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Shao J, Qiu X, Zhang L, Li S, Xue S, Si Y, Li Y, Jiang J, Wu Y, Xiong Q, Wang Y, Chen Q, Gao T, Zhu L, Wang H, Xie M. Multi-layered computational gene networks by engineered tristate logics. Cell 2024; 187:5064-5080.e14. [PMID: 39089254 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.001] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
So far, biocomputation strictly follows traditional design principles of digital electronics, which could reach their limits when assembling gene circuits of higher complexity. Here, by creating genetic variants of tristate buffers instead of using conventional logic gates as basic signal processing units, we introduce a tristate-based logic synthesis (TriLoS) framework for resource-efficient design of multi-layered gene networks capable of performing complex Boolean calculus within single-cell populations. This sets the stage for simple, modular, and low-interference mapping of various arithmetic logics of interest and an effectively enlarged engineering space within single cells. We not only construct computational gene networks running full adder and full subtractor operations at a cellular level but also describe a treatment paradigm building on programmable cell-based therapeutics, allowing for adjustable and disease-specific drug secretion logics in vivo. This work could foster the evolution of modern biocomputers to progress toward unexplored applications in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Shao
- Department of Pharmacy, Center for Regenerative and Aging Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, Zhejiang 322000, China; Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China.
| | - Xinyuan Qiu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China; College of Computer Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Lihang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Research Center for Life Sciences Computing, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311100, China
| | - Shichao Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Shuai Xue
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yaqing Si
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yilin Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuhang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qiqi Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yukai Wang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China; School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qidi Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Center for Regenerative and Aging Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, Zhejiang 322000, China
| | - Ting Gao
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Research Center for Life Sciences Computing, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311100, China.
| | - Mingqi Xie
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China.
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2
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Trapnell C. Revealing gene function with statistical inference at single-cell resolution. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:623-638. [PMID: 38951690 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00750-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell and spatial molecular profiling assays have shown large gains in sensitivity, resolution and throughput. Applying these technologies to specimens from human and model organisms promises to comprehensively catalogue cell types, reveal their lineage origins in development and discern their contributions to disease pathogenesis. Moreover, rapidly dropping costs have made well-controlled perturbation experiments and cohort studies widely accessible, illuminating mechanisms that give rise to phenotypes at the scale of the cell, the tissue and the whole organism. Interpreting the coming flood of single-cell data, much of which will be spatially resolved, will place a tremendous burden on existing computational pipelines. However, statistical concepts, models, tools and algorithms can be repurposed to solve problems now arising in genetic and molecular biology studies of development and disease. Here, I review how the questions that recent technological innovations promise to answer can be addressed by the major classes of statistical tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA.
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3
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Jang H, Yim SS. Toward DNA-Based Recording of Biological Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9233. [PMID: 39273181 PMCID: PMC11394691 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploiting the inherent compatibility of DNA-based data storage with living cells, various cellular recording approaches have been developed for recording and retrieving biologically relevant signals in otherwise inaccessible locations, such as inside the body. This review provides an overview of the current state of engineered cellular memory systems, highlighting their design principles, advantages, and limitations. We examine various technologies, including CRISPR-Cas systems, recombinases, retrons, and DNA methylation, that enable these recording systems. Additionally, we discuss potential strategies for improving recording accuracy, scalability, and durability to address current limitations in the field. This emerging modality of biological measurement will be key to gaining novel insights into diverse biological processes and fostering the development of various biotechnological applications, from environmental sensing to disease monitoring and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeri Jang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Sun Yim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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4
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Chen W, Choi J, Li X, Nathans JF, Martin B, Yang W, Hamazaki N, Qiu C, Lalanne JB, Regalado S, Kim H, Agarwal V, Nichols E, Leith A, Lee C, Shendure J. Symbolic recording of signalling and cis-regulatory element activity to DNA. Nature 2024; 632:1073-1081. [PMID: 39020177 PMCID: PMC11357993 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07706-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Measurements of gene expression or signal transduction activity are conventionally performed using methods that require either the destruction or live imaging of a biological sample within the timeframe of interest. Here we demonstrate an alternative paradigm in which such biological activities are stably recorded to the genome. Enhancer-driven genomic recording of transcriptional activity in multiplex (ENGRAM) is based on the signal-dependent production of prime editing guide RNAs that mediate the insertion of signal-specific barcodes (symbols) into a genomically encoded recording unit. We show how this strategy can be used for multiplex recording of the cell-type-specific activities of dozens to hundreds of cis-regulatory elements with high fidelity, sensitivity and reproducibility. Leveraging signal transduction pathway-responsive cis-regulatory elements, we also demonstrate time- and concentration-dependent genomic recording of WNT, NF-κB and Tet-On activities. By coupling ENGRAM to sequential genome editing via DNA Typewriter1, we stably record information about the temporal dynamics of two orthogonal signalling pathways to genomic DNA. Finally we apply ENGRAM to integratively record the transient activity of nearly 100 transcription factor consensus motifs across daily windows spanning the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into gastruloids, an in vitro model of early mammalian development. Although these are proof-of-concept experiments and much work remains to fully realize the possibilities, the symbolic recording of biological signals or states within cells, to the genome and over time, has broad potential to complement contemporary paradigms for how we make measurements in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Junhong Choi
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jenny F Nathans
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Beth Martin
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nobuhiko Hamazaki
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chengxiang Qiu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Samuel Regalado
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Haedong Kim
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Vikram Agarwal
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eva Nichols
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anh Leith
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Choli Lee
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
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5
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Fortner A, Bucur O. Multiplexed spatial transcriptomics methods and the application of expansion microscopy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1378875. [PMID: 39105173 PMCID: PMC11298486 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1378875] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
While spatial transcriptomics has undeniably revolutionized our ability to study cellular organization, it has driven the development of a great number of innovative transcriptomics methods, which can be classified into in situ sequencing (ISS) methods, in situ hybridization (ISH) techniques, and next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based sequencing with region capture. These technologies not only refine our understanding of cellular processes, but also open up new possibilities for breakthroughs in various research domains. One challenge of spatial transcriptomics experiments is the limitation of RNA detection due to optical crowding of RNA in the cells. Expansion microscopy (ExM), characterized by the controlled enlargement of biological specimens, offers a means to achieve super-resolution imaging, overcoming the diffraction limit inherent in conventional microscopy and enabling precise visualization of RNA in spatial transcriptomics methods. In this review, we elaborate on ISS, ISH and NGS-based spatial transcriptomic protocols and on how performance of these techniques can be extended by the combination of these protocols with ExM. Moving beyond the techniques and procedures, we highlight the broader implications of transcriptomics in biology and medicine. These include valuable insight into the spatial organization of gene expression in cells within tissues, aid in the identification and the distinction of cell types and subpopulations and understanding of molecular mechanisms and intercellular changes driving disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Fortner
- Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Octavian Bucur
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
- Genomics Research and Development Institute, Bucharest, Romania
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6
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Liberali P, Schier AF. The evolution of developmental biology through conceptual and technological revolutions. Cell 2024; 187:3461-3495. [PMID: 38906136 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Developmental biology-the study of the processes by which cells, tissues, and organisms develop and change over time-has entered a new golden age. After the molecular genetics revolution in the 80s and 90s and the diversification of the field in the early 21st century, we have entered a phase when powerful technologies provide new approaches and open unexplored avenues. Progress in the field has been accelerated by advances in genomics, imaging, engineering, and computational biology and by emerging model systems ranging from tardigrades to organoids. We summarize how revolutionary technologies have led to remarkable progress in understanding animal development. We describe how classic questions in gene regulation, pattern formation, morphogenesis, organogenesis, and stem cell biology are being revisited. We discuss the connections of development with evolution, self-organization, metabolism, time, and ecology. We speculate how developmental biology might evolve in an era of synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and human engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prisca Liberali
