1
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Liu Y, Kim YS, Xue X, Miao Y, Kobayashi N, Sun S, Yan RZ, Yang Q, Pourquié O, Fu J. A human pluripotent stem cell-based somitogenesis model using microfluidics. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:1113-1126.e6. [PMID: 38981471 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.06.004] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Emerging human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based embryo models are useful for studying human embryogenesis. Particularly, there are hPSC-based somitogenesis models using free-floating culture that recapitulate somite formation. Somitogenesis in vivo involves intricately orchestrated biochemical and biomechanical events. However, none of the current somitogenesis models controls biochemical gradients or biomechanical signals in the culture, limiting their applicability to untangle complex biochemical-biomechanical interactions that drive somitogenesis. Herein, we develop a human somitogenesis model by confining hPSC-derived presomitic mesoderm (PSM) tissues in microfabricated trenches. Exogenous microfluidic morphogen gradients imposed on the PSM tissues cause axial patterning and trigger spontaneous rostral-to-caudal somite formation. A mechanical theory is developed to explain the size dependency between somites and the PSM. The microfluidic somitogenesis model is further exploited to reveal regulatory roles of cellular and tissue biomechanics in somite formation. This study presents a useful microengineered, hPSC-based model for understanding the biochemical and biomechanical events that guide somite formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Yung Su Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuchuan Miao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Norio Kobayashi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shiyu Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Robin Zhexuan Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Qiong Yang
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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2
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Miao Y, Pourquié O. Cellular and molecular control of vertebrate somitogenesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:517-533. [PMID: 38418851 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00709-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Segmentation is a fundamental feature of the vertebrate body plan. This metameric organization is first implemented by somitogenesis in the early embryo, when paired epithelial blocks called somites are rhythmically formed to flank the neural tube. Recent advances in in vitro models have offered new opportunities to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie somitogenesis. Notably, models derived from human pluripotent stem cells introduced an efficient proxy for studying this process during human development. In this Review, we summarize the current understanding of somitogenesis gained from both in vivo studies and in vitro studies. We deconstruct the spatiotemporal dynamics of somitogenesis into four distinct modules: dynamic events in the presomitic mesoderm, segmental determination, somite anteroposterior polarity patterning, and epithelial morphogenesis. We first focus on the segmentation clock, as well as signalling and metabolic gradients along the tissue, before discussing the clock and wavefront and other models that account for segmental determination. We then detail the molecular and cellular mechanisms of anteroposterior polarity patterning and somite epithelialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Miao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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3
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Naganathan SR. An emerging role for tissue plasticity in developmental precision. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:987-995. [PMID: 38716859 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230173] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Reproducible tissue morphology is a fundamental feature of embryonic development. To ensure such robustness during tissue morphogenesis, inherent noise in biological processes must be buffered. While redundant genes, parallel signaling pathways and intricate network topologies are known to reduce noise, over the last few years, mechanical properties of tissues have been shown to play a vital role. Here, taking the example of somite shape changes, I will discuss how tissues are highly plastic in their ability to change shapes leading to increased precision and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sundar Ram Naganathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, India
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4
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Chandel AS, Keseroglu K, Özbudak EM. Oscillatory control of embryonic development. Development 2024; 151:dev202191. [PMID: 38727565 PMCID: PMC11128281 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Proper embryonic development depends on the timely progression of a genetic program. One of the key mechanisms for achieving precise control of developmental timing is to use gene expression oscillations. In this Review, we examine how gene expression oscillations encode temporal information during vertebrate embryonic development by discussing the gene expression oscillations occurring during somitogenesis, neurogenesis, myogenesis and pancreas development. These oscillations play important but varied physiological functions in different contexts. Oscillations control the period of somite formation during somitogenesis, whereas they regulate the proliferation-to-differentiation switch of stem cells and progenitor cells during neurogenesis, myogenesis and pancreas development. We describe the similarities and differences of the expression pattern in space (i.e. whether oscillations are synchronous or asynchronous across neighboring cells) and in time (i.e. different time scales) of mammalian Hes/zebrafish Her genes and their targets in different tissues. We further summarize experimental evidence for the functional role of their oscillations. Finally, we discuss the outstanding questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angad Singh Chandel
