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Seidemann S, Salomon F, Hoffmann KB, Kurth T, Sbalzarini IF, Haase R, Ader M. Automated quantification of photoreceptor outer segments in developing and degenerating retinas on microscopy images across scales. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1398447. [PMID: 38854587 PMCID: PMC11157083 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1398447] [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] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The functionality of photoreceptors, rods, and cones is highly dependent on their outer segments (POS), a cellular compartment containing highly organized membranous structures that generate biochemical signals from incident light. While POS formation and degeneration are qualitatively assessed on microscopy images, reliable methodology for quantitative analyses is still limited. Here, we developed methods to quantify POS (QuaPOS) maturation and quality on retinal sections using automated image analyses. POS formation was examined during the development and in adulthood of wild-type mice via light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To quantify the number, size, shape, and fluorescence intensity of POS, retinal cryosections were immunostained for the cone POS marker S-opsin. Fluorescence images were used to train the robust classifier QuaPOS-LM based on supervised machine learning for automated image segmentation. Characteristic features of segmentation results were extracted to quantify the maturation of cone POS. Subsequently, this quantification method was applied to characterize POS degeneration in "cone photoreceptor function loss 1" mice. TEM images were used to establish the ultrastructural quantification method QuaPOS-TEM for the alignment of POS membranes. Images were analyzed using a custom-written MATLAB code to extract the orientation of membranes from the image gradient and their alignment (coherency). This analysis was used to quantify the POS morphology of wild-type and two inherited retinal degeneration ("retinal degeneration 19" and "rhodopsin knock-out") mouse lines. Both automated analysis technologies provided robust characterization and quantification of POS based on LM or TEM images. Automated image segmentation by the classifier QuaPOS-LM and analysis of the orientation of membrane stacks by QuaPOS-TEM using fluorescent or TEM images allowed quantitative evaluation of POS formation and quality. The assessments showed an increase in POS number, volume, and membrane coherency during wild-type postnatal development, while a decrease in all three observables was detected in different retinal degeneration mouse models. All the code used for the presented analysis is open source, including example datasets to reproduce the findings. Hence, the QuaPOS quantification methods are useful for in-depth characterization of POS on retinal sections in developmental studies, for disease modeling, or after therapeutic interventions affecting photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suse Seidemann
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Salomon
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karl B. Hoffmann
- Faculty of Computer Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Core Facility Electron Microscopy and Histology, Technology Platform, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ivo F. Sbalzarini
- Faculty of Computer Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- DFG Cluster of Excellence “Physics of Life”, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert Haase
- DFG Cluster of Excellence “Physics of Life”, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Williams AM, Horne-Badovinac S. Fat2 polarizes Lar and Sema5c to coordinate the motility of collectively migrating epithelial cells. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261173. [PMID: 37593878 PMCID: PMC10508692 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Migrating epithelial cells globally align their migration machinery to achieve tissue-level movement. Biochemical signaling across leading-trailing cell-cell interfaces can promote this alignment by partitioning migratory behaviors like protrusion and retraction to opposite sides of the interface. However, how signaling proteins become organized at interfaces to accomplish this is poorly understood. The follicular epithelial cells of Drosophila melanogaster have two signaling modules at their leading-trailing interfaces - one composed of the atypical cadherin Fat2 (also known as Kugelei) and the receptor tyrosine phosphatase Lar, and one composed of Semaphorin5c and its receptor Plexin A. Here, we show that these modules form one interface signaling system with Fat2 at its core. Trailing edge-enriched Fat2 concentrates both Lar and Semaphorin5c at leading edges of cells, but Lar and Semaphorin5c play little role in the localization of Fat2. Fat2 is also more stable at interfaces than Lar or Semaphorin5c. Once localized, Lar and Semaphorin5c act in parallel to promote collective migration. We propose that Fat2 serves as the organizer of this interface signaling system by coupling and polarizing the distributions of multiple effectors that work together to align the migration machinery of neighboring cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Miller Williams
