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Soszyńska A, Krawczyk K, Szpila M, Winek E, Szpakowska A, Suwińska A. Exposure of chimaeric embryos to exogenous FGF4 leads to the production of pure ESC-derived mice. Theriogenology 2024; 222:10-21. [PMID: 38603966 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.03.017] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Producing chimaeras constitutes the most reliable method of verifying the pluripotency of newly established cells. Moreover, forming chimaeras by injecting genetically modified embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into the embryo is part of the procedure for generating transgenic mice, which are used for understanding gene function. Conventional methods for generating transgenic mice, including the breeding of chimaeras and tetraploid complementation, are time-consuming and cost-inefficient, with significant limitations that hinder their effectiveness and widespread applications. In the present study, we modified the traditional method of chimaera generation to significantly speed up this process by generating mice exclusively derived from ESCs. This study aimed to assess whether fully ESC-derived mice could be obtained by modulating fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) levels in the culture medium and changing the direction of cell differentiation in the chimaeric embryo. We found that exogenous FGF4 directs all host blastomeres to the primitive endoderm fate, but does not affect the localisation of ESCs in the epiblast of the chimaeric embryos. Consequently, all FGF4-treated chimaeric embryos contained an epiblast composed exclusively of ESCs, and following transfer into recipient mice, these embryos developed into fully ESC-derived newborns. Collectively, this simple approach could accelerate the generation of ESC-derived animals and thus optimise ESC-mediated transgenesis and the verification of cell pluripotency. Compared to traditional methods, it could speed up functional studies by several weeks and significantly reduce costs related to maintaining and breeding chimaeras. Moreover, since the effect of stimulating the FGF signalling pathway is universal across different animal species, our approach can be applied not only to rodents but also to other animals, offering its utility beyond laboratory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Soszyńska
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Krawczyk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Marcin Szpila
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Eliza Winek
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Szpakowska
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Aneta Suwińska
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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2
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Meyer-Gerards C, Bazzi H. Developmental and tissue-specific roles of mammalian centrosomes. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38935637 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Centrosomes are dominant microtubule organizing centers in animal cells with a pair of centrioles at their core. They template cilia during interphase and help organize the mitotic spindle for a more efficient cell division. Here, we review the roles of centrosomes in the early developing mouse and during organ formation. Mammalian cells respond to centrosome loss-of-function by activating the mitotic surveillance pathway, a timing mechanism that, when a defined mitotic duration is exceeded, leads to p53-dependent cell death in the descendants. Mouse embryos without centrioles are highly susceptible to this pathway and undergo embryonic arrest at mid-gestation. The complete loss of the centriolar core results in earlier and more severe phenotypes than that of other centrosomal proteins. Finally, different developing tissues possess varying thresholds and mount graded responses to the loss of centrioles that go beyond the germ layer of origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Meyer-Gerards
- Department of Cell Biology of the Skin, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- The Cologne Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- Graduate School for Biological Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Hisham Bazzi
- Department of Cell Biology of the Skin, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- The Cologne Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Germany
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3
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Linneberg-Agerholm M, Sell AC, Redó-Riveiro A, Perera M, Proks M, Knudsen TE, Barral A, Manzanares M, Brickman JM. The primitive endoderm supports lineage plasticity to enable regulative development. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00595-6. [PMID: 38917790 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.051] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian blastocyst formation involves the specification of the trophectoderm followed by the differentiation of the inner cell mass into embryonic epiblast and extra-embryonic primitive endoderm (PrE). During this time, the embryo maintains a window of plasticity and can redirect its cellular fate when challenged experimentally. In this context, we found that the PrE alone was sufficient to regenerate a complete blastocyst and continue post-implantation development. We identify an in vitro population similar to the early PrE in vivo that exhibits the same embryonic and extra-embryonic potency and can form complete stem cell-based embryo models, termed blastoids. Commitment in the PrE is suppressed by JAK/STAT signaling, collaborating with OCT4 and the sustained expression of a subset of pluripotency-related transcription factors that safeguard an enhancer landscape permissive for multi-lineage differentiation. Our observations support the notion that transcription factor persistence underlies plasticity in regulative development and highlight the importance of the PrE in perturbed development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Linneberg-Agerholm
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Annika Charlotte Sell
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Alba Redó-Riveiro
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Marta Perera
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Martin Proks
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Teresa E Knudsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Antonio Barral
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Manzanares
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Joshua M Brickman
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
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4
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Zernicki-Glover S, Stanislawska N, Patel EM, Kavanagh YH, Meglicki M. Blastomere size in the human 2-cell embryo predicts the division order that leads to imbalanced lineage contribution to the future body. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001181. [PMID: 38841597 PMCID: PMC11151110 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Retrospective tracing of somatic mutations predicted that most cells in the human body could be traced back to a single cell of the 2-cell stage embryo. Accordingly, a recent prospective study of the developmental trajectory of blastomeres in human embryos confirmed that progeny of the first 2-cell stage blastomere to divide generates more epiblast cells (future body). How the 2-cell blastomeres differ is unknown. Here, we show that 2-cell stage blastomeres in human embryos are asymmetric; they differ in size and the bigger blastomere divides first to 4-cell stage. We propose that this asymmetry might originate differences in cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ekta M. Patel
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States
| | - Yu Hua Kavanagh
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
| | - Maciej Meglicki
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
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5
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Li H, Chang L, Wu J, Huang J, Guan W, Bates LE, Stuart HT, Guo M, Zhang P, Huang B, Chen C, Zhang M, Chen J, Min M, Wu G, Hutchins AP, Silva JCR. In vitro generation of mouse morula-like cells. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2510-2527.e7. [PMID: 37875119 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Generating cells with the molecular and functional properties of embryo cells and with full developmental potential is an aim with fundamental biological significance. Here we report the in vitro generation of mouse transient morula-like cells (MLCs) via the manipulation of signaling pathways. MLCs are molecularly distinct from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and cluster instead with embryo 8- to 16-cell stage cells. A single MLC can generate a blastoid, and the efficiency increases to 80% when 8-10 MLCs are used. MLCs make embryoids directly, efficiently, and within 4 days. Transcriptomic analysis shows that day 4-5 MLC-derived embryoids contain the cell types found in natural embryos at early gastrulation. Furthermore, MLCs introduced into morulae segregate into epiblast (EPI), primitive endoderm (PrE), and trophectoderm (TE) fates in blastocyst chimeras and have a molecular signature indistinguishable from that of host embryo cells. These findings represent the generation of cells that are molecularly and functionally similar to the precursors of the first three cell lineages of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Li
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China.
| | - Litao Chang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Jinyi Wu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Jiahui Huang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Wei Guan
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Lawrence E Bates
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Hannah T Stuart
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Mingyue Guo
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Guangzhou Medical University, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 511495, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Boyan Huang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Chuanxin Chen
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingwei Min
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Guangming Wu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - José C R Silva
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510005, China.
