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Chen R, Fan R, Chen F, Govindasamy N, Brinkmann H, Stehling M, Adams RH, Jeong HW, Bedzhov I. Analyzing embryo dormancy at single-cell resolution reveals dynamic transcriptional responses and activation of integrin-Yap/Taz prosurvival signaling. Cell Stem Cell 2024:S1934-5909(24)00250-9. [PMID: 39047740 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.06.015] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic diapause is a reproductive adaptation that enables some mammalian species to halt the otherwise continuous pace of embryonic development. In this dormant state, the embryo exploits poorly understood regulatory mechanisms to preserve its developmental potential for prolonged periods of time. Here, using mouse embryos and single-cell RNA sequencing, we molecularly defined embryonic diapause at single-cell resolution, revealing transcriptional dynamics while the embryo seemingly resides in a state of suspended animation. Additionally, we found that the dormant pluripotent cells rely on integrin receptors to sense their microenvironment and preserve their viability via Yap/Taz-mediated prosurvival signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chen
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Rui Fan
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Fei Chen
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Niraimathi Govindasamy
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Heike Brinkmann
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Stehling
- Flow Cytometry Unit, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ralf H Adams
- Department of Tissue Morphogenesis, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hyun-Woo Jeong
- Department of Tissue Morphogenesis, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany; Single Cell Multi-Omics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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2
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Khan I, Muneer R, Qazi REM, Salim A. Pharmacological activation of mesenchymal stem cells increases gene expression pattern of cell adhesion molecules and fusion with neonatal cardiomyocytes. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e4090. [PMID: 38973147 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Cellular therapy is considered a better option for the treatment of degenerative disorders. Different cell types are being used for tissue regeneration. Despite extensive research in this field, several issues remain to be addressed concerning cell transplantation. One of these issues is the survival and homing of administered cells in the injured tissue, which depends on the ability of these cells to adhere. To enhance cell adherence and survival, Rap1 GTPase was activated in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as well as in cardiomyocytes (CMs) by using 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP, and the effect on gene expression dynamics was determined through quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Pharmacological activation of MSCs and CMs resulted in the upregulation of connexin-43 and cell adhesion genes, which increased the cell adhesion ability of MSCs and CMs, and increased the fusion of MSCs with neonatal CMs. Treating stem cells with a pharmacological agent that activates Rap1a before transplantation can enhance their fusion with CMs and increase cellular regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irfan Khan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rabbia Muneer
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rida-E-Maria Qazi
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Asmat Salim
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
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3
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Barham K, Spencer R, Baker NC, Knudsen TB. Engineering a computable epiblast for in silico modeling of developmental toxicity. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 128:108625. [PMID: 38857815 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108625] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Developmental hazard evaluation is an important part of assessing chemical risks during pregnancy. Toxicological outcomes from prenatal testing in pregnant animals result from complex chemical-biological interactions, and while New Approach Methods (NAMs) based on in vitro bioactivity profiles of human cells offer promising alternatives to animal testing, most of these assays lack cellular positional information, physical constraints, and regional organization of the intact embryo. Here, we engineered a fully computable model of the embryonic disc in the CompuCell3D.org modeling environment to simulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epiblast cells and self-organization of mesodermal domains (chordamesoderm, paraxial, lateral plate, posterior/extraembryonic). Mesodermal fate is modeled by synthetic activity of the BMP4-NODAL-WNT signaling axis. Cell position in the epiblast determines timing with respect to EMT for 988 computational cells in the computer model. An autonomous homeobox (Hox) clock hidden in the epiblast is driven by WNT-FGF4-CDX signaling. Executing the model renders a quantitative cell-level computation of mesodermal fate and consequences of perturbation based on known biology. For example, synthetic perturbation of the control network rendered altered phenotypes (cybermorphs) mirroring some aspects of experimental mouse embryology, with electronic knockouts, under-activation (hypermorphs) or over-activation (hypermorphs) particularly affecting the size and specification of the posterior mesoderm. This foundational model is trained on embryology but capable of performing a wide variety of toxicological tasks conversing through anatomical simulation to integrate in vitro chemical bioactivity data with known embryology. It is amenable to quantitative simulation for probabilistic prediction of early developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Barham
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, USA; USEPA, Center for Compuational Toxicology and Exposure.