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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7
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Zhang Z, Melzer ME, Arun KM, Sun H, Eriksson CJ, Fabian I, Shaashua S, Kiani K, Oren Y, Goyal Y. Synthetic DNA barcodes identify singlets in scRNA-seq datasets and evaluate doublet algorithms. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100592. [PMID: 38925122 PMCID: PMC11293576 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets contain true single cells, or singlets, in addition to cells that coalesce during the protocol, or doublets. Identifying singlets with high fidelity in scRNA-seq is necessary to avoid false negative and false positive discoveries. Although several methodologies have been proposed, they are typically tested on highly heterogeneous datasets and lack a priori knowledge of true singlets. Here, we leveraged datasets with synthetically introduced DNA barcodes for a hitherto unexplored application: to extract ground-truth singlets. We demonstrated the feasibility of our framework, "singletCode," to evaluate existing doublet detection methods across a range of contexts. We also leveraged our ground-truth singlets to train a proof-of-concept machine learning classifier, which outperformed other doublet detection algorithms. Our integrative framework can identify ground-truth singlets and enable robust doublet detection in non-barcoded datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Madeline E Melzer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Keerthana M Arun
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hanxiao Sun
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carl-Johan Eriksson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Itai Fabian
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sagi Shaashua
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Karun Kiani
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yaara Oren
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; CZ Biohub Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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8
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Shi S, Hamann CA, Lee JC, Brunger JM. Use of CRISPRoff and synthetic Notch to modulate and relay endogenous gene expression programs in engineered cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1346810. [PMID: 38957576 PMCID: PMC11218679 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1346810] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the stimulus-response histories that give rise to cell fates and behaviors is an area of great interest in developmental biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. A comprehensive accounting of cell experiences that lead to the development of organs and tissues can help us to understand developmental anomalies that may underly disease. Perhaps more provocatively, such a record can also reveal clues as to how to drive cell collective decision-making processes, which may yield predictable cell-based therapies or facilitate production of tissue substitutes for transplantation or in vitro screening of prospective therapies to mitigate disease. Toward this end, various methods have been applied to molecularly trace developmental trajectories and record interaction histories of cells. Typical methods involve artificial gene circuits based on recombinases that activate a suite of fluorescent reporters or CRISPR-Cas9 genome writing technologies whose nucleic acid-based record keeping serves to chronicle cell-cell interactions or past exposure to stimuli of interests. Exciting expansions of the synthetic biology toolkit with artificial receptors that permit establishment of defined input-to-output linkages of cell decision-making processes opens the door to not only record cell-cell interactions, but to also potentiate directed manipulation of the outcomes of such interactions via regulation of carefully selected transgenes. Here, we combine CRISPR-based strategies to genetically and epigenetically manipulate cells to express components of the synthetic Notch receptor platform, a widely used artificial cell signaling module. Our approach gives rise to the ability to conditionally record interactions between human cells, where the record of engagement depends on expression of a state-specific marker of a subset of cells in a population. Further, such signal-competent interactions can be used to direct differentiation of human embryonic stem cells toward pre-selected fates based on assigned synNotch outputs. We also implemented CRISPR-based manipulation of native gene expression profiles to bias outcomes of cell engagement histories in a targeted manner. Thus, we present a useful strategy that gives rise to both state-specific recording of cell-cell interactions as well as methods to intentionally influence products of such cell-cell exchanges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqun Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Catherine A. Hamann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Joanne C. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jonathan M. Brunger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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9
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Aalam SMM, Nguyen LV, Ritting ML, Kannan N. Clonal tracking in cancer and metastasis. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:639-656. [PMID: 37910295 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10149-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The eradication of many cancers has proven challenging due to the presence of functionally and genetically heterogeneous clones maintained by rare cancer stem cells (CSCs), which contribute to disease progression, treatment refractoriness, and late relapse. The characterization of functional CSC activity has necessitated the development of modern clonal tracking strategies. This review describes viral-based and CRISPR-Cas9-based cellular barcoding, lineage tracing, and imaging-based approaches. DNA-based cellular barcoding technology is emerging as a powerful and robust strategy that has been widely applied to in vitro and in vivo model systems, including patient-derived xenograft models. This review also highlights the potential of these methods for use in the clinical and drug discovery contexts and discusses the important insights gained from such approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Long Viet Nguyen
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan L Ritting
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Nagarajan Kannan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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10
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Jindal K, Adil MT, Yamaguchi N, Yang X, Wang HC, Kamimoto K, Rivera-Gonzalez GC, Morris SA. Single-cell lineage capture across genomic modalities with CellTag-multi reveals fate-specific gene regulatory changes. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:946-959. [PMID: 37749269 PMCID: PMC11180607 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01931-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Complex gene regulatory mechanisms underlie differentiation and reprogramming. Contemporary single-cell lineage-tracing (scLT) methods use expressed, heritable DNA barcodes to combine cell lineage readout with single-cell transcriptomics. However, reliance on transcriptional profiling limits adaptation to other single-cell assays. With CellTag-multi, we present an approach that enables direct capture of heritable random barcodes expressed as polyadenylated transcripts, in both single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin using sequencing assays, allowing for independent clonal tracking of transcriptional and epigenomic cell states. We validate CellTag-multi to characterize progenitor cell lineage priming during mouse hematopoiesis. Additionally, in direct reprogramming of fibroblasts to endoderm progenitors, we identify core regulatory programs underlying on-target and off-target fates. Furthermore, we reveal the transcription factor Zfp281 as a regulator of reprogramming outcome, biasing cells toward an off-target mesenchymal fate. Our results establish CellTag-multi as a lineage-tracing method compatible with multiple single-cell modalities and demonstrate its utility in revealing fate-specifying gene regulatory changes across diverse paradigms of differentiation and reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunal Jindal
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Mohd Tayyab Adil
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Naoto Yamaguchi
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Helen C Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kenji Kamimoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Guillermo C Rivera-Gonzalez
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Samantha A Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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11
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Callisto A, Strutz J, Leeper K, Kalhor R, Church G, Tyo KE, Bhan N. Post-translation digital data encoding into the genomes of mammalian cell populations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.12.591851. [PMID: 38765976 PMCID: PMC11100781 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.12.591851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
High resolution cellular signal encoding is critical for better understanding of complex biological phenomena. DNA-based biosignal encoders alter genomic or plasmid DNA in a signal dependent manner. Current approaches involve the signal of interest affecting a DNA edit by interacting with a signal specific promoter which then results in expression of the effector molecule (DNA altering enzyme). Here, we present the proof of concept of a biosignal encoding system where the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) acts as the effector molecule upon directly interacting with the signal of interest. A template independent DNA polymerase (DNAp), TdT incorporates nucleotides at the 3' OH ends of DNA substrate in a signal dependent manner. By employing CRISPR-Cas9 to create double stranded breaks in genomic DNA, we make 3'OH ends available to act as substrate for TdT. We show that this system can successfully resolve and encode different concentrations of various biosignals into the genomic DNA of HEK-293T cells. Finally, we develop a simple encoding scheme associated with the tested biosignals and encode the message "HELLO WORLD" into the genomic DNA of HEK-293T cells at a population level with 91% accuracy. This work demonstrates a simple and engineerable system that can reliably store local biosignal information into the genomes of mammalian cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec Callisto
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan Strutz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Kathleen Leeper
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Reza Kalhor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - George Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Keith E.J. Tyo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Namita Bhan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Biomedical Research at Novartis, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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Siniscalco A, Perera RP, Greenslade JE, Masters A, Doll H, Raj B. Barcoding Notch signaling in the developing brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.593533. [PMID: 38766256 PMCID: PMC11100830 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.593533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Developmental signaling inputs are fundamental for shaping cell fates and behavior. However, traditional fluorescent-based signaling reporters have limitations in scalability and molecular resolution of cell types. We present SABER-seq, a CRISPR-Cas molecular recorder that stores transient developmental signaling cues as permanent mutations in cellular genomes for deconstruction at later stages via single-cell transcriptomics. We applied SABER-seq to record Notch signaling in developing zebrafish brains. SABER-seq has two components: a signaling sensor and a barcode recorder. The sensor activates Cas9 in a Notch-dependent manner with inducible control while the recorder accumulates mutations that represent Notch activity in founder cells. We combine SABER-seq with an expanded juvenile brain atlas to define cell types whose fates are determined downstream of Notch signaling. We identified examples wherein Notch signaling may have differential impact on terminal cell fates. SABER-seq is a novel platform for rapid, scalable and high-resolution mapping of signaling activity during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Siniscalco