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6
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Meinecke B, Meinecke-Tillmann S. Lab partners: oocytes, embryos and company. A personal view on aspects of oocyte maturation and the development of monozygotic twins. Anim Reprod 2023; 20:e20230049. [PMID: 37547564 PMCID: PMC10399133 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2023-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present review addresses the oocyte and the preimplantation embryo, and is intended to highlight the underlying principle of the "nature versus/and nurture" question. Given the diversity in mammalian oocyte maturation, this review will not be comprehensive but instead will focus on the porcine oocyte. Historically, oogenesis was seen as the development of a passive cell nursed and determined by its somatic compartment. Currently, the advanced analysis of the cross-talk between the maternal environment and the oocyte shows a more balanced relationship: Granulosa cells nurse the oocyte, whereas the latter secretes diffusible factors that regulate proliferation and differentiation of the granulosa cells. Signal molecules of the granulosa cells either prevent the precocious initiation of meiotic maturation or enable oocyte maturation following hormonal stimulation. A similar question emerges in research on monozygotic twins or multiples: In Greek and medieval times, twins were not seen as the result of the common course of nature but were classified as faults. This seems still valid today for the rare and until now mainly unknown genesis of facultative monozygotic twins in mammals. Monozygotic twins are unique subjects for studies of the conceptus-maternal dialogue, the intra-pair similarity and dissimilarity, and the elucidation of the interplay between nature and nurture. In the course of in vivo collections of preimplantation sheep embryos and experiments on embryo splitting and other microsurgical interventions we recorded observations on double blastocysts within a single zona pellucida, double inner cell masses in zona-enclosed blastocysts and double germinal discs in elongating embryos. On the basis of these observations we add some pieces to the puzzle of the post-zygotic genesis of monozygotic twins and on maternal influences on the developing conceptus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burkhard Meinecke
- Institut für Reproduktionsbiologie, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- Ambulatorische und Geburtshilfliche Veterinärklinik, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Meinecke-Tillmann
- Institut für Reproduktionsbiologie, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- Institut für Tierzucht und Haustiergenetik, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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7
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Lamba A, Zernicka-Goetz M. The role of polarization and early heterogeneities in the mammalian first cell fate decision. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:169-196. [PMID: 37100517 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The first cell fate decision is the process by which cells of an embryo take on distinct lineage identities for the first time, representing the beginning of patterning during development. In mammals, this process separates an embryonic inner cell mass lineage (future new organism) from an extra-embryonic trophectoderm lineage (future placenta), and in the mouse, this is classically attributed to the consequences of apical-basal polarity. The mouse embryo acquires this polarity at the 8-cell stage, indicated by cap-like protein domains on the apical surface of each cell; those cells which retain polarity over subsequent divisions are specified as trophectoderm, and the rest as inner cell mass. Recent research has advanced our knowledge of this process - this review will discuss mechanisms behind the establishment of polarity and distribution of the apical domain, different factors affecting the first cell fate decision including heterogeneities between cells of the very early embryo, and the conservation of developmental mechanisms across species, including human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adiyant Lamba
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.
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8
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Thowfeequ S, Srinivas S. Embryonic and extraembryonic tissues during mammalian development: shifting boundaries in time and space. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210255. [PMID: 36252217 PMCID: PMC9574638 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The first few days of embryonic development in eutherian mammals are dedicated to the specification and elaboration of the extraembryonic tissues. However, where the fetus ends and its adnexa begins is not always as self-evident during the early stages of development, when the definitive body axes are still being laid down, the germ layers being specified and a discrete form or bodyplan is yet to emerge. Function, anatomy, histomorphology and molecular identities have been used through the history of embryology, to make this distinction. In this review, we explore them individually by using specific examples from the early embryo. While highlighting the challenges of drawing discrete boundaries between embryonic and extraembryonic tissues and the limitations of a binary categorization, we discuss how basing such identity on fate is the most universal and conceptually consistent. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifaan Thowfeequ
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Shankar Srinivas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
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9
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Bou G, Guo J, Liu S, Guo S, Davaakhuu G, Lv Q, Xue B, Qiao S, Lv J, Weng X, Zhao J, Zhang Y, He Y, Zhang H, Chai Z, Liu Y, Yu Y, Qu B, Sun R, Shen X, Lei L, Liu Z. OCT4 expression transactivated by GATA protein is essential for non-rodent trophectoderm early development. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111644. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Vrij EJ, Scholte op Reimer YS, Fuentes LR, Guerreiro IM, Holzmann V, Aldeguer JF, Sestini G, Koo BK, Kind J, van Blitterswijk CA, Rivron NC. A pendulum of induction between the epiblast and extra-embryonic endoderm supports post-implantation progression. Development 2022; 149:dev192310. [PMID: 35993866 PMCID: PMC9534490 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is supported by dynamic loops of cellular interactions. Here, we create a partial mouse embryo model to elucidate the principles of epiblast (Epi) and extra-embryonic endoderm co-development (XEn). We trigger naive mouse embryonic stem cells to form a blastocyst-stage niche of Epi-like cells and XEn-like cells (3D, hydrogel free and serum free). Once established, these two lineages autonomously progress in minimal medium to form an inner pro-amniotic-like cavity surrounded by polarized Epi-like cells covered with visceral endoderm (VE)-like cells. The progression occurs through reciprocal inductions by which the Epi supports the primitive endoderm (PrE) to produce a basal lamina that subsequently regulates Epi polarization and/or cavitation, which, in return, channels the transcriptomic progression to VE. This VE then contributes to Epi bifurcation into anterior- and posterior-like states. Similarly, boosting the formation of PrE-like cells within blastoids supports developmental progression. We argue that self-organization can arise from lineage bifurcation followed by a pendulum of induction that propagates over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J. Vrij
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yvonne S. Scholte op Reimer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laury Roa Fuentes
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Isabel Misteli Guerreiro
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Viktoria Holzmann
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Javier Frias Aldeguer
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Sestini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bon-Kyoung Koo
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jop Kind
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Clemens A. van Blitterswijk
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Nicolas C. Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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11
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Ren W, Gao L, Mou Y, Deng W, Hua J, Yang F. DUX: One Transcription Factor Controls 2-Cell-like Fate. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042067. [PMID: 35216182 PMCID: PMC8877164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The double homeobox (Dux) gene, encoding a double homeobox transcription factor, is one of the key drivers of totipotency in mice. Recent studies showed Dux was temporally expressed at the 2-cell stage and acted as a transcriptional activator during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in embryos. A similar activation occurs in mouse embryonic stem cells, giving rise to 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs). Though the molecular mechanism underlying this expanded 2CLC potency caused by Dux activation has been partially revealed, the regulation mechanisms controlling Dux expression remain elusive. Here, we discuss the latest advancements in the multiple levels of regulation of Dux expression, as well as Dux function in 2CLCs transition, aiming to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the mechanisms that regulate totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ren
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- College of Innovation and Experiment, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Leilei Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Yaling Mou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Wen Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Correspondence: (W.D.); (F.Y.)
| | - Jinlian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Fan Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Correspondence: (W.D.); (F.Y.)