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Systems Biology and Physiology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Kemal Keseroglu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M. Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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5
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Emig AA, Hansen M, Grimm S, Coarfa C, Lord ND, Williams MK. Temporal dynamics of BMP/Nodal ratio drive tissue-specific gastrulation morphogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.579243. [PMID: 38370754 PMCID: PMC10871350 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.579243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Anteroposterior (AP) elongation of the vertebrate body plan is driven by convergence and extension (C&E) gastrulation movements in both the mesoderm and neuroectoderm, but how or whether molecular regulation of C&E differs between tissues remains an open question. Using a zebrafish explant model of AP axis extension, we show that C&E of the neuroectoderm and mesoderm can be uncoupled ex vivo, and that morphogenesis of individual tissues results from distinct morphogen signaling dynamics. Using precise temporal manipulation of BMP and Nodal signaling, we identify a critical developmental window during which high or low BMP/Nodal ratios induce neuroectoderm- or mesoderm-driven C&E, respectively. Increased BMP activity similarly enhances C&E specifically in the ectoderm of intact zebrafish gastrulae, highlighting the in vivo relevance of our findings. Together, these results demonstrate that temporal dynamics of BMP and Nodal morphogen signaling activate distinct morphogenetic programs governing C&E gastrulation movements within individual tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa A Emig
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Megan Hansen
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Sandra Grimm
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Nathan D Lord
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Margot Kossmann Williams
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Previous address: Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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6
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Miao Y. In preprints: tick, tick, somite - an intrinsic timer regulates segmentation. Development 2024; 151:dev202686. [PMID: 38293868 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Miao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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7
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McDaniel C, Simsek MF, Chandel AS, Özbudak EM. Spatiotemporal control of pattern formation during somitogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk8937. [PMID: 38277458 PMCID: PMC10816718 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk8937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns widely occur in biological, chemical, and physical systems. Particularly, embryonic development displays a diverse gamut of repetitive patterns established in many tissues and organs. Branching treelike structures in lungs, kidneys, livers, pancreases, and mammary glands as well as digits and bones in appendages, teeth, and palates are just a few examples. A fascinating instance of repetitive patterning is the sequential segmentation of the primary body axis, which is conserved in all vertebrates and many arthropods and annelids. In these species, the body axis elongates at the posterior end of the embryo containing an unsegmented tissue. Meanwhile, segments sequentially bud off from the anterior end of the unsegmented tissue, laying down an exquisite repetitive pattern and creating a segmented body plan. In vertebrates, the paraxial mesoderm is sequentially divided into somites. In this review, we will discuss the most prominent models, the most puzzling experimental data, and outstanding questions in vertebrate somite segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra McDaniel
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Systems Biology and Physiology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - M. Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Angad Singh Chandel
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Systems Biology and Physiology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M. Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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8
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Oikonomou P, Cirne HC, Nerurkar NL. A chemo-mechanical model of endoderm movements driving elongation of the amniote hindgut. Development 2023; 150:dev202010. [PMID: 37840469 PMCID: PMC10690059 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202010] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Although mechanical and biochemical descriptions of development are each essential, integration of upstream morphogenic cues with downstream tissue mechanics remains understudied during vertebrate morphogenesis. Here, we developed a two-dimensional chemo-mechanical model to investigate how mechanical properties of the endoderm and transport properties of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) regulate avian hindgut morphogenesis in a coordinated manner. Posterior endoderm cells convert a gradient of FGF ligands into a contractile force gradient, leading to a force imbalance that drives collective cell movements that elongate the forming hindgut tube. We formulated a 2D reaction-diffusion-advection model describing the formation of an FGF protein gradient as a result of posterior displacement of cells transcribing unstable Fgf8 mRNA during axis elongation, coupled with translation, diffusion and degradation of FGF protein. The endoderm was modeled as an active viscous fluid that generates contractile stresses in proportion to FGF concentration. With parameter values constrained by experimental data, the model replicates key aspects of hindgut morphogenesis, suggests that graded isotropic contraction is sufficient to generate large anisotropic cell movements, and provides new insight into how chemo-mechanical coupling across the mesoderm and endoderm coordinates hindgut elongation with axis elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Oikonomou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Helena C. Cirne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Nandan L. Nerurkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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9