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Roshan Priyarangana Perera
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jessie E. Greenslade
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Aiden Masters
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hannah Doll
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Bushra Raj
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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13
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Sánchez Rivera FJ, Dow LE. How CRISPR Is Revolutionizing the Generation of New Models for Cancer Research. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041384. [PMID: 37487630 PMCID: PMC11065179 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Cancers arise through acquisition of mutations in genes that regulate core biological processes like cell proliferation and cell death. Decades of cancer research have led to the identification of genes and mutations causally involved in disease development and evolution, yet defining their precise function across different cancer types and how they influence therapy responses has been challenging. Mouse models have helped define the in vivo function of cancer-associated alterations, and genome-editing approaches using CRISPR have dramatically accelerated the pace at which these models are developed and studied. Here, we highlight how CRISPR technologies have impacted the development and use of mouse models for cancer research and discuss the many ways in which these rapidly evolving platforms will continue to transform our understanding of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Sánchez Rivera
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Lukas E Dow
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA
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14
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Nathans JF, Ayers JL, Shendure J, Simpson CL. Genetic Tools for Cell Lineage Tracing and Profiling Developmental Trajectories in the Skin. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:936-949. [PMID: 38643988 PMCID: PMC11034889 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The epidermis is the body's first line of protection against dehydration and pathogens, continually regenerating the outermost protective skin layers throughout life. During both embryonic development and wound healing, epidermal stem and progenitor cells must respond to external stimuli and insults to build, maintain, and repair the cutaneous barrier. Recent advances in CRISPR-based methods for cell lineage tracing have remarkably expanded the potential for experiments that track stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation over the course of tissue and even organismal development. Additional tools for DNA-based recording of cellular signaling cues promise to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms driving normal skin morphogenesis and response to stressors as well as the dysregulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in skin diseases and cancer. In this review, we highlight cutting-edge methods for cell lineage tracing, including in organoids and model organisms, and explore how cutaneous biology researchers might leverage these techniques to elucidate the developmental programs that support the regenerative capacity and plasticity of the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny F Nathans
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jessica L Ayers
- Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease PhD Program, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Dermatology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Cory L Simpson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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15
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Xiong E, Liu P, Deng R, Zhang K, Yang R, Li J. Recent advances in enzyme-free and enzyme-mediated single-nucleotide variation assay in vitro. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae118. [PMID: 38742234 PMCID: PMC11089818 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae118] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) are the most common type variation of sequence alterations at a specific location in the genome, thus involving significant clinical and biological information. The assay of SNVs has engaged great awareness, because many genome-wide association studies demonstrated that SNVs are highly associated with serious human diseases. Moreover, the investigation of SNV expression levels in single cells are capable of visualizing genetic information and revealing the complexity and heterogeneity of single-nucleotide mutation-related diseases. Thus, developing SNV assay approaches in vitro, particularly in single cells, is becoming increasingly in demand. In this review, we summarized recent progress in the enzyme-free and enzyme-mediated strategies enabling SNV assay transition from sensing interface to the test tube and single cells, which will potentially delve deeper into the knowledge of SNV functions and disease associations, as well as discovering new pathways to diagnose and treat diseases based on individual genetic profiles. The leap of SNV assay achievements will motivate observation and measurement genetic variations in single cells, even within living organisms, delve into the knowledge of SNV functions and disease associations, as well as open up entirely new avenues in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases based on individual genetic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhu Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Ruijie Deng
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Healthy Food Evaluation Research Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Kaixiang Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Ronghua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Beijing Institute of Life Science and Technology, Beijing 102206, China
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16
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Wang K, Hou L, Wang X, Zhai X, Lu Z, Zi Z, Zhai W, He X, Curtis C, Zhou D, Hu Z. PhyloVelo enhances transcriptomic velocity field mapping using monotonically expressed genes. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:778-789. [PMID: 37524958 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01887-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful approach for studying cellular differentiation, but accurately tracking cell fate transitions can be challenging, especially in disease conditions. Here we introduce PhyloVelo, a computational framework that estimates the velocity of transcriptomic dynamics by using monotonically expressed genes (MEGs) or genes with expression patterns that either increase or decrease, but do not cycle, through phylogenetic time. Through integration of scRNA-seq data with lineage information, PhyloVelo identifies MEGs and reconstructs a transcriptomic velocity field. We validate PhyloVelo using simulated data and Caenorhabditis elegans ground truth data, successfully recovering linear, bifurcated and convergent differentiations. Applying PhyloVelo to seven lineage-traced scRNA-seq datasets, generated using CRISPR-Cas9 editing, lentiviral barcoding or immune repertoire profiling, demonstrates its high accuracy and robustness in inferring complex lineage trajectories while outperforming RNA velocity. Additionally, we discovered that MEGs across tissues and organisms share similar functions in translation and ribosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Liangzhen Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Xin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiangwei Zhai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaolian Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhike Zi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xionglei He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Christina Curtis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Da Zhou
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Zheng Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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17
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Manso BA, Rodriguez y Baena A, Forsberg EC. From Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Platelets: Unifying Differentiation Pathways Identified by Lineage Tracing Mouse Models. Cells 2024; 13:704. [PMID: 38667319 PMCID: PMC11048769 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Platelets are the terminal progeny of megakaryocytes, primarily produced in the bone marrow, and play critical roles in blood homeostasis, clotting, and wound healing. Traditionally, megakaryocytes and platelets are thought to arise from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) via multiple discrete progenitor populations with successive, lineage-restricting differentiation steps. However, this view has recently been challenged by studies suggesting that (1) some HSC clones are biased and/or restricted to the platelet lineage, (2) not all platelet generation follows the "canonical" megakaryocytic differentiation path of hematopoiesis, and (3) platelet output is the default program of steady-state hematopoiesis. Here, we specifically investigate the evidence that in vivo lineage tracing studies provide for the route(s) of platelet generation and investigate the involvement of various intermediate progenitor cell populations. We further identify the challenges that need to be overcome that are required to determine the presence, role, and kinetics of these possible alternate pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A. Manso
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Alessandra Rodriguez y Baena
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - E. Camilla Forsberg
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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18
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Eisele AS, Tarbier M, Dormann AA, Pelechano V, Suter DM. Gene-expression memory-based prediction of cell lineages from scRNA-seq datasets. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2744. [PMID: 38553478 PMCID: PMC10980719 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47158-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Assigning single cell transcriptomes to cellular lineage trees by lineage tracing has transformed our understanding of differentiation during development, regeneration, and disease. However, lineage tracing is technically demanding, often restricted in time-resolution, and most scRNA-seq datasets are devoid of lineage information. Here we introduce Gene Expression Memory-based Lineage Inference (GEMLI), a computational tool allowing to robustly identify small to medium-sized cell lineages solely from scRNA-seq datasets. GEMLI allows to study heritable gene expression, to discriminate symmetric and asymmetric cell fate decisions and to reconstruct individual multicellular structures from pooled scRNA-seq datasets. In human breast cancer biopsies, GEMLI reveals previously unknown gene expression changes at the onset of cancer invasiveness. The universal applicability of GEMLI allows studying the role of small cell lineages in a wide range of physiological and pathological contexts, notably in vivo. GEMLI is available as an R package on GitHub ( https://github.com/UPSUTER/GEMLI ).