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12
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Krawczyk K, Kosyl E, Częścik-Łysyszyn K, Wyszomirski T, Maleszewski M. Developmental capacity is unevenly distributed among single blastomeres of 2-cell and 4-cell stage mouse embryos. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21422. [PMID: 34728646 PMCID: PMC8563712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During preimplantation development, mammalian embryo cells (blastomeres) cleave, gradually losing their potencies and differentiating into three primary cell lineages: epiblast (EPI), trophectoderm (TE), and primitive endoderm (PE). The exact moment at which cells begin to vary in their potency for multilineage differentiation still remains unknown. We sought to answer the question of whether single cells isolated from 2- and 4-cell embryos differ in their ability to generate the progenitors and cells of blastocyst lineages. We revealed that twins were often able to develop into blastocysts containing inner cell masses (ICMs) with PE and EPI cells. Despite their capacity to create a blastocyst, the twins differed in their ability to produce EPI, PE, and TE cell lineages. In contrast, quadruplets rarely formed normal blastocysts, but instead developed into blastocysts with ICMs composed of only one cell lineage or completely devoid of an ICM altogether. We also showed that quadruplets have unequal capacities to differentiate into TE, PE, and EPI lineages. These findings could explain the difficulty of creating monozygotic twins and quadruplets from 2- and 4-cell stage mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Krawczyk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ewa Kosyl
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Częścik-Łysyszyn
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wyszomirski
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Maleszewski
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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13
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Totipotency of mouse zygotes extends to single blastomeres of embryos at the four-cell stage. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11167. [PMID: 34045607 PMCID: PMC8160171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90653-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, oocytes and sperm undergo fusion during fertilization and the resulting zygote gives rise to a new individual. The ability of zygotes to produce a fully formed individual from a single cell when placed in a supportive environment is known as totipotency. Given that totipotent cells are the source of all multicellular organisms, a better understanding of totipotency may have a wide-ranging impact on biology. The precise delineation of totipotent cells in mammals has remained elusive, however, although zygotes and single blastomeres of embryos at the two-cell stage have been thought to be the only totipotent cells in mice. We now show that a single blastomere of two- or four-cell mouse embryos can give rise to a fertile adult when placed in a uterus, even though blastomere isolation disturbs the transcriptome of derived embryos. Single blastomeres isolated from embryos at the eight-cell or morula stages and cultured in vitro manifested pronounced defects in the formation of epiblast and primitive endoderm by the inner cell mass and in the development of blastocysts, respectively. Our results thus indicate that totipotency of mouse zygotes extends to single blastomeres of embryos at the four-cell stage.
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14
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Bebbere D, Ulbrich SE, Giller K, Zakhartchenko V, Reichenbach HD, Reichenbach M, Verma PJ, Wolf E, Ledda S, Hiendleder S. Mitochondrial DNA Depletion in Granulosa Cell Derived Nuclear Transfer Tissues. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:664099. [PMID: 34124044 PMCID: PMC8194821 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.664099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a key technology with broad applications that range from production of cloned farm animals to derivation of patient-matched stem cells or production of humanized animal organs for xenotransplantation. However, effects of aberrant epigenetic reprogramming on gene expression compromise cell and organ phenotype, resulting in low success rate of SCNT. Standard SCNT procedures include enucleation of recipient oocytes before the nuclear donor cell is introduced. Enucleation removes not only the spindle apparatus and chromosomes of the oocyte but also the perinuclear, mitochondria rich, ooplasm. Here, we use a Bos taurus SCNT model with in vitro fertilized (IVF) and in vivo conceived controls to demonstrate a ∼50% reduction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the liver and skeletal muscle, but not the brain, of SCNT fetuses at day 80 of gestation. In the muscle, we also observed significantly reduced transcript abundances of mtDNA-encoded subunits of the respiratory chain. Importantly, mtDNA content and mtDNA transcript abundances correlate with hepatomegaly and muscle hypertrophy of SCNT fetuses. Expression of selected nuclear-encoded genes pivotal for mtDNA replication was similar to controls, arguing against an indirect epigenetic nuclear reprogramming effect on mtDNA amount. We conclude that mtDNA depletion is a major signature of perturbations after SCNT. We further propose that mitochondrial perturbation in interaction with incomplete nuclear reprogramming drives abnormal epigenetic features and correlated phenotypes, a concept supported by previously reported effects of mtDNA depletion on the epigenome and the pleiotropic phenotypic effects of mtDNA depletion in humans. This provides a novel perspective on the reprogramming process and opens new avenues to improve SCNT protocols for healthy embryo and tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bebbere
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne E Ulbrich
- ETH Zürich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Giller
- ETH Zürich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valeri Zakhartchenko
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Horst-Dieter Reichenbach
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Institute of Animal Breeding, Grub, Germany
| | - Myriam Reichenbach
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Bayern-Genetik GmbH, Grub, Germany
| | - Paul J Verma
- Livestock Sciences, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, SA, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sergio Ledda
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Stefan Hiendleder
- Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia.,Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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15
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Posfai E, Schell JP, Janiszewski A, Rovic I, Murray A, Bradshaw B, Yamakawa T, Pardon T, El Bakkali M, Talon I, De Geest N, Kumar P, To SK, Petropoulos S, Jurisicova A, Pasque V, Lanner F, Rossant J. Evaluating totipotency using criteria of increasing stringency. Nat Cell Biol 2021. [PMID: 33420491 DOI: 10.1101/2020.1103.1102.972893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to give rise to all of the differentiated cell types that build the conceptus, yet how to capture this property in vitro remains incompletely understood. Defining totipotency relies on a variety of assays of variable stringency. Here, we describe criteria to define totipotency. We explain how distinct criteria of increasing stringency can be used to judge totipotency by evaluating candidate totipotent cell types in mice, including early blastomeres and expanded or extended pluripotent stem cells. Our data challenge the notion that expanded or extended pluripotent states harbour increased totipotent potential relative to conventional embryonic stem cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Posfai
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - John Paul Schell
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adrian Janiszewski
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isidora Rovic
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander Murray
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Bradshaw
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tatsuya Yamakawa
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tine Pardon
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mouna El Bakkali
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Irene Talon
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie De Geest
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - San Kit To
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sophie Petropoulos
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Jurisicova
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Ming Wai Lau Center for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm Node, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Janet Rossant
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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16
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Posfai E, Schell JP, Janiszewski A, Rovic I, Murray A, Bradshaw B, Yamakawa T, Pardon T, El Bakkali M, Talon I, De Geest N, Kumar P, To SK, Petropoulos S, Jurisicova A, Pasque V, Lanner F, Rossant J. Evaluating totipotency using criteria of increasing stringency. Nat Cell Biol 2021; 23:49-60. [PMID: 33420491 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-00609-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to give rise to all of the differentiated cell types that build the conceptus, yet how to capture this property in vitro remains incompletely understood. Defining totipotency relies on a variety of assays of variable stringency. Here, we describe criteria to define totipotency. We explain how distinct criteria of increasing stringency can be used to judge totipotency by evaluating candidate totipotent cell types in mice, including early blastomeres and expanded or extended pluripotent stem cells. Our data challenge the notion that expanded or extended pluripotent states harbour increased totipotent potential relative to conventional embryonic stem cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Posfai
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - John Paul Schell
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adrian Janiszewski
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isidora Rovic
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander Murray
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Bradshaw
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tatsuya Yamakawa
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tine Pardon
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mouna El Bakkali
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Irene Talon
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie De Geest
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - San Kit To
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sophie Petropoulos