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Simsek MF, Özbudak EM. A design logic for sequential segmentation across organisms. FEBS J 2023; 290:5086-5093. [PMID: 37422856 PMCID: PMC10774455 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16899] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Multitudes of organisms display metameric compartmentalization of their body plan. Segmentation of these compartments happens sequentially in diverse phyla. In several sequentially segmenting species, periodically active molecular clocks and signaling gradients have been found. The clocks are proposed to control the timing of segmentation, while the gradients are proposed to instruct the positions of segment boundaries. However, the identity of the clock and gradient molecules differs across species. Furthermore, sequential segmentation of a basal chordate, Amphioxus, continues at late stages when the small tail bud cell population cannot establish long-range signaling gradients. Thus, it remains to be explained how a conserved morphological trait (i.e., sequential segmentation) is achieved by using different molecules or molecules with different spatial profiles. Here, we first focus on sequential segmentation of somites in vertebrate embryos and then draw parallels with other species. Thereafter, we propose a candidate design principle that has the potential to answer this puzzling question.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH, USA
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10
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Keseroglu K, Zinani OQH, Keskin S, Seawall H, Alpay EE, Özbudak EM. Stochastic gene expression and environmental stressors trigger variable somite segmentation phenotypes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6497. [PMID: 37838784 PMCID: PMC10576776 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42220-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations of several genes cause incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity of phenotypes, which are usually attributed to modifier genes or gene-environment interactions. Here, we show stochastic gene expression underlies the variability of somite segmentation defects in embryos mutant for segmentation clock genes her1 or her7. Phenotypic strength is further augmented by low temperature and hypoxia. By performing live imaging of the segmentation clock reporters, we further show that groups of cells with higher oscillation amplitudes successfully form somites while those with lower amplitudes fail to do so. In unfavorable environments, the number of cycles with high amplitude oscillations and the number of successful segmentations proportionally decrease. These results suggest that individual oscillation cycles stochastically fail to pass a threshold amplitude, resulting in segmentation defects in mutants. Our quantitative methodology is adaptable to investigate variable phenotypes of mutant genes in different tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemal Keseroglu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Oriana Q H Zinani
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Sevdenur Keskin
- Allergy and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Science and Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Hannah Seawall
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Eslim E Alpay
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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11
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Chandel AS, Stocker M, Özbudak EM. The Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor Signaling in Somitogenesis. DNA Cell Biol 2023; 42:580-584. [PMID: 37462914 PMCID: PMC10611959 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2023.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is conserved from cnidaria to mammals (Ornitz and Itoh, 2022) and it regulates several critical processes such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, cell migration, and embryonic development. One pivotal process FGF signaling controls is the division of vertebrate paraxial mesoderm into repeated segmented units called somites (i.e., somitogenesis). Somite segmentation occurs periodically and sequentially in a head-to-tail manner, and lays down the plan for compartmentalized development of the vertebrate body axis (Gomez et al., 2008). These somites later give rise to vertebrae, tendons, and skeletal muscle. Somite segments form sequentially from the anterior end of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). The periodicity of somite segmentation is conferred by the segmentation clock, comprising oscillatory expression of Hairy and enhancer-of-split (Her/Hes) genes in the PSM. The positional information for somite boundaries is instructed by the double phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ppERK) gradient, which is the relevant readout of FGF signaling during somitogenesis (Sawada et al., 2001; Delfini et al., 2005; Simsek and Ozbudak, 2018; Simsek et al., 2023). In this review, we summarize the crosstalk between the segmentation clock and FGF/ppERK gradient and discuss how that leads to periodic somite boundary formation. We also draw attention to outstanding questions regarding the interconnected roles of the segmentation clock and ppERK gradient, and close with suggested future directions of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angad Singh Chandel
