the emergence of drug resistance in cancer.
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44
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Nijman SMB. Perturbation-Driven Entropy as a Source of Cancer Cell Heterogeneity. Trends Cancer 2020; 6:454-461. [PMID: 32460001 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Intratumor heterogeneity is a key hallmark of cancer that contributes to progression and therapeutic resistance. Phenotypic heterogeneity is in part caused by Darwinian selection of subclones that arise by random (epi)genetic aberrations. In addition, cancer cells are endowed with increased cellular plasticity compared with their normal counterparts, further adding to their heterogeneous behavior. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning cancer cell plasticity are incompletely understood. Here, I outline the hypothesis that cancer-associated perturbations collectively disrupt normal gene regulatory networks (GRNs) by increasing their entropy. Importantly, in this model both somatic driver and passenger alterations contribute to 'perturbation-driven entropy', thereby increasing phenotypic heterogeneity and evolvability. This additional layer of heterogeneity may contribute to our understanding of cancer evolution and therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M B Nijman
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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45
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Hubbard JB, Halter M, Sarkar S, Plant AL. The role of fluctuations in determining cellular network thermodynamics. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230076. [PMID: 32160263 PMCID: PMC7065797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The steady state distributions of phenotypic responses within an isogenic population of cells result from both deterministic and stochastic characteristics of biochemical networks. A biochemical network can be characterized by a multidimensional potential landscape based on the distribution of responses and a diffusion matrix of the correlated dynamic fluctuations between N-numbers of intracellular network variables. In this work, we develop a thermodynamic description of biological networks at the level of microscopic interactions between network variables. The Boltzmann H-function defines the rate of free energy dissipation of a network system and provides a framework for determining the heat associated with the nonequilibrium steady state and its network components. The magnitudes of the landscape gradients and the dynamic correlated fluctuations of network variables are experimentally accessible. We describe the use of Fokker-Planck dynamics to calculate housekeeping heat from the experimental data by a method that we refer to as Thermo-FP. The method provides insight into the composition of the network and the relative thermodynamic contributions from network components. We surmise that these thermodynamic quantities allow determination of the relative importance of network components to overall network control. We conjecture that there is an upper limit to the rate of dissipative heat produced by a biological system that is associated with system size or modularity, and we show that the dissipative heat has a lower bound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B. Hubbard
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Michael Halter
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Swarnavo Sarkar
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Anne L. Plant
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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46
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Prager BC, Bhargava S, Mahadev V, Hubert CG, Rich JN. Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Driving Resilience through Chaos. Trends Cancer 2020; 6:223-235. [PMID: 32101725 PMCID: PMC8779821 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma is an aggressive and heterogeneous tumor in which glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are at the apex of an entropic hierarchy and impart devastating therapy resistance. The high entropy of GSCs is driven by a permissive epigenetic landscape and a mutational landscape that revokes crucial cellular checkpoints. The GSC population encompasses a complex array of diverse microstates that are defined and maintained by a wide variety of attractors including the complex tumor ecosystem and therapeutic intervention. Constant dynamic transcriptional fluctuations result in a highly adaptable and heterogeneous entity primed for therapy evasion and survival. Analyzing the transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic landscapes of GSC dynamics in the context of a stochastically fluctuating tumor network will provide novel strategies to target resistant populations of GSCs in glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana C Prager
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Case Western Reserve University Medical Scientist Training Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Shruti Bhargava
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Vaidehi Mahadev
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Jeremy N Rich
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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47
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The recent advances in the mathematical modelling of human pluripotent stem cells. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2020; 2:276. [PMID: 32803125 PMCID: PMC7391994 DOI: 10.1007/s42452-020-2070-3] [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: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells hold great promise for developments in regenerative medicine and drug design. The mathematical modelling of stem cells and their properties is necessary to understand and quantify key behaviours and develop non-invasive prognostic modelling tools to assist in the optimisation of laboratory experiments. Here, the recent advances in the mathematical modelling of hPSCs are discussed, including cell kinematics, cell proliferation and colony formation, and pluripotency and differentiation.