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Jurisicova
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Ming Wai Lau Center for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm Node, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Janet Rossant
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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17
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Saiz N, Hadjantonakis AK. Coordination between patterning and morphogenesis ensures robustness during mouse development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190562. [PMID: 32829684 PMCID: PMC7482220 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian preimplantation embryo is a highly tractable, self-organizing developmental system in which three cell types are consistently specified without the need for maternal factors or external signals. Studies in the mouse over the past decades have greatly improved our understanding of the cues that trigger symmetry breaking in the embryo, the transcription factors that control lineage specification and commitment, and the mechanical forces that drive morphogenesis and inform cell fate decisions. These studies have also uncovered how these multiple inputs are integrated to allocate the right number of cells to each lineage despite inherent biological noise, and as a response to perturbations. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of how these processes are coordinated to ensure a robust and precise developmental outcome during early mouse development. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Néstor Saiz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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18
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Riveiro AR, Brickman JM. From pluripotency to totipotency: an experimentalist's guide to cellular potency. Development 2020; 147:147/16/dev189845. [PMID: 32847824 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from the pre-implantation mammalian blastocyst. At this point in time, the newly formed embryo is concerned with the generation and expansion of both the embryonic lineages required to build the embryo and the extra-embryonic lineages that support development. When used in grafting experiments, embryonic cells from early developmental stages can contribute to both embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages, but it is generally accepted that ESCs can give rise to only embryonic lineages. As a result, they are referred to as pluripotent, rather than totipotent. Here, we consider the experimental potential of various ESC populations and a number of recently identified in vitro culture systems producing states beyond pluripotency and reminiscent of those observed during pre-implantation development. We also consider the nature of totipotency and the extent to which cell populations in these culture systems exhibit this property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Redó Riveiro
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Joshua Mark Brickman
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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19
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Płusa B, Piliszek A. Common principles of early mammalian embryo self-organisation. Development 2020; 147:147/14/dev183079. [PMID: 32699138 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pre-implantation mammalian development unites extreme plasticity with a robust outcome: the formation of a blastocyst, an organised multi-layered structure ready for implantation. The process of blastocyst formation is one of the best-known examples of self-organisation. The first three cell lineages in mammalian development specify and arrange themselves during the morphogenic process based on cell-cell interactions. Despite decades of research, the unifying principles driving early mammalian development are still not fully defined. Here, we discuss the role of physical forces, and molecular and cellular mechanisms, in driving self-organisation and lineage formation that are shared between eutherian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenika Płusa
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Anna Piliszek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Postepu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
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20
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Toyooka Y. Trophoblast lineage specification in the mammalian preimplantation embryo. Reprod Med Biol 2020; 19:209-221. [PMID: 32684820 PMCID: PMC7360972 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The establishment of the trophectoderm (TE) and the inner cell mass (ICM) is the first cell lineage segregation that occurs in mammalian preimplantation development. TE will contribute to the placenta while ICM cells give rise to the epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PrE). There are two historical models for TE/ICM segregation: the positional (inside-outside) model and the polarity model, but both models alone cannot explain the mechanism of TE/ICM segregation. METHODS This article discusses a current possible model based on recent studies including the finding through live-cell imaging of the expression patterns of caudal type homeobox 2 (Cdx2), a key transcription factor of TE differentiation in the mouse embryo. RESULTS It was observed that a part of outer Cdx2-expressing blastomeres was internalized at the around 20- to 30-cell stage, downregulates Cdx2, ceases TE differentiation, and participates in ICM lineages. CONCLUSION The early blastomere, which starts differentiation toward the TE cell fate, still has plasticity and can change its fate. Differentiation potency of all blastomeres until approximately the 32-cell stage is presumably not irreversibly restricted even if they show heterogeneity in their epigenetic modifications or gene expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Toyooka
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA)Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
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21
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Hu K. On Mammalian Totipotency: What Is the Molecular Underpinning for the Totipotency of Zygote? Stem Cells Dev 2020; 28:897-906. [PMID: 31122174 PMCID: PMC6648208 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian zygote is described as a totipotent cell in the literature, but this characterization is elusive ignoring the molecular underpinnings. Totipotency can connote genetic totipotency, epigenetic totipotency, or the reprogramming capacity of a cell to epigenetic totipotency. Here, the implications of these concepts are discussed in the context of the properties of the zygote. Although genetically totipotent as any diploid somatic cell is, a zygote seems not totipotent transcriptionally, epigenetically, or functionally. Yet, a zygote may retain most of the key factors from its parental oocyte to reprogram an implanted differentiated genome or the zygote genome toward totipotency. This totipotent reprogramming process may extend to blastomeres in the two-cell-stage embryo. Thus, a revised alternative model of mammalian cellular totipotency is proposed, in which an epigenetically totipotent cell exists after the major embryonic genome activation and before the separation of the first two embryonic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejin Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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22
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White MD, Plachta N. Specification of the First Mammalian Cell Lineages In Vivo and In Vitro. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2020; 12:cshperspect.a035634. [PMID: 31615786 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a035634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of how the first mammalian cell lineages arise has been shaped largely by studies of the preimplantation mouse embryo. Painstaking work over many decades has begun to reveal how a single totipotent cell is transformed into a multilayered structure representing the foundations of the body plan. Here, we review how the first lineage decision is initiated by epigenetic regulation but consolidated by the integration of morphological features and transcription factor activity. The establishment of pluripotent and multipotent stem cell lines has enabled deeper analysis of molecular and epigenetic regulation of cell fate decisions. The capability to assemble these stem cells into artificial embryos is an exciting new avenue of research that offers a long-awaited window into cell fate specification in the human embryo. Together, these approaches are poised to profoundly increase our understanding of how the first lineage decisions are made during mammalian embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie D White
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673
| | - Nicolas Plachta
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673
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23
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Mammalian germ cells are determined after PGC colonization of the nascent gonad. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25677-25687. [PMID: 31754036 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910733116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian primordial germ cells (PGCs) are induced in the embryonic epiblast, before migrating to the nascent gonads. In fish, frogs, and birds, the germline segregates even earlier, through the action of maternally inherited germ plasm. Across vertebrates, migrating PGCs retain a broad developmental potential, regardless of whether they were induced or maternally segregated. In mammals, this potential is indicated by expression of pluripotency factors, and the ability to generate teratomas and pluripotent cell lines. How the germline loses this developmental potential remains unknown. Our genome-wide analyses of embryonic human and mouse germlines reveal a conserved transcriptional program, initiated in PGCs after gonadal colonization, that differentiates germ cells from their germline precursors and from somatic lineages. Through genetic studies in mice and pigs, we demonstrate that one such gonad-induced factor, the RNA-binding protein DAZL, is necessary in vivo to restrict the developmental potential of the germline; DAZL's absence prolongs expression of a Nanog pluripotency reporter, facilitates derivation of pluripotent cell lines, and causes spontaneous gonadal teratomas. Based on these observations in humans, mice, and pigs, we propose that germ cells are determined after gonadal colonization in mammals. We suggest that germ cell determination was induced late in embryogenesis-after organogenesis has begun-in the common ancestor of all vertebrates, as in modern mammals, where this transition is induced by somatic cells of the gonad. We suggest that failure of this process of germ cell determination likely accounts for the origin of human testis cancer.