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Eisele
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - M Tarbier
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - A A Dormann
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - V Pelechano
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - D M Suter
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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19
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Mai U, Chu G, Raphael BJ. Maximum Likelihood Inference of Time-scaled Cell Lineage Trees with Mixed-type Missing Data. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.05.583638. [PMID: 38496496 PMCID: PMC10942411 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.05.583638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Recent dynamic lineage tracing technologies combine CRISPR-based genome editing with single-cell sequencing to track cell divisions during development. A key computational problem in dynamic lineage tracing is to infer a cell lineage tree from the measured CRISPR-induced mutations. Three features of dynamic lineage tracing data distinguish this problem from standard phylogenetic tree inference. First, the CRISPR-editing process modifies a genomic location exactly once. This non-modifiable property is not well described by the time-reversible models commonly used in phylogenetics. Second, as a consequence of non-modifiability, the number of mutations per time unit decreases over time. Third, CRISPR-based genome-editing and single-cell sequencing results in high rates of both heritable and non-heritable (dropout) missing data. To model these features, we introduce the Probabilistic Mixed-type Missing (PMM) model. We describe an algorithm, LAML (Lineage Analysis via Maximum Likelihood), to search for the maximum likelihood (ML) tree under the PMM model. LAML combines an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm with a heuristic tree search to jointly estimate tree topology, branch lengths and missing data parameters. We derive a closed-form solution for the M-step in the case of no heritable missing data, and a block coordinate ascent approach in the general case which is more efficient than the standard General Time Reversible (GTR) phylogenetic model. On simulated data, LAML infers more accurate tree topologies and branch lengths than existing methods, with greater advantages on datasets with higher ratios of heritable to non-heritable missing data. We show that LAML provides unbiased time-scaled estimates of branch lengths. In contrast, we demonstrate that maximum parsimony methods for lineage tracing data not only underestimate branch lengths, but also yield branch lengths which are not proportional to time, due to the nonlinear decay in the number of mutations on branches further from the root. On lineage tracing data from a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma, we show that LAML infers phylogenetic distances that are more concordant with gene expression data compared to distances derived from maximum parsimony. The LAML tree topology is more plausible than existing published trees, with fewer total cell migrations between distant metastases and fewer reseeding events where cells migrate back to the primary tumor. Crucially, we identify three distinct time epochs of metastasis progression, which includes a burst of metastasis events to various anatomical sites during a single month.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Benjamin J. Raphael
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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20
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Liu Y, Huang K, Chen W. Resolving cellular dynamics using single-cell temporal transcriptomics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 85:103060. [PMID: 38194753 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Cellular dynamics, the transition of a cell from one state to another, is central to understanding developmental processes and disease progression. Single-cell transcriptomics has been pushing the frontiers of cellular dynamics studies into a genome-wide and single-cell level. While most single-cell RNA sequencing approaches are disruptive and only provide a snapshot of cell states, the dynamics of a cell could be reconstructed by either exploiting temporal information hiding in the transcriptomics data or integrating additional information. In this review, we describe these approaches, highlighting their underlying principles, key assumptions, and the rationality to interpret the results as models. We also discuss the recently emerging nondisruptive live-cell transcriptomics methods, which are highly complementary to the computational models for their assumption-free nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wanze Chen
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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21
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Sun W, Perkins M, Huyghe M, Faraldo MM, Fre S, Perié L, Lyne AM. Extracting, filtering and simulating cellular barcodes using CellBarcode tools. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 4:128-143. [PMID: 38374363 PMCID: PMC10899113 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-024-00595-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Identifying true DNA cellular barcodes among polymerase chain reaction and sequencing errors is challenging. Current tools are restricted in the diversity of barcode types supported or the analysis strategies implemented. As such, there is a need for more versatile and efficient tools for barcode extraction, as well as for tools to investigate which factors impact barcode detection and which filtering strategies to best apply. Here we introduce the package CellBarcode and its barcode simulation kit, CellBarcodeSim, that allows efficient and versatile barcode extraction and filtering for a range of barcode types from bulk or single-cell sequencing data using a variety of filtering strategies. Using the barcode simulation kit and biological data, we explore the technical and biological factors influencing barcode identification and provide a decision tree on how to optimize barcode identification for different barcode settings. We believe that CellBarcode and CellBarcodeSim have the capability to enhance the reproducibility and interpretation of barcode results across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Sun
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Paris, France.
| | - Meghan Perkins
- Institut Curie, Laboratory of Genetics and Developmental Biology, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Huyghe
- Institut Curie, Laboratory of Genetics and Developmental Biology, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Marisa M Faraldo
- Institut Curie, Laboratory of Genetics and Developmental Biology, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Silvia Fre
- Institut Curie, Laboratory of Genetics and Developmental Biology, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Leïla Perié
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Paris, France.
| | - Anne-Marie Lyne
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Paris, France.
- INSERM U900, Paris, France.
- MINES ParisTech, CBIO-Centre for Computational Biology, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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22
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Wang L, Dong W, Yin Z, Sheng J, Ezeana CF, Yang L, Yu X, Wong SSY, Wan Z, Danforth RL, Han K, Gao D, Wong STC. Charting Single Cell Lineage Dynamics and Mutation Networks via Homing CRISPR. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.05.574236. [PMID: 38260351 PMCID: PMC10802354 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.05.574236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Single cell lineage tracing, essential for unraveling cellular dynamics in disease evolution is critical for developing targeted therapies. CRISPR-Cas9, known for inducing permanent and cumulative mutations, is a cornerstone in lineage tracing. The novel homing guide RNA (hgRNA) technology enhances this by enabling dynamic retargeting and facilitating ongoing genetic modifications. Charting these mutations, especially through successive hgRNA edits, poses a significant challenge. Our solution, LINEMAP, is a computational framework designed to trace and map these mutations with precision. LINEMAP meticulously discerns mutation alleles at single-cell resolution and maps their complex interrelationships through a mutation evolution network. By utilizing a Markov Process model, we can predict mutation transition probabilities, revealing potential mutational routes and pathways. Our reconstruction algorithm, anchored in the Markov model's attributes, reconstructs cellular lineage pathways, shedding light on the cell's evolutionary journey to the minutiae of single-cell division. Our findings reveal an intricate network of mutation evolution paired with a predictive Markov model, advancing our capability to reconstruct single-cell lineage via hgRNA. This has substantial implications for advancing our understanding of biological mechanisms and propelling medical research forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Wenjuan Dong
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Zheng Yin
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Jianting Sheng
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Chika F. Ezeana
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Li Yang
- T.T. and W. F. Chao Center for BRAIN, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Xiaohui Yu
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | | | - Zhihao Wan
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Rebecca L. Danforth
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Kun Han
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Dingcheng Gao
- Department of Cell & Development Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Stephen T. C. Wong
- Department of System Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
- Departments of Radiology, Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX 77030
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23
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Yang C, Lei Y, Ren T, Yao M. The Current Situation and Development Prospect of Whole-Genome Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:658. [PMID: 38203828 PMCID: PMC10779205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
High-throughput genetic screening is useful for discovering critical genes or gene sequences that trigger specific cell functions and/or phenotypes. Loss-of-function genetic screening is mainly achieved through RNA interference (RNAi), CRISPR knock-out (CRISPRko), and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) technologies. Gain-of-function genetic screening mainly depends on the overexpression of a cDNA library and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa). Base editing can perform both gain- and loss-of-function genetic screening. This review discusses genetic screening techniques based on Cas9 nuclease, including Cas9-mediated genome knock-out and dCas9-based gene activation and interference. We compare these methods with previous genetic screening techniques based on RNAi and cDNA library overexpression and propose future prospects and applications for CRISPR screening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mingze Yao
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (C.Y.); (Y.L.); (T.R.)
