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Mok GF, Turner S, Smith EL, Mincarelli L, Lister A, Lipscombe J, Uzun V, Haerty W, Macaulay IC, Münsterberg AE. Single cell RNA-sequencing and RNA-tomography of the avian embryo extending body axis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1382960. [PMID: 38863942 PMCID: PMC11165230 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1382960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Vertebrate body axis formation initiates during gastrulation and continues within the tail bud at the posterior end of the embryo. Major structures in the trunk are paired somites, which generate the musculoskeletal system, the spinal cord-forming part of the central nervous system, and the notochord, with important patterning functions. The specification of these different cell lineages by key signalling pathways and transcription factors is essential, however, a global map of cell types and expressed genes in the avian trunk is missing. Methods: Here we use high-throughput sequencing approaches to generate a molecular map of the emerging trunk and tailbud in the chick embryo. Results and Discussion: Single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) identifies discrete cell lineages including somites, neural tube, neural crest, lateral plate mesoderm, ectoderm, endothelial and blood progenitors. In addition, RNA-seq of sequential tissue sections (RNA-tomography) provides a spatially resolved, genome-wide expression dataset for the avian tailbud and emerging body, comparable to other model systems. Combining the single cell and RNA-tomography datasets, we identify spatially restricted genes, focusing on somites and early myoblasts. Thus, this high-resolution transcriptome map incorporating cell types in the embryonic trunk can expose molecular pathways involved in body axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. F. Mok
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - S. Turner
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - E. L. Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - A. Lister
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - V. Uzun
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - W. Haerty
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - A. E. Münsterberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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2
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Cheng T, Xing YY, Liu C, Li YF, Huang Y, Liu X, Zhang YJ, Zhao GQ, Dong Y, Fu XX, Tian YM, Shu LP, Megason SG, Xu PF. Nodal coordinates the anterior-posterior patterning of germ layers and induces head formation in zebrafish explants. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112351. [PMID: 37018074 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Much progress has been made toward generating analogs of early embryos, such as gastruloids and embryoids, in vitro. However, methods for how to fully mimic the cell movements of gastrulation and coordinate germ-layer patterning to induce head formation are still lacking. Here, we show that a regional Nodal gradient applied to zebrafish animal pole explant can generate a structure that recapitulates the key cell movements of gastrulation. Using single-cell transcriptome and in situ hybridization analysis, we assess the dynamics of the cell fates and patterning of this structure. The mesendoderm differentiates into the anterior endoderm, prechordal plate, notochord, and tailbud-like cells along an anterior-posterior axis, and an anterior-posterior-patterned head-like structure (HLS) progressively forms during late gastrulation. Among 105 immediate Nodal targets, 14 genes contain axis-induction ability, and 5 of them induce a complete or partial head structure when overexpressed in the ventral side of zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Cheng
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan-Yi Xing
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic and Developmental Disorders, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yun-Fei Li
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying-Jie Zhang
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guo-Qin Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Yang Dong
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin-Xin Fu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Meng Tian
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Ping Shu
- Department of Immunology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Sean G Megason
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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3
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Human Maternal-Fetal Interface Cellular Models to Assess Antiviral Drug Toxicity during Pregnancy. REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/reprodmed3040024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is a period of elevated risk for viral disease severity, resulting in serious health consequences for both the mother and the fetus; yet antiviral drugs lack comprehensive safety and efficacy data for use among pregnant women. In fact, pregnant women are systematically excluded from therapeutic clinical trials to prevent potential fetal harm. Current FDA-recommended reproductive toxicity assessments are studied using small animals which often do not accurately predict the human toxicological profiles of drug candidates. Here, we review the potential of human maternal-fetal interface cellular models in reproductive toxicity assessment of antiviral drugs. We specifically focus on the 2- and 3-dimensional maternal placental models of different gestational stages and those of fetal embryogenesis and organ development. Screening of drug candidates in physiologically relevant human maternal-fetal cellular models will be beneficial to prioritize selection of safe antiviral therapeutics for clinical trials in pregnant women.