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24
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Gerovska D, Araúzo-Bravo MJ. Computational analysis of single-cell transcriptomics data elucidates the stabilization of Oct4 expression in the E3.25 mouse preimplantation embryo. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8930. [PMID: 31222057 PMCID: PMC6586892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Our computational analysis focuses on the 32- to 64-cell mouse embryo transition, Embryonic day (E3.25), whose study in literature is concentrated mainly on the search for an early onset of the second cell-fate decision, the specification of the inner cell mass (ICM) to primitive endoderm (PE) and epiblast (EPI). We analysed single-cell (sc) microarray transcriptomics data from E3.25 using Hierarchical Optimal k-Means (HOkM) clustering, and identified two groups of ICM cells: a group of cells from embryos with less than 34 cells (E3.25-LNCs), and another group of cells from embryos with more than 33 cells (E3.25-HNCs), corresponding to two developmental stages. Although we found massive underlying heterogeneity in the ICM cells at E3.25-HNC with over 3,800 genes with transcriptomics bifurcation, many of which are PE and EPI markers, we showed that the E3.25-HNCs are neither PE nor EPI. Importantly, analysing the differently expressed genes between the E3.25-LNCs and E3.25-HNCs, we uncovered a non-autonomous mechanism, based on a minimal number of four inner-cell contacts in the ICM, which activates Oct4 in the preimplantation embryo. Oct4 is highly expressed but unstable at E3.25-LNC, and stabilizes at high level at E3.25-HNC, with Bsg highly expressed, and the chromatin remodelling program initialised to establish an early naïve pluripotent state. Our results indicate that the pluripotent state we found to exist in the ICM at E3.25-HNC is the in vivo counterpart of a new, very early pluripotent state. We compared the transcriptomics profile of this in vivo E3.25-HNC pluripotent state, together with the profiles of E3.25-LNC, E3.5 EPI and E4.5 EPI cells, with the profiles of all embryonic stem cells (ESCs) available in the GEO database from the same platform (over 600 microarrays). The shortest distance between the set of inner cells (E3.25, E3.5 and E4.5) and the ESCs is between the E3.25-HNC cells and 2i + LIF ESCs; thus, the developmental transition from 33 to 34 cells decreases dramatically the distance with the naïve ground state of the 2i + LIF ESCs. We validated the E3.25 events through analysis of scRNA-seq data from early and late 32-cell ICM cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gerovska
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
- Computational Biomedicine Data Analysis Platform, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Marcos J Araúzo-Bravo
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, San Sebastián, 20014, Spain.
- Computational Biomedicine Data Analysis Platform, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, San Sebastián, 20014, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Calle María Díaz Harokoa 3, 48013, Bilbao, Spain.
- CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERfes), Madrid, Spain.
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Desai N, Gill P. Blastomere cleavage plane orientation and the tetrahedral formation are associated with increased probability of a good-quality blastocyst for cryopreservation or transfer: a time-lapse study. Fertil Steril 2019; 111:1159-1168.e1. [PMID: 30982605 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether blastomere spatial arrangement in early human embryos is reflective of embryonic potential. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. SETTING Single academic center. PATIENT(S) Patients undergoing a single blastocyst transfer. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Developmental kinetics, blastocyst quality, embryo dysmorphisms, and live birth rate. RESULT(S) A total of 716 embryos were examined in detail for cleavage plane orientation, blastomere arrangement, and morphokinetic behavior. Tetrahedral (TET) and nontetrahedral embryos (nTET) differed significantly in developmental kinetics. The frequency of dysmorphisms, multinucleation, and irregular chaotic division was higher in nTET embryos. Only 44% of nTET versus 62.9% of TET embryos were scored as top-quality blastocysts. After adjusting for age, our data indicated that having TET embryos significantly increased the odds of having a blastocyst for cryopreservation/transfer (odds ratio, 3.58; confidence interval, 2.42-5.28) when compared with nTET. A total of 164 fresh single ETs were performed with blastocyst-stage embryos. The implantation rate for TET- and nTET-derived blastocysts were similar (64.7% and 62%, respectively). The live birth rate was 55% in both groups. A meridonal first division was noted in 85% of the fresh SET blastocysts. CONCLUSION(S) Cleavage plane orientation during the first three divisions appeared to dictate final blastomere spatial arrangement. The TET formation at the four-cell stage was predictive for embryos most likely to develop into good-quality blastocysts for cryopreservation/transfer. Morphokinetic markers of embryo potential were significantly different between TET and nTET embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Desai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio.
| | - Pavinder Gill
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio
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Marikawa Y, Alarcon VB. RHOA activity in expanding blastocysts is essential to regulate HIPPO-YAP signaling and to maintain the trophectoderm-specific gene expression program in a ROCK/actin filament-independent manner. Mol Hum Reprod 2019; 25:43-60. [PMID: 30395288 PMCID: PMC6497036 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gay048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What molecular signals are required to maintain the functional trophectoderm (TE) during blastocyst expansion of the late stage of preimplantation development? SUMMARY ANSWER The activity of ras homology family member A (RHOA) GTPases is necessary to retain the expanded blastocyst cavity and also to sustain the gene expression program specific to TE. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY At the early stages of preimplantation development, the precursor of the TE lineage is generated through the molecular signals that integrate RHOA, RHO-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK), the apicobasal cell polarity, and the HIPPO-Yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway. By contrast, molecular mechanisms regulating the maintenance of the TE characteristics at the later stage, which is crucial for blastocyst hatching and implantation, are scarcely understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Expanding mouse blastocysts, obtained from crosses of the F1 (C57BL6 × DBA/2) strain, were exposed to chemical agents that interfere with RHOA, ROCK, or the actin cytoskeleton for up to 8 h, and effects on the blastocyst cavity, HIPPO-YAP signaling, and cell lineage-specific gene expression profiles were examined. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Mouse embryos at the embryonic stage E3.5 (expanding blastocysts) and E4.5 (fully expanded blastocysts) were treated with RHOA inhibitor (C3 exoenzyme), ROCK inhibitor (Y27632), or actin filament disruptors (cytochalasin B and latrunculin A). The integrity of the blastocyst cavity was evaluated based on the gross morphology. Effects on HIPPO-YAP signaling were assessed based on the presence of nuclearized YAP protein by immunofluorescence staining and the expression of YAP/TEA domain family member (TEAD) target genes by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The impact of these disruptors on cell lineages was evaluated based on expression of the TE-specific and inner cell mass-specific marker genes by qRT-PCR. The integrity of the apicobasal cell polarity was assessed by localization of protein kinase C zeta (PRKCZ; apical) and scribbled planar cell polarity (SCRIB; basal) proteins by immunofluorescence staining. For comparisons, cultured cell lines, NIH/3T3 (mouse fibroblast) and P19C5 (mouse embryonal carcinoma), were also treated with RHOA inhibitor, ROCK inhibitor, and actin filament disruptors for up to 8 h, and effects on HIPPO-YAP signaling were assessed based on expression of YAP/TEAD target genes by qRT-PCR. Each experiment was repeated using three independent batches of embryos (n = 40-80 per batch) or cell collections. Statistical analyses of data were performed, using one-way ANOVA and two-sample t-test. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Inhibition of RHOA deflated the cavity, diminished nuclear YAP (P < 0.01), and down-regulated the YAP/TEAD target and TE-specific marker genes in both E3.5 and E4.5 blastocysts (P < 0.05), indicating that the maintenance of the key TE characteristics is dependent on RHOA activity. However, inhibition of ROCK or disruption of actin filament only deflated the blastocyst cavity, but did not alter HIPPO-YAP signaling or lineage-specific gene expressions, suggesting that the action of RHOA to sustain the TE-specific gene expression program is not mediated by ROCK or the actomyosin cytoskeleton. By contrast, ROCK inhibitor and actin filament disruptors diminished YAP/TEAD target gene expressions in cultured cells to a greater extent than RHOA inhibitor, implicating that the regulation of HIPPO-YAP signaling in expanding blastocysts is distinctly different from that in the cell lines. Furthermore, the apicobasal cell polarity proteins in the expanding blastocyst were mislocalized by ROCK inhibition but not by RHOA inhibition, indicating that cell polarity is not linked to regulation of HIPPO-YAP signaling. Taken together, our study suggests that RHOA activity is essential to maintain the TE lineage in the expanding blastocyst and it regulates HIPPO-YAP signaling and the lineage-specific gene expression program through mechanisms that are independent of ROCK or actomyosin cytoskeleton. LARGE-SCALE DATA Not applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study was conducted using one species, the mouse. Direct translation of the experiments and findings to human fertility preservation and ART requires further investigations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The elucidation of the mechanisms of TE formation is highly pertinent to fertility preservation in women. Our findings may raise awareness among providers of ART that the TE is sensitive to disturbance even in the late stage of blastocyst expansion and that rational approaches should be devised to avoid conditions that may impair the TE and its function. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by grants from the Ingeborg v.F. McKee Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation (16ADVC-78882 to V.B.A.), and the National Institutes of Health (P20 GM103457 and R03 HD088839 to V.B.A.). The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Vernadeth B Alarcon