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24
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Li Z, Yang W, Wu P, Shan Y, Zhang X, Chen F, Yang J, Yang JR. Reconstructing cell lineage trees with genomic barcoding: approaches and applications. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:35-47. [PMID: 37269980 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.05.011] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, developmental history of cell divisions and functional annotation of terminal cells can be organized into a cell lineage tree (CLT). The reconstruction of the CLT has long been a major goal in developmental biology and other related fields. Recent technological advancements, especially those in editable genomic barcodes and single-cell high-throughput sequencing, have sparked a new wave of experimental methods for reconstructing CLTs. Here we review the existing experimental approaches to the reconstruction of CLT, which are broadly categorized as either image-based or DNA barcode-based methods. In addition, we present a summary of the related literature based on the biological insight provided by the obtained CLTs. Moreover, we discuss the challenges that will arise as more and better CLT data become available in the near future. Genomic barcoding-based CLT reconstructions and analyses, due to their wide applicability and high scalability, offer the potential for novel biological discoveries, especially those related to general and systemic properties of the developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhang Li
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Department of Genetics and Biomedical Informatics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Peng Wu
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yuyan Shan
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Department of Genetics and Biomedical Informatics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Junnan Yang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jian-Rong Yang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Department of Genetics and Biomedical Informatics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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25
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Kim IS. DNA Barcoding Technology for Lineage Recording and Tracing to Resolve Cell Fate Determination. Cells 2023; 13:27. [PMID: 38201231 PMCID: PMC10778210 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In various biological contexts, cells receive signals and stimuli that prompt them to change their current state, leading to transitions into a future state. This change underlies the processes of development, tissue maintenance, immune response, and the pathogenesis of various diseases. Following the path of cells from their initial identity to their current state reveals how cells adapt to their surroundings and undergo transformations to attain adjusted cellular states. DNA-based molecular barcoding technology enables the documentation of a phylogenetic tree and the deterministic events of cell lineages, providing the mechanisms and timing of cell lineage commitment that can either promote homeostasis or lead to cellular dysregulation. This review comprehensively presents recently emerging molecular recording technologies that utilize CRISPR/Cas systems, base editing, recombination, and innate variable sequences in the genome. Detailing their underlying principles, applications, and constraints paves the way for the lineage tracing of every cell within complex biological systems, encompassing the hidden steps and intermediate states of organism development and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ik Soo Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea
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26
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Walsh LA, Quail DF. Decoding the tumor microenvironment with spatial technologies. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1982-1993. [PMID: 38012408 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01678-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Visualization of the cellular heterogeneity and spatial architecture of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is becoming increasingly important to understand mechanisms of disease progression and therapeutic response. This is particularly relevant in the era of cancer immunotherapy, in which the contexture of immune cell positioning within the tumor landscape has been proven to affect efficacy. Although single-cell technologies have mostly replaced conventional approaches to analyze specific cellular subsets within tumors, those that integrate a spatial dimension are now on the rise. In this Review, we assess the strengths and limitations of emerging spatial technologies with a focus on their applications in tumor immunology, as well as forthcoming opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) and the value of integrating multiomics datasets to achieve a holistic picture of the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan A Walsh
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Daniela F Quail
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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27
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Biggs BW, de Paz AM, Bhan NJ, Cybulski TR, Church GM, Tyo KEJ. Engineering Ca 2+-Dependent DNA Polymerase Activity. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3301-3311. [PMID: 37856140 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Advancements in synthetic biology have provided new opportunities in biosensing, with applications ranging from genetic programming to diagnostics. Next generation biosensors aim to expand the number of accessible environments for measurements, increase the number of measurable phenomena, and improve the quality of the measurement. To this end, an emerging area in the field has been the integration of DNA as an information storage medium within biosensor outputs, leveraging nucleic acids to record the biosensor state over time. However, slow signal transduction steps, due to the time scales of transcription and translation, bottleneck many sensing-DNA recording approaches. DNA polymerases (DNAPs) have been proposed as a solution to the signal transduction problem by operating as both the sensor and responder, but there is presently a lack of DNAPs with functional sensitivity to many desirable target ligands. Here, we engineer components of the Pol δ replicative polymerase complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to sense and respond to Ca2+, a metal cofactor relevant to numerous biological phenomena. Through domain insertion and binding site grafting to Pol δ subunits, we demonstrate functional allosteric sensitivity to Ca2+. Together, this work provides an important foundation for future efforts in the development of DNAP-based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley W Biggs
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Alexandra M de Paz
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Namita J Bhan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Thaddeus R Cybulski
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Keith E J Tyo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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28
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Zhang X, Cao Q, Rajachandran S, Grow EJ, Evans M, Chen H. Dissecting mammalian reproduction with spatial transcriptomics. Hum Reprod Update 2023; 29:794-810. [PMID: 37353907 PMCID: PMC10628492 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian reproduction requires the fusion of two specialized cells: an oocyte and a sperm. In addition to producing gametes, the reproductive system also provides the environment for the appropriate development of the embryo. Deciphering the reproductive system requires understanding the functions of each cell type and cell-cell interactions. Recent single-cell omics technologies have provided insights into the gene regulatory network in discrete cellular populations of both the male and female reproductive systems. However, these approaches cannot examine how the cellular states of the gametes or embryos are regulated through their interactions with neighboring somatic cells in the native tissue environment owing to tissue disassociations. Emerging spatial omics technologies address this challenge by preserving the spatial context of the cells to be profiled. These technologies hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of mammalian reproduction. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE We aim to review the state-of-the-art spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies with a focus on highlighting the novel biological insights that they have helped to reveal about the mammalian reproductive systems in the context of gametogenesis, embryogenesis, and reproductive pathologies. We also aim to discuss the current challenges of applying ST technologies in reproductive research and provide a sneak peek at what the field of spatial omics can offer for the reproduction community in the years to come. SEARCH METHODS The PubMed database was used in the search for peer-reviewed research articles and reviews using combinations of the following terms: 'spatial omics', 'fertility', 'reproduction', 'gametogenesis', 'embryogenesis', 'reproductive cancer', 'spatial transcriptomics', 'spermatogenesis', 'ovary', 'uterus', 'cervix', 'testis', and other keywords related to the subject area. All relevant publications until April 2023 were critically evaluated and discussed. OUTCOMES First, an overview of the ST technologies that have been applied to studying the reproductive systems was provided. The basic design principles and the advantages and limitations of these technologies were discussed and tabulated to serve as a guide for researchers to choose the best-suited technologies for their own research. Second, novel biological insights into mammalian reproduction, especially human reproduction revealed by ST analyses, were comprehensively reviewed. Three major themes were discussed. The first theme focuses on genes with non-random spatial expression patterns with specialized functions in multiple reproductive systems; The second theme centers around functionally interacting cell types which are often found to be spatially clustered in the reproductive tissues; and the thrid theme discusses pathological states in reproductive systems which are often associated with unique cellular microenvironments. Finally, current experimental and computational challenges of applying ST technologies to studying mammalian reproduction were highlighted, and potential solutions to tackle these challenges were provided. Future directions in the development of spatial omics technologies and how they will benefit the field of human reproduction were discussed, including the capture of cellular and tissue dynamics, multi-modal molecular profiling, and spatial characterization of gene perturbations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Like single-cell technologies, spatial omics technologies hold tremendous potential for providing significant and novel insights into mammalian reproduction. Our review summarizes these novel biological insights that ST technologies have provided while shedding light on what is yet to come. Our review provides reproductive biologists and clinicians with a much-needed update on the state of art of ST technologies. It may also facilitate the adoption of cutting-edge spatial technologies in both basic and clinical reproductive research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Qiqi Cao
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Shreya Rajachandran
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Edward J Grow
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Melanie Evans
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Haiqi Chen
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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29
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Boers R, Boers J, Tan B, van Leeuwen ME, Wassenaar E, Sanchez EG, Sleddens E, Tenhagen Y, Mulugeta E, Laven J, Creyghton M, Baarends W, van IJcken WFJ, Gribnau J. Retrospective analysis of enhancer activity and transcriptome history. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1582-1592. [PMID: 36823354 PMCID: PMC10635829 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Cell state changes in development and disease are controlled by gene regulatory networks, the dynamics of which are difficult to track in real time. In this study, we used an inducible DCM-RNA polymerase subunit b fusion protein which labels active genes and enhancers with a bacterial methylation mark that does not affect gene transcription and is propagated in S-phase. This DCM-RNA polymerase fusion protein enables transcribed genes and active enhancers to be tagged and then examined at later stages of development or differentiation. We apply this DCM-time machine (DCM-TM) technology to study intestinal homeostasis, revealing rapid and coordinated activation of enhancers and nearby genes during enterocyte differentiation. We provide new insights in absorptive-secretory lineage decision-making in intestinal stem cell (ISC) differentiation and show that ISCs retain a unique chromatin landscape required to maintain ISC identity and delineate future expression of differentiation-associated genes. DCM-TM has wide applicability in tracking cell states, providing new insights in the regulatory networks underlying cell state changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Boers