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Systems Biology and Physiology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew Stocker
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M. Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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12
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Simsek MF, Özbudak EM. Human stem cell models unravel mechanisms of somite segmentation. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:246-247. [PMID: 36868192 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
In vitro models to study human somitogenesis, the formation of the segmented body plan, have so far been limited.1 Two papers in Nature now report the creation of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived 3D culture systems that recapitulate the formation of somite-like structures and help gain insights into this developmental process.2,3.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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13
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Yaman YI, Ramanathan S. Controlling human organoid symmetry breaking reveals signaling gradients drive segmentation clock waves. Cell 2023; 186:513-527.e19. [PMID: 36657441 PMCID: PMC10025047 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Axial development of mammals involves coordinated morphogenetic events, including axial elongation, somitogenesis, and neural tube formation. To gain insight into the signals controlling the dynamics of human axial morphogenesis, we generated axially elongating organoids by inducing anteroposterior symmetry breaking of spatially coupled epithelial cysts derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Each organoid was composed of a neural tube flanked by presomitic mesoderm sequentially segmented into somites. Periodic activation of the somite differentiation gene MESP2 coincided in space and time with anteriorly traveling segmentation clock waves in the presomitic mesoderm of the organoids, recapitulating critical aspects of somitogenesis. Timed perturbations demonstrated that FGF and WNT signaling play distinct roles in axial elongation and somitogenesis, and that FGF signaling gradients drive segmentation clock waves. By generating and perturbing organoids that robustly recapitulate the architecture of multiple axial tissues in human embryos, this work offers a means to dissect mechanisms underlying human embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Ilker Yaman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Sharad Ramanathan
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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14
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Uriu K, Morelli LG. Orchestration of tissue shape changes and gene expression patterns in development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 147:24-33. [PMID: 36631335 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In development, tissue shape changes and gene expression patterns give rise to morphogenesis. Understanding tissue shape changes requires the analysis of mechanical properties of the tissue such as tissue rigidity, cell influx from neighboring tissues, cell shape changes and cell proliferation. Local and global gene expression patterns can be influenced by neighbor exchange and tissue shape changes. Here we review recent studies on the mechanisms for tissue elongation and its influences on dynamic gene expression patterns by focusing on vertebrate somitogenesis. We first introduce mechanical and biochemical properties of the segmenting tissue that drive tissue elongation. Then, we discuss patterning in the presence of cell mixing, scaling of signaling gradients, and dynamic phase waves of rhythmic gene expression under tissue shape changes. We also highlight the importance of theoretical approaches to address the relation between tissue shape changes and patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Uriu
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192 Japan.
| | - Luis G Morelli
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Polo Científico Tecnológico, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Física, FCEyN UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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15
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Periodic inhibition of Erk activity drives sequential somite segmentation. Nature 2023; 613:153-159. [PMID: 36517597 PMCID: PMC9846577 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sequential segmentation creates modular body plans of diverse metazoan embryos1-4. Somitogenesis establishes the segmental pattern of the vertebrate body axis. A molecular segmentation clock in the presomitic mesoderm sets the pace of somite formation4. However, how cells are primed to form a segment boundary at a specific location remains unclear. Here we developed precise reporters for the clock and double-phosphorylated Erk (ppErk) gradient in zebrafish. We show that the Her1-Her7 oscillator drives segmental commitment by periodically lowering ppErk, therefore projecting its oscillation onto the ppErk gradient. Pulsatile inhibition of the ppErk gradient can fully substitute for the role of the clock, and kinematic clock waves are dispensable for sequential segmentation. The clock functions upstream of ppErk, which in turn enables neighbouring cells to discretely establish somite boundaries in zebrafish5. Molecularly divergent clocks and morphogen gradients were identified in sequentially segmenting species3,4,6-8. Our findings imply that versatile clocks may establish sequential segmentation in diverse species provided that they inhibit gradients.