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Abstract
Minority subpopulations within embryonic stem cell cultures display an expanded developmental potential similar to that of early embryo blastomeres or the early inner cell mass. The ability to isolate and culture totipotent cells capable of giving rise to the entire conceptus would enhance our capacity to study early embryo development, and might enable more efficient generation of chimeric animals for research and organ production for transplantation. Here we review the biological and molecular characterization of cultured cells with developmental potential similar to totipotent blastomeres, and assess recent progress toward the capture and stabilization of the totipotent state in vitro.
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Frum T, Ralston A. Visualizing HIPPO Signaling Components in Mouse Early Embryonic Development. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1893:335-352. [PMID: 30565145 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8910-2_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The HIPPO signaling pathway plays an early and essential role in mammalian embryogenesis. The earliest known roles for HIPPO signaling during mouse development include segregating fetal and extraembryonic lineages and establishing the pluripotent progenitors of embryonic stem (ES) cells. In the mouse early embryo, HIPPO signaling responds to multiple cell biological inputs, including cell polarization, cytoskeleton, and cell environment, to influence gene expression and the first cell fate decisions in development. Methods to monitor and manipulate HIPPO signaling in the mouse early embryo are fundamental to discovering mechanisms regulating pluripotency in vivo, but properties of the early embryo, such as small cell number and spherical architecture, pose unique challenges for signaling pathway analysis. Here, we share approaches for visualizing HIPPO signaling in mouse early embryos. In addition, these methods can be applied to visualize HIPPO signaling in other spherical or cystic structures comprised of relatively few cells, such as organoids, or for the examination of other signaling pathways in these contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Frum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Amy Ralston
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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29
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Plusa B, Hadjantonakis AK. (De)constructing the blastocyst: Lessons in self-organization from the mouse. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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30
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Pfeffer PL. Building Principles for Constructing a Mammalian Blastocyst Embryo. BIOLOGY 2018; 7:biology7030041. [PMID: 30041494 PMCID: PMC6164496 DOI: 10.3390/biology7030041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The self-organisation of a fertilised egg to form a blastocyst structure, which consists of three distinct cell lineages (trophoblast, epiblast and hypoblast) arranged around an off-centre cavity, is unique to mammals. While the starting point (the zygote) and endpoint (the blastocyst) are similar in all mammals, the intervening events have diverged. This review examines and compares the descriptive and functional data surrounding embryonic gene activation, symmetry-breaking, first and second lineage establishment, and fate commitment in a wide range of mammalian orders. The exquisite detail known from mouse embryogenesis, embryonic stem cell studies and the wealth of recent single cell transcriptomic experiments are used to highlight the building principles underlying early mammalian embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Pfeffer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.
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31
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Mihajlović AI, Bruce AW. The first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development: integrating cell position and polarity. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170210. [PMID: 29167310 PMCID: PMC5717349 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development, a population of outer-residing polar cells is segregated from a second population of inner apolar cells to form two distinct cell lineages: the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass (ICM), respectively. Historically, two models have been proposed to explain how the initial differences between these two cell populations originate and ultimately define them as the two stated early blastocyst stage cell lineages. The 'positional' model proposes that cells acquire distinct fates based on differences in their relative position within the developing embryo, while the 'polarity' model proposes that the differences driving the lineage segregation arise as a consequence of the differential inheritance of factors, which exhibit polarized subcellular localizations, upon asymmetric cell divisions. Although these two models have traditionally been considered separately, a growing body of evidence, collected over recent years, suggests the existence of a large degree of compatibility. Accordingly, the main aim of this review is to summarize the major historical and more contemporarily identified events that define the first cell-fate decision and to place them in the context of both the originally proposed positional and polarity models, thus highlighting their functional complementarity in describing distinct aspects of the developmental programme underpinning the first cell-fate decision in mouse embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar I Mihajlović
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander W Bruce
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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32
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Klimczewska K, Kasperczuk A, Suwińska A. The Regulative Nature of Mammalian Embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 128:105-149. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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33
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Cell Polarity-Dependent Regulation of Cell Allocation and the First Lineage Specification in the Preimplantation Mouse Embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 128:11-35. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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34
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Downs KM. Extragonadal primordial germ cells or placental progenitor cells? Reprod Biomed Online 2018; 36:6-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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35
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Zacchini F, Arena R, Abramik A, Ptak GE. Embryo biopsy and development: the known and the unknown. Reproduction 2017; 154:R143-R148. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been introduced in clinical practice as a tool for selecting ‘healthy’ embryos before their transfer in utero. PGD protocols include biopsy of cleaving embryos (blastomere biopsy (BB)) or blastocysts (trophectoderm biopsy (TB)), followed by genetic analysis to select ‘healthy’ embryos for transfer in utero. Currently, TB is replacing the use of BB in the clinical practice. However, based on the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Consortium reports, BB has been used in >87% of PGD cycles for more than 10 years. An exhaustive evaluation of embryo biopsy (both BB and TB) risks and safety is still missing. The few epidemiological studies available are quite controversial and/or are limited to normalcy at birth or early childhood. On the other hand, studies on animals have shown that BB can be a risk factor for impaired development, during both pre- and postnatal life, while little is known on TB. Thus, there is an urgent need of focused researches on BB, as it has contributed to give birth to children for more than 10 years, and on TB, as its application is significantly growing in clinical practice. In this context, the aim of this review is to provide a complete overview of the current knowledge on the short-, medium- and long-term effects of embryo biopsy in the mouse model.