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sally Horne-Badovinac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Crossley RM, Johnson S, Tsingos E, Bell Z, Berardi M, Botticelli M, Braat QJS, Metzcar J, Ruscone M, Yin Y, Shuttleworth R. Modeling the extracellular matrix in cell migration and morphogenesis: a guide for the curious biologist. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1354132. [PMID: 38495620 PMCID: PMC10940354 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1354132] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a highly complex structure through which biochemical and mechanical signals are transmitted. In processes of cell migration, the ECM also acts as a scaffold, providing structural support to cells as well as points of potential attachment. Although the ECM is a well-studied structure, its role in many biological processes remains difficult to investigate comprehensively due to its complexity and structural variation within an organism. In tandem with experiments, mathematical models are helpful in refining and testing hypotheses, generating predictions, and exploring conditions outside the scope of experiments. Such models can be combined and calibrated with in vivo and in vitro data to identify critical cell-ECM interactions that drive developmental and homeostatic processes, or the progression of diseases. In this review, we focus on mathematical and computational models of the ECM in processes such as cell migration including cancer metastasis, and in tissue structure and morphogenesis. By highlighting the predictive power of these models, we aim to help bridge the gap between experimental and computational approaches to studying the ECM and to provide guidance on selecting an appropriate model framework to complement corresponding experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Crossley
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Johnson
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Tsingos
- Computational Developmental Biology Group, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Zoe Bell
- Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Massimiliano Berardi
- LaserLab, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Optics11 life, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Quirine J. S. Braat
- Department of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - John Metzcar
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Department of Informatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | | | - Yuan Yin
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Pally D, Naba A. Extracellular matrix dynamics: A key regulator of cell migration across length-scales and systems. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 86:102309. [PMID: 38183892 PMCID: PMC10922734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102309] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
The interactions between cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) are dynamic and play critical roles in cell migration during development, health, and diseases. Recent advances have highlighted the complexity and diversity of ECM compositions, or "matrisomes", of tissues resulting in ECMs of different physical, mechanical, and biochemical properties. Investigating the effects of these properties on cell-ECM interactions in the context of cell migration have led to a better understanding of the principles underlying tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, immune response, or cancer metastasis. These new insights into the interplay between ECM dynamics and cell migration can lead to the identification of unique opportunities for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharma Pally
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Alexandra Naba
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Ramos AP, Szalapak A, Ferme LC, Modes CD. From cells to form: A roadmap to study shape emergence in vivo. Biophys J 2023; 122:3587-3599. [PMID: 37243338 PMCID: PMC10541488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Organogenesis arises from the collective arrangement of cells into progressively 3D-shaped tissue. The acquisition of a correctly shaped organ is then the result of a complex interplay between molecular cues, responsible for differentiation and patterning, and the mechanical properties of the system, which generate the necessary forces that drive correct shape emergence. Nowadays, technological advances in the fields of microscopy, molecular biology, and computer science are making it possible to see and record such complex interactions in incredible, unforeseen detail within the global context of the developing embryo. A quantitative and interdisciplinary perspective of developmental biology becomes then necessary for a comprehensive understanding of morphogenesis. Here, we provide a roadmap to quantify the events that lead to morphogenesis from imaging to image analysis, quantification, and modeling, focusing on the discrete cellular and tissue shape changes, as well as their mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicja Szalapak
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Carl D Modes
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Casey MA, Lusk S, Kwan KM. Eye Morphogenesis in Vertebrates. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2023; 9:221-243. [PMID: 37040791 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100720-111125] [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: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Proper eye structure is essential for visual function: Multiple essential eye tissues must take shape and assemble into a precise three-dimensional configuration. Accordingly, alterations to eye structure can lead to pathological conditions of visual impairment. Changes in eye shape can also be adaptive over evolutionary time. Eye structure is first established during development with the formation of the optic cup, which contains the neural retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and lens. This crucial yet deceptively simple hemispherical structure lays the foundation for all later elaborations of the eye. Building on descriptions of the embryonic eye that started with hand drawings and micrographs, the field is beginning to identify mechanisms driving dynamic changes in three-dimensional cell and tissue shape. A combination of molecular genetics, imaging, and pharmacological approaches is defining connections among transcription factors, signaling pathways, and the intracellular machinery governing the emergence of this crucial structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macaulie A Casey
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; , ,
| | - Sarah Lusk
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; , ,
| | - Kristen M Kwan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; , ,
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Abstract