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4
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Sozen B, Conkar D, Veenvliet JV. Carnegie in 4D? Stem-cell-based models of human embryo development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:44-57. [PMID: 35701286 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How cells build embryos is still a major mystery. Many unresolved questions require the study of the processes that pattern and shape the embryo in live specimens, in toto, across spatial and temporal scales. In mammalian embryogenesis, this remains a major challenge as the embryo develops in utero, precluding easy accessibility. For human embryos, technical, ethical and legal limitations further hamper the in-depth investigation of embryogenesis, especially beyond gastrulation stages. This has resulted in an over-reliance on model organisms, particularly mice, to understand mammalian development. However, recent efforts show critical differences between rodent and primate embryos, including timing, architecture and transcriptional regulation. Thus, a human-centric understanding of embryogenesis is much needed. To empower this, novel in vitro approaches, which coax human pluripotent stem cells to form embryonic organoids that model embryo development, are pivotal. Here, we summarize these emergent technologies that recapitulate aspects of human development "in a dish". We show how these technologies can provide insights into the molecular, cellular and morphogenetic processes that fuel the formation of a fully formed fetus, and discuss the potential of these platforms to revolutionize our understanding of human development in health and disease. Despite their clear promise, we caution against over-interpreting the extent to which these in vitro platforms model the natural embryo. In particular, we discuss how fate, form and function - a tightly coupled trinity in vivo, can be disconnected in vitro. Finally, we propose how careful benchmarking of existing models, in combination with rational protocol design based on an increased understanding of in vivo developmental dynamics and insights from mouse in vitro models of embryo development, will help guide the establishment of better models of human embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Deniz Conkar
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jesse V Veenvliet
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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5
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López-Anguita N, Gassaloglu SI, Stötzel M, Bolondi A, Conkar D, Typou M, Buschow R, Veenvliet JV, Bulut-Karslioglu A. Hypoxia induces an early primitive streak signature, enhancing spontaneous elongation and lineage representation in gastruloids. Development 2022; 149:276626. [PMID: 36102628 PMCID: PMC9578691 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The cellular microenvironment, together with intrinsic regulators, shapes stem cell identity and differentiation capacity. Mammalian early embryos are exposed to hypoxia in vivo and appear to benefit from hypoxic culture in vitro. Yet, how hypoxia influences stem cell transcriptional networks and lineage choices remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular effects of acute and prolonged hypoxia on embryonic and extra-embryonic stem cells as well as the functional impact on differentiation potential. We find a temporal and cell type-specific transcriptional response including an early primitive streak signature in hypoxic embryonic stem cells mediated by HIF1α. Using a 3D gastruloid differentiation model, we show that hypoxia-induced T expression enables symmetry breaking and axial elongation in the absence of exogenous WNT activation. When combined with exogenous WNT activation, hypoxia enhances lineage representation in gastruloids, as demonstrated by highly enriched signatures of gut endoderm, notochord, neuromesodermal progenitors and somites. Our findings directly link the microenvironment to stem cell function and provide a rationale supportive of applying physiological conditions in models of embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia López-Anguita
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin 2 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
| | - Seher Ipek Gassaloglu
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics 3 , 01307 Dresden , Germany
| | - Maximilian Stötzel
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin 2 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
| | - Adriano Bolondi
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin 2 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
| | - Deniz Conkar
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics 3 , 01307 Dresden , Germany
| | - Marina Typou
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
- Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace 4 , 681 00 Alexandroupoli , Greece
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, International Hellenic University 5 , 570 01, Thessaloniki , Greece
| | - René Buschow
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
| | - Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics 3 , 01307 Dresden , Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden 6 , 01307 Dresden , Germany
| | - Aydan Bulut-Karslioglu
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics 1 , 14195 Berlin , Germany
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6
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Applications of human organoids in the personalized treatment for digestive diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:336. [PMID: 36167824 PMCID: PMC9513303 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01194-6] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Digestive system diseases arise primarily through the interplay of genetic and environmental influences; there is an urgent need in elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms of these diseases and deploy personalized treatments. Traditional and long-established model systems rarely reproduce either tissue complexity or human physiology faithfully; these shortcomings underscore the need for better models. Organoids represent a promising research model, helping us gain a more profound understanding of the digestive organs; this model can also be used to provide patients with precise and individualized treatment and to build rapid in vitro test models for drug screening or gene/cell therapy, linking basic research with clinical treatment. Over the past few decades, the use of organoids has led to an advanced understanding of the composition of each digestive organ and has facilitated disease modeling, chemotherapy dose prediction, CRISPR-Cas9 genetic intervention, high-throughput drug screening, and identification of SARS-CoV-2 targets, pathogenic infection. However, the existing organoids of the digestive system mainly include the epithelial system. In order to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of digestive diseases, it is necessary to establish a completer and more physiological organoid model. Combining organoids and advanced techniques to test individualized treatments of different formulations is a promising approach that requires further exploration. This review highlights the advancements in the field of organoid technology from the perspectives of disease modeling and personalized therapy.