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joachim Boers
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Beatrice Tan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marieke E van Leeuwen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Evelyne Wassenaar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Erlantz Gonzalez Sanchez
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther Sleddens
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Yasha Tenhagen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eskeatnaf Mulugeta
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joop Laven
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Menno Creyghton
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Willy Baarends
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wilfred F J van IJcken
- Erasmus Center for Biomics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joost Gribnau
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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30
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Tseng KC, Crump JG. Craniofacial developmental biology in the single-cell era. Development 2023; 150:dev202077. [PMID: 37812056 PMCID: PMC10617621 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of a unique craniofacial complex in vertebrates made possible new ways of breathing, eating, communicating and sensing the environment. The head and face develop through interactions of all three germ layers, the endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm, as well as the so-called fourth germ layer, the cranial neural crest. Over a century of experimental embryology and genetics have revealed an incredible diversity of cell types derived from each germ layer, signaling pathways and genes that coordinate craniofacial development, and how changes to these underlie human disease and vertebrate evolution. Yet for many diseases and congenital anomalies, we have an incomplete picture of the causative genomic changes, in particular how alterations to the non-coding genome might affect craniofacial gene expression. Emerging genomics and single-cell technologies provide an opportunity to obtain a more holistic view of the genes and gene regulatory elements orchestrating craniofacial development across vertebrates. These single-cell studies generate novel hypotheses that can be experimentally validated in vivo. In this Review, we highlight recent advances in single-cell studies of diverse craniofacial structures, as well as potential pitfalls and the need for extensive in vivo validation. We discuss how these studies inform the developmental sources and regulation of head structures, bringing new insights into the etiology of structural birth anomalies that affect the vertebrate head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Chang Tseng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - J. Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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Peters Couto BZ, Robertson N, Patrick E, Ghazanfar S. MoleculeExperiment enables consistent infrastructure for molecule-resolved spatial omics data in bioconductor. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad550. [PMID: 37698995 PMCID: PMC10504467 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Imaging-based spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies have achieved subcellular resolution, enabling detection of individual molecules in their native tissue context. Data associated with these technologies promise unprecedented opportunity toward understanding cellular and subcellular biology. However, in R/Bioconductor, there is a scarcity of existing computational infrastructure to represent such data, and particularly to summarize and transform it for existing widely adopted computational tools in single-cell transcriptomics analysis, including SingleCellExperiment and SpatialExperiment (SPE) classes. With the emergence of several commercial offerings of imaging-based ST, there is a pressing need to develop consistent data structure standards for these technologies at the individual molecule-level. RESULTS To this end, we have developed MoleculeExperiment, an R/Bioconductor package, which (i) stores molecule and cell segmentation boundary information at the molecule-level, (ii) standardizes this molecule-level information across different imaging-based ST technologies, including 10× Genomics' Xenium, and (iii) streamlines transition from a MoleculeExperiment object to a SpatialExperiment object. Overall, MoleculeExperiment is generally applicable as a data infrastructure class for consistent analysis of molecule-resolved spatial omics data. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The MoleculeExperiment package is publicly available on Bioconductor at https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/MoleculeExperiment.html. Source code is available on Github at: https://github.com/SydneyBioX/MoleculeExperiment. The vignette for MoleculeExperiment can be found at https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/MoleculeExperiment.html.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Zita Peters Couto
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Precision Data Science Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Nicholas Robertson
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Precision Data Science Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ellis Patrick
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Precision Data Science Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Shila Ghazanfar
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Precision Data Science Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
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32
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Prusokiene A, Prusokas A, Retkute R. Machine learning based lineage tree reconstruction improved with knowledge of higher level relationships between cells and genomic barcodes. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad077. [PMID: 37608801 PMCID: PMC10440785 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tracking cells as they divide and progress through differentiation is a fundamental step in understanding many biological processes, such as the development of organisms and progression of diseases. In this study, we investigate a machine learning approach to reconstruct lineage trees in experimental systems based on mutating synthetic genomic barcodes. We refine previously proposed methodology by embedding information of higher level relationships between cells and single-cell barcode values into a feature space. We test performance of the algorithm on shallow trees (up to 100 cells) and deep trees (up to 10 000 cells). Our proposed algorithm can improve tree reconstruction accuracy in comparison to reconstructions based on a maximum parsimony method, but this comes at a higher computational time requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Prusokiene
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Renata Retkute
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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33
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Goyal Y, Busch GT, Pillai M, Li J, Boe RH, Grody EI, Chelvanambi M, Dardani IP, Emert B, Bodkin N, Braun J, Fingerman D, Kaur A, Jain N, Ravindran PT, Mellis IA, Kiani K, Alicea GM, Fane ME, Ahmed SS, Li H, Chen Y, Chai C, Kaster J, Witt RG, Lazcano R, Ingram DR, Johnson SB, Wani K, Dunagin MC, Lazar AJ, Weeraratna AT, Wargo JA, Herlyn M, Raj A. Diverse clonal fates emerge upon drug treatment of homogeneous cancer cells. Nature 2023; 620:651-659. [PMID: 37468627 PMCID: PMC10628994 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06342-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Even among genetically identical cancer cells, resistance to therapy frequently emerges from a small subset of those cells1-7. Molecular differences in rare individual cells in the initial population enable certain cells to become resistant to therapy7-9; however, comparatively little is known about the variability in the resistance outcomes. Here we develop and apply FateMap, a framework that combines DNA barcoding with single-cell RNA sequencing, to reveal the fates of hundreds of thousands of clones exposed to anti-cancer therapies. We show that resistant clones emerging from single-cell-derived cancer cells adopt molecularly, morphologically and functionally distinct resistant types. These resistant types are largely predetermined by molecular differences between cells before drug addition and not by extrinsic factors. Changes in the dose and type of drug can switch the resistant type of an initial cell, resulting in the generation and elimination of certain resistant types. Samples from patients show evidence for the existence of these resistant types in a clinical context. We observed diversity in resistant types across several single-cell-derived cancer cell lines and cell types treated with a variety of drugs. The diversity of resistant types as a result of the variability in intrinsic cell states may be a generic feature of responses to external cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Gianna T Busch
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jingxin Li
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan H Boe
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emanuelle I Grody
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Manoj Chelvanambi
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ian P Dardani
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin Emert
- Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas Bodkin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jonas Braun
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Amanpreet Kaur
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Naveen Jain
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pavithran T Ravindran
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ian A Mellis
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karun Kiani
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gretchen M Alicea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mitchell E Fane
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Syeda Subia Ahmed
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Haiyin Li
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Cedric Chai
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Reproductive Science, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Russell G Witt
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rossana Lazcano
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Davis R Ingram
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah B Johnson
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Khalida Wani
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Margaret C Dunagin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexander J Lazar
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ashani T Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer A Wargo
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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34
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Doshi A, Shaw M, Tonea R, Moon S, Minyety R, Doshi A, Laine A, Guo J, Danino T. Engineered bacterial swarm patterns as spatial records of environmental inputs. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:878-886. [PMID: 37142806 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01325-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A diverse array of bacteria species naturally self-organize into durable macroscale patterns on solid surfaces via swarming motility-a highly coordinated and rapid movement of bacteria powered by flagella. Engineering swarming is an untapped opportunity to increase the scale and robustness of coordinated synthetic microbial systems. Here we engineer Proteus mirabilis, which natively forms centimeter-scale bullseye swarm patterns, to 'write' external inputs into visible spatial records. Specifically, we engineer tunable expression of swarming-related genes that modify pattern features, and we develop quantitative approaches to decoding. Next, we develop a dual-input system that modulates two swarming-related genes simultaneously, and we separately show that growing colonies can record dynamic environmental changes. We decode the resulting multicondition patterns with deep classification and segmentation models. Finally, we engineer a strain that records the presence of aqueous copper. This work creates an approach for building macroscale bacterial recorders, expanding the framework for engineering emergent microbial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Doshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Marian Shaw