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4
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Messer CL, McDonald JA. Rap1 promotes epithelial integrity and cell viability in a growing tissue. Dev Biol 2023; 501:1-19. [PMID: 37269969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.05.006] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Having intact epithelial tissues is critical for embryonic development and adult homeostasis. How epithelia respond to damaging insults or tissue growth while still maintaining intercellular connections and barrier integrity during development is poorly understood. The conserved small GTPase Rap1 is critical for establishing cell polarity and regulating cadherin-catenin cell junctions. Here, we identified a new role for Rap1 in maintaining epithelial integrity and tissue shape during Drosophila oogenesis. Loss of Rap1 activity disrupted the follicle cell epithelium and the shape of egg chambers during a period of major growth. Rap1 was required for proper E-Cadherin localization in the anterior epithelium and for epithelial cell survival. Both Myo-II and the adherens junction-cytoskeletal linker protein α-Catenin were required for normal egg chamber shape but did not strongly affect cell viability. Blocking the apoptotic cascade failed to rescue the cell shape defects caused by Rap1 inhibition. One consequence of increased cell death caused by Rap1 inhibition was the loss of polar cells and other follicle cells, which later in development led to fewer cells forming a migrating border cell cluster. Our results thus indicate dual roles for Rap1 in maintaining epithelia and cell survival in a growing tissue during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Luke Messer
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jocelyn A McDonald
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
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5
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Rothenberg KE, Chen Y, McDonald JA, Fernandez-Gonzalez R. Rap1 coordinates cell-cell adhesion and cytoskeletal reorganization to drive collective cell migration in vivo. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00603-6. [PMID: 37244252 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Collective cell movements contribute to tissue development and repair and spread metastatic disease. In epithelia, cohesive cell movements require reorganization of adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton. However, the mechanisms that coordinate cell-cell adhesion and cytoskeletal remodeling during collective cell migration in vivo are unclear. We investigated the mechanisms of collective cell migration during epidermal wound healing in Drosophila embryos. Upon wounding, the cells adjacent to the wound internalize cell-cell adhesion molecules and polarize actin and the motor protein non-muscle myosin II to form a supracellular cable around the wound that coordinates cell movements. The cable anchors at former tricellular junctions (TCJs) along the wound edge, and TCJs are reinforced during wound closure. We found that the small GTPase Rap1 was necessary and sufficient for rapid wound repair. Rap1 promoted myosin polarization to the wound edge and E-cadherin accumulation at TCJs. Using embryos expressing a mutant form of the Rap1 effector Canoe/Afadin that cannot bind Rap1, we found that Rap1 signals through Canoe for adherens junction remodeling, but not for actomyosin cable assembly. Instead, Rap1 was necessary and sufficient for RhoA/Rho1 activation at the wound edge. The RhoGEF Ephexin localized to the wound edge in a Rap1-dependent manner, and Ephexin was necessary for myosin polarization and rapid wound repair, but not for E-cadherin redistribution. Together, our data show that Rap1 coordinates the molecular rearrangements that drive embryonic wound healing, promoting actomyosin cable assembly through Ephexin-Rho1, and E-cadherin redistribution through Canoe, thus enabling rapid collective cell migration in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katheryn E Rothenberg
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Yujun Chen
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | | | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada; Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
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6
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Ozguldez HO, Govindasamy N, Fan R, Long H, Mildner K, Zeuschner D, Trappmann B, Ranga A, Bedzhov I. Polarity inversion reorganizes the stem cell compartment of the trophoblast lineage. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112313. [PMID: 36989113 PMCID: PMC10157138 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112313] [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: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The extra-embryonic tissues that form the placenta originate from a small population of trophectoderm cells with stem cell properties, positioned at the embryonic pole of the mouse blastocyst. During the implantation stages, the polar trophectoderm rapidly proliferates and transforms into extra-embryonic ectoderm. The current model of trophoblast morphogenesis suggests that tissue folding reshapes the trophoblast during the blastocyst to egg cylinder transition. Instead of through folding, here we found that the tissue scale architecture of the stem cell compartment of the trophoblast lineage is reorganized via inversion of the epithelial polarity axis. Our findings show the developmental significance of polarity inversion and provide a framework for the morphogenetic transitions in the peri-implantation trophoblast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice O Ozguldez
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Niraimathi Govindasamy
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Rui Fan