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16
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Özelçi E, Mailand E, Rüegg M, Oates AC, Sakar MS. Deconstructing body axis morphogenesis in zebrafish embryos using robot-assisted tissue micromanipulation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7934. [PMID: 36566327 PMCID: PMC9789989 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35632-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Classic microsurgical techniques, such as those used in the early 1900s by Mangold and Spemann, have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of embryonic development. However, these techniques are highly specialized, leading to issues of inter-operator variability. Here we introduce a user-friendly robotic microsurgery platform that allows precise mechanical manipulation of soft tissues in zebrafish embryos. Using our platform, we reproducibly targeted precise regions of tail explants, and quantified the response in real-time by following notochord and presomitic mesoderm (PSM) morphogenesis and segmentation clock dynamics during vertebrate anteroposterior axis elongation. We find an extension force generated through the posterior notochord that is strong enough to buckle the structure. Our data suggest that this force generates a unidirectional notochord extension towards the tailbud because PSM tissue around the posterior notochord does not let it slide anteriorly. These results complement existing biomechanical models of axis elongation, revealing a critical coupling between the posterior notochord, the tailbud, and the PSM, and show that somite patterning is robust against structural perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Özelçi
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erik Mailand
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Rüegg
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C. Oates
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mahmut Selman Sakar
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ,grid.5333.60000000121839049Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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17
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Abstract
Metazoan embryos develop from a single cell into three-dimensional structured organisms while groups of genetically identical cells attain specialized identities. Cells of the developing embryo both create and accurately interpret morphogen gradients to determine their positions and make specific decisions in response. Here, we first cover intellectual roots of morphogen and positional information concepts. Focusing on animal embryos, we then provide a review of current understanding on how morphogen gradients are established and how their spans are controlled. Lastly, we cover how gradients evolve in time and space during development, and how they encode information to control patterning. In sum, we provide a list of patterning principles for morphogen gradients and review recent advances in quantitative methodologies elucidating information provided by morphogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M. Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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18
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Giri R, Brady S, Papadopoulos DK, Carthew RW. Single-cell Senseless protein analysis reveals metastable states during the transition to a sensory organ fate. iScience 2022; 25:105097. [PMID: 36157584 PMCID: PMC9494244 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell fate decisions can be envisioned as bifurcating dynamical systems, and the decision that Drosophila cells make during sensory organ differentiation has been described as such. We extended these studies by focusing on the Senseless protein which orchestrates sensory cell fate transitions. Wing cells contain intermediate Senseless numbers before their fate transition, after which they express much greater numbers of Senseless molecules as they differentiate. However, the dynamics are inconsistent with it being a simple bistable system. Cells with intermediate Senseless are best modeled as residing in four discrete states, each with a distinct protein number and occupying a specific region of the tissue. Although the states are stable over time, the number of molecules in each state vary with time. The fold change in molecule number between adjacent states is invariant and robust to absolute protein number variation. Thus, cells transitioning to sensory fates exhibit metastability with relativistic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritika Giri
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA,NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Shannon Brady
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Dimitrios K. Papadopoulos
- Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Biology, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, Heraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
| | - Richard W. Carthew
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA,NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA,Corresponding author
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19
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Lee HC, Hastings C, Oliveira NMM, Pérez-Carrasco R, Page KM, Wolpert L, Stern CD. 'Neighbourhood watch' model: embryonic epiblast cells assess positional information in relation to their neighbours. Development 2022; 149:275390. [PMID: 35438131 PMCID: PMC9188750 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In many developing and regenerating systems, tissue pattern is established through gradients of informative morphogens, but we know little about how cells interpret these. Using experimental manipulation of early chick embryos, including misexpression of an inducer (VG1 or ACTIVIN) and an inhibitor (BMP4), we test two alternative models for their ability to explain how the site of primitive streak formation is positioned relative to the rest of the embryo. In one model, cells read morphogen concentrations cell-autonomously. In the other, cells sense changes in morphogen status relative to their neighbourhood. We find that only the latter model can account for the experimental results, including some counter-intuitive predictions. This mechanism (which we name the ‘neighbourhood watch’ model) illuminates the classic ‘French Flag Problem’ and how positional information is interpreted by a sheet of cells in a large developing system. Summary: In a large developing system, the chick embryo before gastrulation, cells may interpret gradients of positional signals relative to their neighbours to position the primitive streak, establishing bilateral symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Chul Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Cato Hastings
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nidia M M Oliveira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rubén Pérez-Carrasco
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Karen M Page
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lewis Wolpert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Claudio D Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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20
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Fgf8 dynamics and critical slowing down may account for the temperature independence of somitogenesis. Commun Biol 2022; 5:113. [PMID: 35132142 PMCID: PMC8821593 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Somitogenesis, the segmentation of the antero-posterior axis in vertebrates, is thought to result from the interactions between a genetic oscillator and a posterior-moving determination wavefront. The segment (somite) size is set by the product of the oscillator period and the velocity of the determination wavefront. Surprisingly, while the segmentation period can vary by a factor three between 20 °C and 32 °C, the somite size is constant. How this temperature independence is achieved is a mystery that we address in this study. Using RT-qPCR we show that the endogenous fgf8 mRNA concentration decreases during somitogenesis and correlates with the exponent of the shrinking pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM) size. As the temperature decreases, the dynamics of fgf8 and many other gene transcripts, as well as the segmentation frequency and the PSM shortening and tail growth rates slows down as T-Tc (with Tc = 14.4 °C). This behavior characteristic of a system near a critical point may account for the temperature independence of somitogenesis in zebrafish.