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7
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Needham J, Metzis V. Heads or tails: Making the spinal cord. Dev Biol 2022; 485:80-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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8
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Veenvliet JV, Lenne PF, Turner DA, Nachman I, Trivedi V. Sculpting with stem cells: how models of embryo development take shape. Development 2021; 148:dev192914. [PMID: 34908102 PMCID: PMC8722391 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative understanding how these morphogenetic information modules pattern and shape the mammalian embryo is still lacking, mostly owing to the inaccessibility of the embryo in vivo for direct observation and manipulation. These impediments are circumvented by the developmental engineering of embryo-like structures (stembryos) from pluripotent stem cells that are easy to access, track, manipulate and scale. Here, we explain how unlocking distinct levels of embryo-like architecture through controlled modulations of the cellular environment enables the identification of minimal sets of mechanical and biochemical inputs necessary to pattern and shape the mammalian embryo. We detail how this can be complemented with precise measurements and manipulations of tissue biochemistry, mechanics and geometry across spatial and temporal scales to provide insights into the mechanochemical feedback loops governing embryo morphogenesis. Finally, we discuss how, even in the absence of active manipulations, stembryos display intrinsic phenotypic variability that can be leveraged to define the constraints that ensure reproducible morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - David A. Turner
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, William Henry Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Weldon SA, Münsterberg AE. Somite development and regionalisation of the vertebral axial skeleton. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:10-16. [PMID: 34690064 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A critical stage in the development of all vertebrate embryos is the generation of the body plan and its subsequent patterning and regionalisation along the main anterior-posterior axis. This includes the formation of the vertebral axial skeleton. Its organisation begins during early embryonic development with the periodic formation of paired blocks of mesoderm tissue called somites. Here, we review axial patterning of somites, with a focus on studies using amniote model systems - avian and mouse. We summarise the molecular and cellular mechanisms that generate paraxial mesoderm and review how the different anatomical regions of the vertebral column acquire their specific identity and thus shape the body plan. We also discuss the generation of organoids and embryo-like structures from embryonic stem cells, which provide insights regarding axis formation and promise to be useful for disease modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon A Weldon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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10
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Steventon B, Busby L, Arias AM. Establishment of the vertebrate body plan: Rethinking gastrulation through stem cell models of early embryogenesis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2405-2418. [PMID: 34520764 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A striking property of vertebrate embryos is the emergence of a conserved body plan across a wide range of organisms through the process of gastrulation. As the body plan unfolds, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and multicellular interactions (cell regulatory networks, CRNs) combine to generate a conserved set of morphogenetic events that lead to the phylotypic stage. Interrogation of these multilevel interactions requires manipulation of the mechanical environment, which is difficult in vivo. We review recent studies of stem cell models of early embryogenesis from different species showing that, independent of species origin, cells in culture form similar structures. The main difference between embryos and in vitro models is the boundary conditions of the multicellular ensembles. We discuss these observations and suggest that the mechanical and geometric boundary conditions of different embryos before gastrulation hide a morphogenetic ground state that is revealed in the stem-cell-based models of embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara Busby
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader, 88 ICREA, Pag Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
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11
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Abstract
Micropatterning encompasses a set of methods aimed at precisely controlling the spatial distribution of molecules onto the surface of materials. Biologists have borrowed the idea and adapted these methods, originally developed for electronics, to impose physical constraints on biological systems with the aim of addressing fundamental questions across biological scales from molecules to multicellular systems. Here, I approach this topic from a developmental biologist's perspective focusing specifically on how and why micropatterning has gained in popularity within the developmental biology community in recent years. Overall, this Primer provides a concise overview of how micropatterns are used to study developmental processes and emphasises how micropatterns are a useful addition to the developmental biologist's toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Blin
- Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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12
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van den Brink SC, van Oudenaarden A. 3D gastruloids: a novel frontier in stem cell-based in vitro modeling of mammalian gastrulation. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 31:747-759. [PMID: 34304959 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
3D gastruloids, aggregates of embryonic stem cells that recapitulate key aspects of gastrula-stage embryos, have emerged as a powerful tool to study the early stages of mammalian post-implantation development in vitro. Owing to their tractable nature and the relative ease by which they can be generated in large numbers, 3D gastruloids provide an unparalleled opportunity to study normal and pathological embryogenesis from a bottom-up perspective and in a high-throughput manner. Here, we review how gastruloid models can be exploited to deepen our understanding of mammalian development. In addition, we discuss current limitations, potential clinical applications, and ethical implications of this emerging model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne C van den Brink
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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13
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Bolondi A, Haut L, Gassaloglu SI, Burton P, Kretzmer H, Buschow R, Meissner A, Herrmann BG, Veenvliet JV. Generation of Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Trunk-like Structures: An in vitro Model of Post-implantation Embryogenesis. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4042. [PMID: 34250208 PMCID: PMC8250383 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-implantation mammalian embryogenesis involves profound molecular, cellular, and morphogenetic changes. The study of these highly dynamic processes is complicated by the limited accessibility of in utero development. In recent years, several complementary in vitro systems comprising self-organized assemblies of mouse embryonic stem cells, such as gastruloids, have been reported. We recently demonstrated that the morphogenetic potential of gastruloids can be further unlocked by the addition of a low percentage of Matrigel as an extracellular matrix surrogate. This resulted in the formation of highly organized trunk-like structures (TLSs) with a neural tube that is frequently flanked by bilateral somites. Notably, development at the molecular and morphogenetic levels is highly reminiscent of the natural embryo. To facilitate access to this powerful model, here we provide a detailed step-by-step protocol that should allow any lab with access to standard cell culture techniques to implement the culture system. This will provide the user with a means to investigate early mid-gestational mouse embryogenesis at an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Bolondi
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leah Haut
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Seher Ipek Gassaloglu
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Polly Burton
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - René Buschow
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Dept. of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bernhard G. Herrmann
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical Genetics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Dept. of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Cornwall-Scoones
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
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15
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Moris N, Alev C, Pera M, Martinez Arias A. Biomedical and societal impacts of in vitro embryo models of mammalian development. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1021-1030. [PMID: 33979591 PMCID: PMC8185435 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a diverse array of in vitro cell-derived models of mammalian development have been described that hold immense potential for exploring fundamental questions in developmental biology, particularly in the case of the human embryo where ethical and technical limitations restrict research. These models open up new avenues toward biomedical advances in in vitro fertilization, clinical research, and drug screening with potential to impact wider society across many diverse fields. These technologies raise challenging questions with profound ethical, regulatory, and social implications that deserve due consideration. Here, we discuss the potential impacts of embryo-like models, and their biomedical potential and current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Cantas Alev
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8510, Japan.
| | - Martin Pera
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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