The basement membrane (BM) is a thin, planar-organized extracellular matrix that underlies epithelia and surrounds most organs. During development, the BM is highly dynamic and simultaneously provides mechanical properties that stabilize tissue structure and shape organs. Moreover, it is important for cell polarity, cell migration, and cell signaling. Thereby BM diverges regarding molecular composition, structure, and modes of assembly. Different BM organization leads to various physical features. The mechanisms that regulate BM composition and structure and how this affects mechanical properties are not fully understood. Recent studies show that precise control of BM deposition or degradation can result in BMs with locally different protein densities, compositions, thicknesses, or polarization. Such heterogeneous matrices can induce temporospatial force anisotropy and enable tissue sculpting. In this Review, I address recent findings that provide new perspectives on the role of the BM in morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Töpfer
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, V6T 1Z3
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Sokolova N, Zilova L, Wittbrodt J. Unravelling the link between embryogenesis and adult stem cell potential in the ciliary marginal zone: A comparative study between mammals and teleost fish. Cells Dev 2023; 174:203848. [PMID: 37172718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2023.203848] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and study of adult stem cells have revolutionized regenerative medicine by offering new opportunities for treating various medical conditions. Anamniote stem cells, which retain their full proliferative capacity and full differentiation range throughout their lifetime, harbour a greater potential compared to mammalian adult stem cells, which only exhibit limited stem cell potential. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying these differences is of significant interest. In this review, we examine the similarities and differences of adult retinal stem cells in anamniotes and mammals, from their embryonic stages in the optic vesicle to their residence in the postembryonic retinal stem cell niche, the ciliary marginal zone located in the retinal periphery. In anamniotes, developing precursors of retinal stem cells are exposed to various environmental cues during their migration in the complex morphogenetic remodelling of the optic vesicle to the optic cup. In contrast, their mammalian counterparts in the retinal periphery are primarily instructed by neighbouring tissues once they are in place. We explore the distinct modes of optic cup morphogenesis in mammals and teleost fish and highlight molecular mechanisms governing morphogenesis and stem cells instruction. The review concludes with the molecular mechanisms of ciliary marginal zone formation and offers a perspective on the impact of comparative single cell transcriptomic studies to reveal the evolutionary similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sokolova
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School, Germany
| | - Lucie Zilova
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Germany.
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Williams AM, Horne-Badovinac S. Fat2 polarizes Lar and Sema5c to coordinate the motility of collectively migrating epithelial cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.28.530349. [PMID: 36909523 PMCID: PMC10002635 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.28.530349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Migrating epithelial cells globally align their migration machinery to achieve tissue-level movement. Biochemical signaling across leading-trailing cell-cell interfaces can promote this alignment by partitioning migratory behaviors like protrusion and retraction to opposite sides of the interface. However, how the necessary signaling proteins become organized at this site is poorly understood. The follicular epithelial cells of Drosophila melanogaster have two signaling modules at their leading-trailing interfaces-one composed of the atypical cadherin Fat2 and the receptor tyrosine phosphatase Lar, and one composed of Semaphorin 5c and its receptor Plexin A. Here we show that these modules form one interface signaling system with Fat2 at its core. Trailing edge-enriched Fat2 concentrates both Lar and Sema5c at cells' leading edges, likely by slowing their turnover at this site. Once localized, Lar and Sema5c act in parallel to promote collective migration. Our data suggest a model in which Fat2 couples and polarizes the distributions of multiple effectors that work together to align the migration machinery of neighboring cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Miller Williams
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sally Horne-Badovinac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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10
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Cardozo MJ, Sánchez-Bustamante E, Bovolenta P. Optic cup morphogenesis across species and related inborn human eye defects. Development 2023; 150:dev200399. [PMID: 36714981 PMCID: PMC10110496 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200399] [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: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate eye is shaped as a cup, a conformation that optimizes vision and is acquired early in development through a process known as optic cup morphogenesis. Imaging living, transparent teleost embryos and mammalian stem cell-derived organoids has provided insights into the rearrangements that eye progenitors undergo to adopt such a shape. Molecular and pharmacological interference with these rearrangements has further identified the underlying molecular machineries and the physical forces involved in this morphogenetic process. In this Review, we summarize the resulting scenarios and proposed models that include common and species-specific events. We further discuss how these studies and those in environmentally adapted blind species may shed light on human inborn eye malformations that result from failures in optic cup morphogenesis, including microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos J. Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Bustamante
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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