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21
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Pourquié O. A brief history of the segmentation clock. Dev Biol 2022; 485:24-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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22
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Linde-Medina M, Smit TH. Molecular and Mechanical Cues for Somite Periodicity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:753446. [PMID: 34901002 PMCID: PMC8663771 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.753446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Somitogenesis refers to the segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm, a tissue located on the back of the embryo, into regularly spaced and sized pieces, i.e., the somites. This periodicity is important to assure, for example, the formation of a functional vertebral column. Prevailing models of somitogenesis are based on the existence of a gene regulatory network capable of generating a striped pattern of gene expression, which is subsequently translated into periodic tissue boundaries. An alternative view is that the pre-pattern that guides somitogenesis is not chemical, but of a mechanical origin. A striped pattern of mechanical strain can be formed in physically connected tissues expanding at different rates, as it occurs in the embryo. Here we argue that both molecular and mechanical cues could drive somite periodicity and suggest how they could be integrated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Theodoor H. Smit
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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23
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Diaz-Cuadros M, Pourquié O, El-Sherif E. Patterning with clocks and genetic cascades: Segmentation and regionalization of vertebrate versus insect body plans. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009812. [PMID: 34648490 PMCID: PMC8516289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009812] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillatory and sequential processes have been implicated in the spatial patterning of many embryonic tissues. For example, molecular clocks delimit segmental boundaries in vertebrates and insects and mediate lateral root formation in plants, whereas sequential gene activities are involved in the specification of regional identities of insect neuroblasts, vertebrate neural tube, vertebrate limb, and insect and vertebrate body axes. These processes take place in various tissues and organisms, and, hence, raise the question of what common themes and strategies they share. In this article, we review 2 processes that rely on the spatial regulation of periodic and sequential gene activities: segmentation and regionalization of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis of animal body plans. We study these processes in species that belong to 2 different phyla: vertebrates and insects. By contrasting 2 different processes (segmentation and regionalization) in species that belong to 2 distantly related phyla (arthropods and vertebrates), we elucidate the deep logic of patterning by oscillatory and sequential gene activities. Furthermore, in some of these organisms (e.g., the fruit fly Drosophila), a mode of AP patterning has evolved that seems not to overtly rely on oscillations or sequential gene activities, providing an opportunity to study the evolution of pattern formation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Diaz-Cuadros
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ezzat El-Sherif
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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24
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Boareto M, Tomka T, Iber D. Positional information encoded in the dynamic differences between neighboring oscillators during vertebrate segmentation. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203737. [PMID: 34481980 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A central problem in developmental biology is to understand how cells interpret their positional information to give rise to spatial patterns, such as the process of periodic segmentation of the vertebrate embryo into somites. For decades, somite formation has been interpreted according to the clock-and-wavefront model. In this conceptual framework, molecular oscillators set the frequency of somite formation while the positional information is encoded in signaling gradients. Recent experiments using ex vivo explants have challenged this interpretation, suggesting that positional information is encoded in the properties of the oscillators, independent of long-range modulations such as signaling gradients. Here, we propose that positional information is encoded in the difference in the levels of neighboring oscillators. The differences gradually increase because both the amplitude and the period of the oscillators increase with time. When this difference exceeds a certain threshold, the segmentation program starts. Using this framework, we quantitatively fit experimental data from in vivo and ex vivo mouse segmentation, and propose mechanisms of somite scaling. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of spatial pattern formation based on the local interactions between dynamic molecular oscillators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Boareto
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Tomka
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dagmar Iber
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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25