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36
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Jaber M, Sebban S, Buganim Y. Acquisition of the pluripotent and trophectoderm states in the embryo and during somatic nuclear reprogramming. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2017; 46:37-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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37
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Nissen SB, Perera M, Gonzalez JM, Morgani SM, Jensen MH, Sneppen K, Brickman JM, Trusina A. Four simple rules that are sufficient to generate the mammalian blastocyst. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2000737. [PMID: 28700688 PMCID: PMC5507476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early mammalian development is both highly regulative and self-organizing. It involves the interplay of cell position, predetermined gene regulatory networks, and environmental interactions to generate the physical arrangement of the blastocyst with precise timing. However, this process occurs in the absence of maternal information and in the presence of transcriptional stochasticity. How does the preimplantation embryo ensure robust, reproducible development in this context? It utilizes a versatile toolbox that includes complex intracellular networks coupled to cell-cell communication, segregation by differential adhesion, and apoptosis. Here, we ask whether a minimal set of developmental rules based on this toolbox is sufficient for successful blastocyst development, and to what extent these rules can explain mutant and experimental phenotypes. We implemented experimentally reported mechanisms for polarity, cell-cell signaling, adhesion, and apoptosis as a set of developmental rules in an agent-based in silico model of physically interacting cells. We find that this model quantitatively reproduces specific mutant phenotypes and provides an explanation for the emergence of heterogeneity without requiring any initial transcriptional variation. It also suggests that a fixed time point for the cells' competence of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) sets an embryonic clock that enables certain scaling phenomena, a concept that we evaluate quantitatively by manipulating embryos in vitro. Based on these observations, we conclude that the minimal set of rules enables the embryo to experiment with stochastic gene expression and could provide the robustness necessary for the evolutionary diversification of the preimplantation gene regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas Boye Nissen
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Perera
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Sophie M. Morgani
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mogens H. Jensen
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kim Sneppen
- CMOL, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joshua M. Brickman
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JMB); (AT)
| | - Ala Trusina
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JMB); (AT)
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38
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Posfai E, Petropoulos S, de Barros FRO, Schell JP, Jurisica I, Sandberg R, Lanner F, Rossant J. Position- and Hippo signaling-dependent plasticity during lineage segregation in the early mouse embryo. eLife 2017; 6:22906. [PMID: 28226240 PMCID: PMC5370188 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The segregation of the trophectoderm (TE) from the inner cell mass (ICM) in the mouse blastocyst is determined by position-dependent Hippo signaling. However, the window of responsiveness to Hippo signaling, the exact timing of lineage commitment and the overall relationship between cell commitment and global gene expression changes are still unclear. Single-cell RNA sequencing during lineage segregation revealed that the TE transcriptional profile stabilizes earlier than the ICM and prior to blastocyst formation. Using quantitative Cdx2-eGFP expression as a readout of Hippo signaling activity, we assessed the experimental potential of individual blastomeres based on their level of Cdx2-eGFP expression and correlated potential with gene expression dynamics. We find that TE specification and commitment coincide and occur at the time of transcriptional stabilization, whereas ICM cells still retain the ability to regenerate TE up to the early blastocyst stage. Plasticity of both lineages is coincident with their window of sensitivity to Hippo signaling. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22906.001 In female mammals, conception is a complex process that involves several stages. First, an egg is released from the ovary and travels along a tube called the oviduct, where sperm from a male may fertilize it. If the egg is fertilized, the newly formed embryo moves into the womb, where it will then implant into the walls. In mice, it takes around four days for the embryo to implant and during this time, the cells in the embryo divide several times and start to specialize to form distinct cell types called lineages. The first two lineages to form are known as the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm. The inner cell mass forms a ball of cells within the embryo and contains the precursors of all cells that build the animal’s body. The trophectoderm forms a layer that surrounds the inner cell mass and will become part of the placenta (the organ that supplies the embryo with nutrients while it is in the womb). The embryo can organize these lineages without any instructions from the mother. However, it is still not clear when the cells start to differ from each other, and when they ‘commit’ to stay in these lineages. Cells in the inner cell mass and trophectoderm have different gene expression profiles, meaning that many genes display different levels of activity in these two lineages. Posfai et al. use a technique called single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse gene activity as the inner cell mass and trophectoderm form in mouse embryos. By measuring changes in gene activity, it is possible to track their development and show which genes change expression levels when each lineage specifies and commits. The experiments reveal that the inner cell mass and trophectoderm lineages develop at different times. As the inner cell mass forms, cells adopt the inner cell mass ‘identity’ before they commit to remaining in this lineage, revealing a window of time where different signals could still change the fate of the cells. However, when the early trophectoderm cells show the first signs of specialization, they also commit to their new identity at the same time. These findings suggest that the different timings at which these cell lineages form might provide embryos with the means to organize their own cells. An important future challenge is to understand exactly how the cells commit to their fate. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22906.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Posfai
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sophie Petropoulos
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - John Paul Schell
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor Jurisica
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Departments of Medical Biophysics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Janet Rossant
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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39
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Wu G, Lei L, Schöler HR. Totipotency in the mouse. J Mol Med (Berl) 2017; 95:687-694. [PMID: 28102431 PMCID: PMC5487595 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-017-1509-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the unicellular zygote starts the process of embryogenesis and differentiates into all types of somatic cells, including both fetal and extraembryonic lineages-in a highly organized manner to eventually give rise to an entire multicellular organism comprising more than 200 different tissue types. This feature is referred to as totipotency. Upon fertilization, oocyte maternal factors epigenetically reprogram the genomes of the terminally differentiated oocyte and spermatozoon and turn the zygote into a totipotent cell. Today, we still do not fully understand the molecular properties of totipotency. In this review, we discuss recent findings on the molecular signature and mechanism of transcriptional regulation networks in the totipotent mouse embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangming Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstrasse 20, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstrasse 20, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, 194 Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstrasse 20, 48149, Münster, Germany. .,Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Domagkstr. 3, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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Zheng Z, Li H, Zhang Q, Yang L, Qi H. Unequal distribution of 16S mtrRNA at the 2-cell stage regulates cell lineage allocations in mouse embryos. Reproduction 2016; 151:351-67. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-15-0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cell lineage determination during early embryogenesis has profound effects on adult animal development. Pre-patterning of embryos, such as that of Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, is driven by asymmetrically localized maternal or zygotic factors, including mRNA species and RNA binding proteins. However, it is not clear how mammalian early embryogenesis is regulated and what the early cell fate determinants are. Here we show that, in mouse, mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs (mtrRNAs) are differentially distributed between 2-cell sister blastomeres. This distribution pattern is not related to the overall quantity or activity of mitochondria which appears equal between 2-cell sister blastomeres. Like in lower species, 16S mtrRNA is found to localize in the cytoplasm outside of mitochondria in mouse 2-cell embryos. Alterations of 16S mtrRNA levels in one of the 2-cell sister blastomere via microinjection of either sense or anti-sense RNAs drive its progeny into different cell lineages in blastocyst. These results indicate that mtrRNAs are differentially distributed among embryonic cells at the beginning of embryogenesis in mouse and they are functionally involved in the regulation of cell lineage allocations in blastocyst, suggesting an underlying molecular mechanism that regulates pre-implantation embryogenesis in mouse.