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hongyan Long
- Bioactive Materials Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Karina Mildner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Dagmar Zeuschner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Britta Trappmann
- Bioactive Materials Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Adrian Ranga
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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7
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Perez-Vale KZ, Yow KD, Gurley NJ, Greene M, Peifer M. Rap1 regulates apical contractility to allow embryonic morphogenesis without tissue disruption and acts in part via Canoe-independent mechanisms. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 34:ar7. [PMID: 36287827 PMCID: PMC9816648 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-05-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic morphogenesis is powered by dramatic changes in cell shape and arrangement driven by the cytoskeleton and its connections to adherens junctions. This requires robust linkage allowing morphogenesis without disrupting tissue integrity. The small GTPase Rap1 is a key regulator of cell adhesion, controlling both cadherin-mediated and integrin-mediated processes. We have defined multiple roles in morphogenesis for one Rap1 effector, Canoe/Afadin, which ensures robust junction-cytoskeletal linkage. We now ask what mechanisms regulate Canoe and other junction-cytoskeletal linkers during Drosophila morphogenesis, defining roles for Rap1 and one of its guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) regulators, Dizzy. Rap1 uses Canoe as one effector, regulating junctional planar polarity. However, Rap1 has additional roles in junctional protein localization and balanced apical constriction-in its absence, Bazooka/Par3 localization is fragmented, and cells next to mitotic cells apically constrict and invaginate, disrupting epidermal integrity. In contrast, the GEF Dizzy has phenotypes similar to but slightly less severe than Canoe loss, suggesting that this GEF regulates Rap1 action via Canoe. Taken together, these data reveal that Rap1 is a crucial regulator of morphogenesis, likely acting in parallel via Canoe and other effectors, and that different Rap1 GEFs regulate distinct functions of Rap1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia Z. Perez-Vale
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Kristi D. Yow
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| | - Noah J. Gurley
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| | - Melissa Greene
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| | - Mark Peifer
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280,*Address correspondence to: Mark Peifer ()
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8
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Doncheva NT, Morris JH, Holze H, Kirsch R, Nastou KC, Cuesta-Astroz Y, Rattei T, Szklarczyk D, von Mering C, Jensen LJ. Cytoscape stringApp 2.0: Analysis and Visualization of Heterogeneous Biological Networks. J Proteome Res 2022; 22:637-646. [PMID: 36512705 PMCID: PMC9904289 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biological networks are often used to represent complex biological systems, which can contain several types of entities. Analysis and visualization of such networks is supported by the Cytoscape software tool and its many apps. While earlier versions of stringApp focused on providing intraspecies protein-protein interactions from the STRING database, the new stringApp 2.0 greatly improves the support for heterogeneous networks. Here, we highlight new functionality that makes it possible to create networks that contain proteins and interactions from STRING as well as other biological entities and associations from other sources. We exemplify this by complementing a published SARS-CoV-2 interactome with interactions from STRING. We have also extended stringApp with new data and query functionality for protein-protein interactions between eukaryotic parasites and their hosts. We show how this can be used to retrieve and visualize a cross-species network for a malaria parasite, its host, and its vector. Finally, the latest stringApp version has an improved user interface, allows retrieval of both functional associations and physical interactions, and supports group-wise enrichment analysis of different parts of a network to aid biological interpretation. stringApp is freely available at https://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/stringapp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda T. Doncheva
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark,
| | - John H. Morris
- Resource
on Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics, University of California, San
Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Henrietta Holze
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rebecca Kirsch
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katerina C. Nastou
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yesid Cuesta-Astroz
- Instituto
Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad
CES, 055413 Sabaneta, Colombia
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Centre
for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Damian Szklarczyk
- Department
of Molecular Life Sciences, University of
Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland,SIB
Swiss
Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian von Mering
- Department
of Molecular Life Sciences, University of
Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland,SIB
Swiss
Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lars J. Jensen
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark,
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