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Simsek MF, Özbudak EM. A 3-D Tail Explant Culture to Study Vertebrate Segmentation in Zebrafish. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 34279500 DOI: 10.3791/61981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate embryos pattern their major body axis as repetitive somites, the precursors of vertebrae, muscle, and skin. Somites progressively segment from the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) as the tail end of the embryo elongates posteriorly. Somites form with regular periodicity and scale in size. Zebrafish is a popular model organism as it is genetically tractable and has transparent embryos that allow for live imaging. Nevertheless, during somitogenesis, fish embryos are wrapped around a large, rounding yolk. This geometry limits live imaging of PSM tissue in zebrafish embryos, particularly at higher resolutions that require a close objective working distance. Here, we present a flattened 3-D tissue culture method for live imaging of zebrafish tail explants. Tail explants mimic intact embryos by displaying a proportional slowdown of axis elongation and shortening of rostrocaudal somite lengths. We are further able to stall axis elongation speed through explant culture. This, for the first time, enables us to untangle the chemical input of signaling gradients from the mechanistic input of axial elongation. In future studies, this method can be combined with a microfluidic setup to allow time-controlled pharmaceutical perturbations or screening of vertebrate segmentation without any drug penetration concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine;
| | - Ertugrul M Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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26
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Abstract
Arthropod segmentation and vertebrate somitogenesis are leading fields in the experimental and theoretical interrogation of developmental patterning. However, despite the sophistication of current research, basic conceptual issues remain unresolved. These include: (i) the mechanistic origins of spatial organization within the segment addition zone (SAZ); (ii) the mechanistic origins of segment polarization; (iii) the mechanistic origins of axial variation; and (iv) the evolutionary origins of simultaneous patterning. Here, I explore these problems using coarse-grained models of cross-regulating dynamical processes. In the morphogenetic framework of a row of cells undergoing axial elongation, I simulate interactions between an 'oscillator', a 'switch' and up to three 'timers', successfully reproducing essential patterning behaviours of segmenting systems. By comparing the output of these largely cell-autonomous models to variants that incorporate positional information, I find that scaling relationships, wave patterns and patterning dynamics all depend on whether the SAZ is regulated by temporal or spatial information. I also identify three mechanisms for polarizing oscillator output, all of which functionally implicate the oscillator frequency profile. Finally, I demonstrate significant dynamical and regulatory continuity between sequential and simultaneous modes of segmentation. I discuss these results in the context of the experimental literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Clark
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Trinity College Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1TQ, UK
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27
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Uriu K, Liao BK, Oates AC, Morelli LG. From local resynchronization to global pattern recovery in the zebrafish segmentation clock. eLife 2021; 10:61358. [PMID: 33587039 PMCID: PMC7984840 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrity of rhythmic spatial gene expression patterns in the vertebrate segmentation clock requires local synchronization between neighboring cells by Delta-Notch signaling and its inhibition causes defective segment boundaries. Whether deformation of the oscillating tissue complements local synchronization during patterning and segment formation is not understood. We combine theory and experiment to investigate this question in the zebrafish segmentation clock. We remove a Notch inhibitor, allowing resynchronization, and analyze embryonic segment recovery. We observe unexpected intermingling of normal and defective segments, and capture this with a new model combining coupled oscillators and tissue mechanics. Intermingled segments are explained in the theory by advection of persistent phase vortices of oscillators. Experimentally observed changes in recovery patterns are predicted in the theory by temporal changes in tissue length and cell advection pattern. Thus, segmental pattern recovery occurs at two length and time scales: rapid local synchronization between neighboring cells, and the slower transport of the resulting patterns across the tissue through morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Uriu
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Bo-Kai Liao
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom.,The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew C Oates
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom.,The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Bioengineering, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luis G Morelli
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Polo Científico Tecnológico, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Física, FCEyN UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Dortmund, Germany
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28
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Diaz‐Cuadros M, Pourquie O. In vitro systems: A new window to the segmentation clock. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:140-153. [PMID: 33460448 PMCID: PMC8048467 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Segmental organization of the vertebrate body plan is established by the segmentation clock, a molecular oscillator that controls the periodicity of somite formation. Given the dynamic nature of the segmentation clock, in vivo studies in vertebrate embryos pose technical challenges. As an alternative, simpler models of the segmentation clock based on primary explants and pluripotent stem cells have recently been developed. These ex vivo and in vitro systems enable more quantitative analysis of oscillatory properties and expand the experimental repertoire applicable to the segmentation clock. Crucially, by eliminating the need for model organisms, in vitro models allow us to study the segmentation clock in new species, including our own. The human oscillator was recently recapitulated using induced pluripotent stem cells, providing a window into human development. Certainly, a combination of in vivo and in vitro work holds the most promising potential to unravel the mechanisms behind vertebrate segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Diaz‐Cuadros