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Ruxandra Tonea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Soonhee Moon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Rosalía Minyety
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Anish Doshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Laine
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Jia Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Tal Danino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
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35
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Ji F, Hur M, Hur S, Wang S, Sarkar P, Shao S, Aispuro D, Cong X, Hu Y, Li Z, Xue M. Multiplex Protein Imaging through PACIFIC: Photoactive Immunofluorescence with Iterative Cleavage. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2023; 3:283-294. [PMID: 37363079 PMCID: PMC10288499 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Multiplex protein imaging technologies enable deep phenotyping and provide rich spatial information about biological samples. Existing methods have shown great success but also harbored trade-offs between various pros and cons, underscoring the persisting necessity to expand the imaging toolkits. Here we present PACIFIC: photoactive immunofluorescence with iterative cleavage, a new modality of multiplex protein imaging methods. PACIFIC achieves iterative multiplexing by implementing photocleavable fluorophores for antibody labeling with one-step spin-column purification. PACIFIC requires no specialized instrument, no DNA encoding, or chemical treatments. We demonstrate that PACIFIC can resolve cellular heterogeneity in both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and fixed cells. To further highlight how PACIFIC assists discovery, we integrate PACIFIC with live-cell tracking and identify phosphor-p70S6K as a critical driver that governs U87 cell mobility. Considering the cost, flexibility, and compatibility, we foresee that PACIFIC can confer deep phenotyping capabilities to anyone with access to traditional immunofluorescence platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Ji
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Moises Hur
- Martin
Luther King Jr High School, Riverside, California 92508, United States
| | - Sungwon Hur
- Martin
Luther King Jr High School, Riverside, California 92508, United States
| | - Siwen Wang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Environmental
Toxicology Graduate Program, University
of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Priyanka Sarkar
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Shiqun Shao
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- College
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, P.R. China
| | - Desiree Aispuro
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Environmental
Toxicology Graduate Program, University
of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Xu Cong
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Yanhao Hu
- Diamond
Bar High School, Diamond
Bar, California 91765, United States
| | - Zhonghan Li
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Min Xue
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Environmental
Toxicology Graduate Program, University
of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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36
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Tian L, Chen F, Macosko EZ. The expanding vistas of spatial transcriptomics. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:773-782. [PMID: 36192637 PMCID: PMC10091579 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01448-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The formation and maintenance of tissue integrity requires complex, coordinated activities by thousands of genes and their encoded products. Until recently, transcript levels could only be quantified for a few genes in tissues, but advances in DNA sequencing, oligonucleotide synthesis and fluorescence microscopy have enabled the invention of a suite of spatial transcriptomics technologies capable of measuring the expression of many, or all, genes in situ. These technologies have evolved rapidly in sensitivity, multiplexing and throughput. As such, they have enabled the determination of the cell-type architecture of tissues, the querying of cell-cell interactions and the monitoring of molecular interactions between tissue components. The rapidly evolving spatial genomics landscape will enable generalized high-throughput genomic measurements and perturbations to be performed in the context of tissues. These advances will empower hypothesis generation and biological discovery and bridge the worlds of tissue biology and genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyi Tian
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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37
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Johnson MS, Venkataram S, Kryazhimskiy S. Best Practices in Designing, Sequencing, and Identifying Random DNA Barcodes. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:263-280. [PMID: 36651964 PMCID: PMC10276077 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-022-10083-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Random DNA barcodes are a versatile tool for tracking cell lineages, with applications ranging from development to cancer to evolution. Here, we review and critically evaluate barcode designs as well as methods of barcode sequencing and initial processing of barcode data. We first demonstrate how various barcode design decisions affect data quality and propose a new design that balances all considerations that we are currently aware of. We then discuss various options for the preparation of barcode sequencing libraries, including inline indices and Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs). Finally, we test the performance of several established and new bioinformatic pipelines for the extraction of barcodes from raw sequencing reads and for error correction. We find that both alignment and regular expression-based approaches work well for barcode extraction, and that error-correction pipelines designed specifically for barcode data are superior to generic ones. Overall, this review will help researchers to approach their barcoding experiments in a deliberate and systematic way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milo S Johnson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sandeep Venkataram
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sergey Kryazhimskiy
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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38
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McNamara HM, Ramm B, Toettcher JE. Synthetic developmental biology: New tools to deconstruct and rebuild developmental systems. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:33-42. [PMID: 35484026 PMCID: PMC10332110 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Technological advances have driven many recent advances in developmental biology. Light sheet imaging can reveal single-cell dynamics in living three-dimensional tissues, whereas single-cell genomic methods open the door to a complete catalogue of cell types and gene expression states. An equally powerful but complementary set of approaches are also becoming available to define development processes from the bottom up. These synthetic approaches aim to reconstruct the minimal developmental patterns, signaling processes, and gene networks that produce the basic set of developmental operations: spatial polarization, morphogen interpretation, tissue movement, and cellular memory. In this review we discuss recent approaches at the intersection of synthetic biology and development, including synthetic circuits to deliver and record signaling stimuli and synthetic reconstitution of pattern formation on multicellular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold M McNamara
- Lewis Sigler Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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39
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Grody EI, Abraham A, Shukla V, Goyal Y. Toward a systems-level probing of tumor clonality. iScience 2023; 26:106574. [PMID: 37192968 PMCID: PMC10182304 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has been described as a genetic disease that clonally evolves in the face of selective pressures imposed by cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Although classical models based on genetic data predominantly propose Darwinian mechanisms of cancer evolution, recent single-cell profiling of cancers has described unprecedented heterogeneity in tumors providing support for alternative models of branched and neutral evolution through both genetic and non-genetic mechanisms. Emerging evidence points to a complex interplay between genetic, non-genetic, and extrinsic environmental factors in shaping the evolution of tumors. In this perspective, we briefly discuss the role of cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors that shape clonal behaviors during tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Taking examples of pre-malignant states associated with hematological malignancies and esophageal cancer, we discuss recent paradigms of tumor evolution and prospective approaches to further enhance our understanding of this spatiotemporally regulated process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuelle I. Grody
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ajay Abraham
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Vipul Shukla
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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40
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Kalamakis G, Platt RJ. CRISPR for neuroscientists. Neuron 2023:S0896-6273(23)00306-9. [PMID: 37201524 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Genome engineering technologies provide an entry point into understanding and controlling the function of genetic elements in health and disease. The discovery and development of the microbial defense system CRISPR-Cas yielded a treasure trove of genome engineering technologies and revolutionized the biomedical sciences. Comprising diverse RNA-guided enzymes and effector proteins that evolved or were engineered to manipulate nucleic acids and cellular processes, the CRISPR toolbox provides precise control over biology. Virtually all biological systems are amenable to genome engineering-from cancer cells to the brains of model organisms to human patients-galvanizing research and innovation and giving rise to fundamental insights into health and powerful strategies for detecting and correcting disease. In the field of neuroscience, these tools are being leveraged across a wide range of applications, including engineering traditional and non-traditional transgenic animal models, modeling disease, testing genomic therapies, unbiased screening, programming cell states, and recording cellular lineages and other biological processes. In this primer, we describe the development and applications of CRISPR technologies while highlighting outstanding limitations and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Kalamakis
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Randall J Platt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4003 Basel, Switzerland; NCCR MSE, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Botnar Research Center for Child Health, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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41
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Linghu C, An B, Shpokayte M, Celiker OT, Shmoel N, Zhang R, Zhang C, Park D, Park WM, Ramirez S, Boyden ES. Recording of cellular physiological histories along optically readable self-assembling protein chains. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:640-651. [PMID: 36593405 PMCID: PMC10188365 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Observing cellular physiological histories is key to understanding normal and disease-related processes. Here we describe expression recording islands-a fully genetically encoded approach that enables both continual digital recording of biological information within cells and subsequent high-throughput readout in fixed cells. The information is stored in growing intracellular protein chains made of self-assembling subunits, human-designed filament-forming proteins bearing different epitope tags that each correspond to a different cellular state or function (for example, gene expression downstream of neural activity or pharmacological exposure), allowing the physiological history to be read out along the ordered subunits of protein chains with conventional optical microscopy. We use expression recording islands to record gene expression timecourse downstream of specific pharmacological and physiological stimuli in cultured neurons and in living mouse brain, with a time resolution of a fraction of a day, over periods of days to weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyang Linghu