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Boiani M, Cibelli JB. What we can learn from single-cell analysis in development. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:160-71. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaw014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Toyooka Y, Oka S, Fujimori T. Early preimplantation cells expressing Cdx2 exhibit plasticity of specification to TE and ICM lineages through positional changes. Dev Biol 2016; 411:50-60. [PMID: 26806703 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of the trophectoderm (TE) and the inner cell mass (ICM) is the first cell lineage segregation to occur in mouse preimplantation development. These two cell lineages arise in a position-dependent manner at the blastocyst stage: the outer cells form TE, which will generate the future placenta, while the inner cells give rise to the ICM, from which the epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PrE) arise. Previous studies have shown that a portion of cells relocate from the outside position to the inside during this preimplantation stage, but few studies have investigated the correlation between cell relocation and the expression of key transcription factors critical for cell differentiation. To monitor cell movement and the status of the TE-specification pathway in living embryos, we established Cdx2-GFP reporter mice allowing us to visualize the expression of Caudal-type transcriptional factor (Cdx2), a key regulator of the initiation of TE differentiation. Observation of Cdx2-GFP preimplantation embryos by live cell imaging revealed that all cells localized in an initial outer position initiated the expression of Cdx2. Subsequently, cells that changed their position from an outer to an inner position downregulated Cdx2 expression and contributed to the ICM. Finally we showed that internalized cells likely contribute to both the EPI and PrE. Our datas indicate that cells expressing even high levels of Cdx2 can internalize, deactivate an activated TE-specification molecular pathway and integrate into the pluripotent cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Toyooka
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Sanae Oka
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Fujimori
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
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Abstract
After a spermatozoon enters an oocyte, maternal factors accumulated in the oocyte reprogram the genomes of the terminally differentiated oocyte and spermatozoon epigenetically and turn the zygote into a totipotent cell, with the capacity to differentiate into all types of somatic cells in a highly organized manner and generate the entire organism, a feature referred to as totipotency. Differentiation of the first lineage begins after three cleavages, when the early embryo compacts and becomes polarized, followed by segregation of the first lineages--the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE). To date, a full understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the establishment of totipotency and the ICM/TE lineage segregation remains unclear. In this review, we discuss recent findings in the mechanism of transcriptional regulation networks and signaling pathways in the first lineage separation in the totipotent mouse embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangming Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.
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Graham SJ, Zernicka-Goetz M. The Acquisition of Cell Fate in Mouse Development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 117:671-95. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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45
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Morgani SM, Brickman JM. The molecular underpinnings of totipotency. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0549. [PMID: 25349456 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are characterized by their functional potency and capacity to self-renew in culture. Historically, ES cells have been defined as pluripotent, able to make the embryonic but not the extraembryonic lineages (such as the yolk sac and the placenta). The functional capacity of ES cells has been judged based on their ability to contribute to all somatic lineages when they are introduced into an embryo. However, a number of recent reports have suggested that under certain conditions, ES cells, and other reprogrammed cell lines, can also contribute to the extraembryonic lineages and, therefore, can be said to be totipotent. Here, we consider the molecular basis for this totipotent state, its transcriptional signature and the signalling pathways that define it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Morgani
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre-DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Joshua M Brickman
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre-DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
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Abstract
Polarization of early embryos along cell contact patterns—referred to in this paper as radial polarization—provides a foundation for the initial cell fate decisions and morphogenetic movements of embryogenesis. Although polarity can be established through distinct upstream mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus laevis, and mouse embryos, in each species, it results in the restriction of PAR polarity proteins to contact-free surfaces of blastomeres. In turn, PAR proteins influence cell fates by affecting signaling pathways, such as Hippo and Wnt, and regulate morphogenetic movements by directing cytoskeletal asymmetries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Nance
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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Sampino S, Zacchini F, Swiergiel AH, Modlinski AJ, Loi P, Ptak GE. Effects of blastomere biopsy on post-natal growth and behavior in mice. Hum Reprod 2014; 29:1875-83. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deu145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
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48
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Condic ML. Totipotency: what it is and what it is not. Stem Cells Dev 2014; 23:796-812. [PMID: 24368070 PMCID: PMC3991987 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is surprising confusion surrounding the concept of biological totipotency, both within the scientific community and in society at large. Increasingly, ethical objections to scientific research have both practical and political implications. Ethical controversy surrounding an area of research can have a chilling effect on investors and industry, which in turn slows the development of novel medical therapies. In this context, clarifying precisely what is meant by "totipotency" and how it is experimentally determined will both avoid unnecessary controversy and potentially reduce inappropriate barriers to research. Here, the concept of totipotency is discussed, and the confusions surrounding this term in the scientific and nonscientific literature are considered. A new term, "plenipotent," is proposed to resolve this confusion. The requirement for specific, oocyte-derived cytoplasm as a component of totipotency is outlined. Finally, the implications of twinning for our understanding of totipotency are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen L Condic
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah
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De Paepe C, Krivega M, Cauffman G, Geens M, Van de Velde H. Totipotency and lineage segregation in the human embryo. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:599-618. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gau027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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50
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Krupa M, Mazur E, Szczepańska K, Filimonow K, Maleszewski M, Suwińska A. Allocation of inner cells to epiblast vs primitive endoderm in the mouse embryo is biased but not determined by the round of asymmetric divisions (8→16- and 16→32-cells). Dev Biol 2013; 385:136-48. [PMID: 24041854 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The epiblast (EPI) and the primitive endoderm (PE), which constitute foundations for the future embryo body and yolk sac, build respectively deep and surface layers of the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. Before reaching their target localization within the ICM, the PE and EPI precursor cells, which display distinct lineage-specific markers, are intermingled randomly. Since the ICM cells are produced in two successive rounds of asymmetric divisions at the 8→16 (primary inner cells) and 16→32 cell stage (secondary inner cells) it has been suggested that the fate of inner cells (decision to become EPI or PE) may depend on the time of their origin. Our method of dual labeling of embryos allowed us to distinguish between primary and secondary inner cells contributing ultimately to ICM. Our results show that the presence of two generations of inner cells in the 32-cell stage embryo is the source of heterogeneity within the ICM. We found some bias concerning the level of Fgf4 and Fgfr2 expression between primary and secondary inner cells, resulting from the distinct number of cells expressing these genes. Analysis of experimental aggregates constructed using different ratios of inner cells surrounded by outer cells revealed that the fate of cells does not depend exclusively on the timing of their generation, but also on the number of cells generated in each wave of asymmetric division. Taking together, the observed regulatory mechanism adjusting the proportion of outer to inner cells within the embryo may be mediated by FGF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Krupa
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
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