- Department of GeneticsHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PathologyBrigham and Women’s HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Olivier Pourquie
- Department of GeneticsHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PathologyBrigham and Women’s HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
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29
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Naganathan S, Oates A. Patterning and mechanics of somite boundaries in zebrafish embryos. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 107:170-178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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30
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Ten Tusscher K. Of mice and plants: Comparative developmental systems biology. Dev Biol 2020; 460:32-39. [PMID: 30395805 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular animals and plants represent independent evolutionary experiments with complex multicellular bodyplans. Differences in their life history, a mobile versus sessile lifestyle, and predominant embryonic versus postembryonic development, have led to the evolution of highly different body plans. However, also many intriguing parallels exist. Extension of the vertebrate body axis and its segmentation into somites bears striking resemblance to plant root growth and the concomittant prepatterning of lateral root competent sites. Likewise, plant shoot phyllotaxis displays similarities with vertebrate limb and digit patterning. Additionally, both plants and animals use complex signalling systems combining systemic and local signals to fine tune and coordinate organ growth across their body. Identification of these striking examples of convergent evolution provides support for the existence of general design principles: the idea that for particular patterning demands, evolution is likely to arrive at highly similar developmental patterning mechanisms. Furthermore, focussing on these parallels may aid in identifying core mechanistic principles, often obscured by the highly complex nature of multiscale patterning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Ten Tusscher
- Computational Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
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31
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Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA), a metabolite of retinol (vitamin A), functions as a ligand for nuclear RA receptors (RARs) that regulate development of chordate animals. RA-RARs can activate or repress transcription of key developmental genes. Genetic studies in mouse and zebrafish embryos that are deficient in RA-generating enzymes or RARs have been instrumental in identifying RA functions, revealing that RA signaling regulates development of many organs and tissues, including the body axis, spinal cord, forelimbs, heart, eye and reproductive tract. An understanding of the normal functions of RA signaling during development will guide efforts for use of RA as a therapeutic agent to improve human health. Here, we provide an overview of RA signaling and highlight its key functions during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert B Ghyselinck
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Département de Génétique Fonctionnelle et Cancer, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR7104), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM U1258), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA), 1 rue Laurent Fries, F-67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Gregg Duester
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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32
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Keskin S, Simsek MF, Vu HT, Yang C, Devoto SH, Ay A, Özbudak EM. Regulatory Network of the Scoliosis-Associated Genes Establishes Rostrocaudal Patterning of Somites in Zebrafish. iScience 2019; 12:247-259. [PMID: 30711748 PMCID: PMC6360518 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks govern pattern formation and differentiation during embryonic development. Segmentation of somites, precursors of the vertebral column among other tissues, is jointly controlled by temporal signals from the segmentation clock and spatial signals from morphogen gradients. To explore how these temporal and spatial signals are integrated, we combined time-controlled genetic perturbation experiments with computational modeling to reconstruct the core segmentation network in zebrafish. We found that Mesp family transcription factors link the temporal information of the segmentation clock with the spatial action of the fibroblast growth factor signaling gradient to establish rostrocaudal (head to tail) polarity of segmented somites. We further showed that cells gradually commit to patterning by the action of different genes at different spatiotemporal positions. Our study provides a blueprint of the zebrafish segmentation network, which includes evolutionarily conserved genes that are associated with the birth defect congenital scoliosis in humans. A core network establishes rostrocaudal polarity of segmented somites in zebrafish mesp genes link the segmentation clock with the FGF signaling gradient Gradual patterning is done by the action of different genes at different positions
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevdenur Keskin
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - M Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ha T Vu
- Departments of Biology and Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Carlton Yang
- Departments of Biology and Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Stephen H Devoto
- Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Ahmet Ay
- Departments of Biology and Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA.
| | - Ertuğrul M Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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