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48
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Guillemin A, Duchesne R, Crauste F, Gonin-Giraud S, Gandrillon O. Drugs modulating stochastic gene expression affect the erythroid differentiation process. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225166. [PMID: 31751364 PMCID: PMC6872177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand the mechanisms behind cells decision-making to differentiate, we assessed the influence of stochastic gene expression (SGE) modulation on the erythroid differentiation process. It has been suggested that stochastic gene expression has a role in cell fate decision-making which is revealed by single-cell analyses but studies dedicated to demonstrate the consistency of this link are still lacking. Recent observations showed that SGE significantly increased during differentiation and a few showed that an increase of the level of SGE is accompanied by an increase in the differentiation process. However, a consistent relation in both increasing and decreasing directions has never been shown in the same cellular system. Such demonstration would require to be able to experimentally manipulate simultaneously the level of SGE and cell differentiation in order to observe if cell behavior matches with the current theory. We identified three drugs that modulate SGE in primary erythroid progenitor cells. Both Artemisinin and Indomethacin decreased SGE and reduced the amount of differentiated cells. On the contrary, a third component called MB-3 simultaneously increased the level of SGE and the amount of differentiated cells. We then used a dynamical modelling approach which confirmed that differentiation rates were indeed affected by the drug treatment. Using single-cell analysis and modeling tools, we provide experimental evidence that, in a physiologically relevant cellular system, SGE is linked to differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Guillemin
- Laboratoire de biologie et modélisation de la cellule. LBMC - Ecole Normale Supérieure - Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR5239, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale: U1210 - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46 allée d’Italie 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Ronan Duchesne
- Laboratoire de biologie et modélisation de la cellule. LBMC - Ecole Normale Supérieure - Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR5239, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale: U1210 - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46 allée d’Italie 69007 Lyon, France
- Inria Dracula, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fabien Crauste
- Inria Dracula, Villeurbanne, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, IMB, UMR 5251, F-33400, Talence, France
| | - Sandrine Gonin-Giraud
- Laboratoire de biologie et modélisation de la cellule. LBMC - Ecole Normale Supérieure - Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR5239, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale: U1210 - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46 allée d’Italie 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Olivier Gandrillon
- Laboratoire de biologie et modélisation de la cellule. LBMC - Ecole Normale Supérieure - Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR5239, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale: U1210 - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46 allée d’Italie 69007 Lyon, France
- Inria Dracula, Villeurbanne, France
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49
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Jang J, Han D, Golkaram M, Audouard M, Liu G, Bridges D, Hellander S, Chialastri A, Dey SS, Petzold LR, Kosik KS. Control over single-cell distribution of G1 lengths by WNT governs pluripotency. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000453. [PMID: 31557150 PMCID: PMC6782112 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The link between single-cell variation and population-level fate choices lacks a mechanistic explanation despite extensive observations of gene expression and epigenetic variation among individual cells. Here, we found that single human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have different and biased differentiation potentials toward either neuroectoderm or mesendoderm depending on their G1 lengths before the onset of differentiation. Single-cell variation in G1 length operates in a dynamic equilibrium that establishes a G1 length probability distribution for a population of hESCs and predicts differentiation outcome toward neuroectoderm or mesendoderm lineages. Although sister stem cells generally share G1 lengths, a variable proportion of cells have asymmetric G1 lengths, which maintains the population dispersion. Environmental Wingless-INT (WNT) levels can control the G1 length distribution, apparently as a means of priming the fate of hESC populations once they undergo differentiation. As a downstream mechanism, global 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels are regulated by G1 length and thereby link G1 length to differentiation outcomes of hESCs. Overall, our findings suggest that intrapopulation heterogeneity in G1 length underlies the pluripotent differentiation potential of stem cell populations. The link between single-cell variation and population-level fate choices lacks a mechanistic explanation. This study finds that the duration of the G1 cell cycle phase in stem cells varies within the population, giving rise to a probability distribution of G1 length that is responsive to Wnt signalling and that predicts cells’ differentiation potential upon exit from pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Jang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Dasol Han
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Mahdi Golkaram
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Morgane Audouard
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Guojing Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel Bridges
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Stefan Hellander
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Alex Chialastri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Siddharth S. Dey
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Center for Bioengineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Linda R. Petzold
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Kenneth S. Kosik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Stem Cell Differentiation as a Non-Markov Stochastic Process. Cell Syst 2019; 5:268-282.e7. [PMID: 28957659 PMCID: PMC5624514 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells can self-renew in culture and differentiate along all somatic lineages in vivo. While much is known about the molecular basis of pluripotency, the mechanisms of differentiation remain unclear. Here, we profile individual mouse embryonic stem cells as they progress along the neuronal lineage. We observe that cells pass from the pluripotent state to the neuronal state via an intermediate epiblast-like state. However, analysis of the rate at which cells enter and exit these observed cell states using a hidden Markov model indicates the presence of a chain of unobserved molecular states that each cell transits through stochastically in sequence. This chain of hidden states allows individual cells to record their position on the differentiation trajectory, thereby encoding a simple form of cellular memory. We suggest a statistical mechanics interpretation of these results that distinguishes between functionally distinct cellular “macrostates” and functionally similar molecular “microstates” and propose a model of stem cell differentiation as a non-Markov stochastic process. We profile individual stem cells as they differentiate along the neural lineage Regulatory network changes and increased cell variability accompany differentiation Analysis of dynamics with a hidden Markov model reveals unobserved molecular states We propose a model of stem cell differentiation as a non-Markov stochastic process
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