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Program in Single Cell Spatial Analysis, and Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bobae An
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Monika Shpokayte
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Orhan T Celiker
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nava Shmoel
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruihan Zhang
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Demian Park
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Won Min Park
- Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- K Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Center for Neurobiological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Koch Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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42
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Amini P, Hajihosseini M, Pyne S, Dinu I. Geographically weighted linear combination test for gene-set analysis of a continuous spatial phenotype as applied to intratumor heterogeneity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1065586. [PMID: 36998245 PMCID: PMC10044624 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1065586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The impact of gene-sets on a spatial phenotype is not necessarily uniform across different locations of cancer tissue. This study introduces a computational platform, GWLCT, for combining gene set analysis with spatial data modeling to provide a new statistical test for location-specific association of phenotypes and molecular pathways in spatial single-cell RNA-seq data collected from an input tumor sample.Methods: The main advantage of GWLCT consists of an analysis beyond global significance, allowing the association between the gene-set and the phenotype to vary across the tumor space. At each location, the most significant linear combination is found using a geographically weighted shrunken covariance matrix and kernel function. Whether a fixed or adaptive bandwidth is determined based on a cross-validation cross procedure. Our proposed method is compared to the global version of linear combination test (LCT), bulk and random-forest based gene-set enrichment analyses using data created by the Visium Spatial Gene Expression technique on an invasive breast cancer tissue sample, as well as 144 different simulation scenarios.Results: In an illustrative example, the new geographically weighted linear combination test, GWLCT, identifies the cancer hallmark gene-sets that are significantly associated at each location with the five spatially continuous phenotypic contexts in the tumors defined by different well-known markers of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Scan statistics revealed clustering in the number of significant gene-sets. A spatial heatmap of combined significance over all selected gene-sets is also produced. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms other methods in the considered scenarios, especially when the spatial association increases.Conclusion: Our proposed approach considers the spatial covariance of gene expression to detect the most significant gene-sets affecting a continuous phenotype. It reveals spatially detailed information in tissue space and can thus play a key role in understanding the contextual heterogeneity of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Amini
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Morteza Hajihosseini
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Stanford Department of Urology, Center for Academic Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Saumyadipta Pyne
- Health Analytics Network, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Saumyadipta Pyne, ; Irina Dinu,
| | - Irina Dinu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Saumyadipta Pyne, ; Irina Dinu,
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43
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Kim IS. Single-Cell Molecular Barcoding to Decode Multimodal Information Defining Cell States. Mol Cells 2023; 46:74-85. [PMID: 36859472 PMCID: PMC9982054 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2023.2168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell research has provided a breakthrough in biology to understand heterogeneous cell groups, such as tissues and organs, in development and disease. Molecular barcoding and subsequent sequencing technology insert a singlecell barcode into isolated single cells, allowing separation cell by cell. Given that multimodal information from a cell defines precise cellular states, recent technical advances in methods focus on simultaneously extracting multimodal data recorded in different biological materials (DNA, RNA, protein, etc.). This review summarizes recently developed singlecell multiomics approaches regarding genome, epigenome, and protein profiles with the transcriptome. In particular, we focus on how to anchor or tag molecules from a cell, improve throughputs with sample multiplexing, and record lineages, and we further discuss the future developments of the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ik Soo Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21999, Korea
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44
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Richman LP, Goyal Y, Jiang CL, Raj A. ClonoCluster: A method for using clonal origin to inform transcriptome clustering. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100247. [PMID: 36819662 PMCID: PMC9932990 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Clustering cells based on their high-dimensional profiles is an important data reduction process by which researchers infer distinct cellular states. The advent of cellular barcoding, however, provides an alternative means by which to group cells: by their clonal origin. We developed ClonoCluster, a computational method that combines both clone and transcriptome information to create hybrid clusters that weight both kinds of data with a tunable parameter. We generated hybrid clusters across six independent datasets and found that ClonoCluster generated qualitatively different clusters in all cases. The markers of these hybrid clusters were different but had equivalent fidelity to transcriptome-only clusters. The genes most strongly associated with the rearrangements in hybrid clusters were ribosomal function and extracellular matrix genes. We also developed the complementary tool Warp Factor that incorporates clone information in popular 2D visualization techniques like UMAP. Integrating ClonoCluster and Warp Factor revealed biologically relevant markers of cell identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee P. Richman
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Connie L. Jiang
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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45
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Lear SK, Shipman SL. Molecular recording: transcriptional data collection into the genome. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102855. [PMID: 36481341 PMCID: PMC10547096 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Advances in regenerative medicine depend upon understanding the complex transcriptional choreography that guides cellular development. Transcriptional molecular recorders, tools that record different transcriptional events into the genome of cells, hold promise to elucidate both the intensity and timing of transcriptional activity at single-cell resolution without requiring destructive multitime point assays. These technologies are dependent on DNA writers, which translate transcriptional signals into stable genomic mutations that encode the duration, intensity, and order of transcriptional events. In this review, we highlight recent progress toward more informative and multiplexable transcriptional recording through the use of three different types of DNA writing - recombineering, Cas1-Cas2 acquisition, and prime editing - and the architecture of the genomic data generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra K Lear
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA; Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Seth L Shipman
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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46
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Espinosa-Medina I, Feliciano D, Belmonte-Mateos C, Linda Miyares R, Garcia-Marques J, Foster B, Lindo S, Pujades C, Koyama M, Lee T. TEMPO enables sequential genetic labeling and manipulation of vertebrate cell lineages. Neuron 2023; 111:345-361.e10. [PMID: 36417906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
During development, regulatory factors appear in a precise order to determine cell fates over time. Consequently, to investigate complex tissue development, it is necessary to visualize and manipulate cell lineages with temporal control. Current strategies for tracing vertebrate cell lineages lack genetic access to sequentially produced cells. Here, we present TEMPO (Temporal Encoding and Manipulation in a Predefined Order), an imaging-readable genetic tool allowing differential labeling and manipulation of consecutive cell generations in vertebrates. TEMPO is based on CRISPR and powered by a cascade of gRNAs that drive orderly activation and inactivation of reporters and/or effectors. Using TEMPO to visualize zebrafish and mouse neurogenesis, we recapitulated birth-order-dependent neuronal fates. Temporally manipulating cell-cycle regulators in mouse cortex progenitors altered the proportion and distribution of neurons and glia, revealing the effects of temporal gene perturbation on serial cell fates. Thus, TEMPO enables sequential manipulation of molecular factors, crucial to study cell-type specification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Feliciano
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Carla Belmonte-Mateos
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Rosa Linda Miyares
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Jorge Garcia-Marques
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Benjamin Foster
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Sarah Lindo
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Cristina Pujades
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Minoru Koyama
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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47
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Downs KM. The mouse allantois: new insights at the embryonic-extraembryonic interface. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210251. [PMID: 36252214 PMCID: PMC9574631 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During the early development of Placentalia, a distinctive projection emerges at the posterior embryonic-extraembryonic interface of the conceptus; its fingerlike shape presages maturation into the placental umbilical cord, whose major role is to shuttle fetal blood to and from the chorion for exchange with the mother during pregnancy. Until recently, the biology of the cord's vital vascular anlage, called the body stalk/allantois in humans and simply the allantois in rodents, has been largely unknown. Here, new insights into the development of the mouse allantois are featured, from its origin and mechanism of arterial patterning through its union with the chorion. Key to generating the allantois and its critical functions are the primitive streak and visceral endoderm, which together are sufficient to create the entire fetal-placental connection. Their newly discovered roles at the embryonic-extraembryonic interface challenge conventional wisdom, including the physical limits of the primitive streak, its function as sole purveyor of mesoderm in the mouse, potency of visceral endoderm, and the putative role of the allantois in the germ line. With this working model of allantois development, understanding a plethora of hitherto poorly understood orphan diseases in humans is now within reach. 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)
- Karen M. Downs
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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48
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Rovira-Clavé X, Drainas AP, Jiang S, Bai Y, Baron M, Zhu B, Dallas AE, Lee MC, Chu TP, Holzem A, Ayyagari R, Bhattacharya D, McCaffrey EF, Greenwald NF, Markovic M, Coles GL, Angelo M, Bassik MC, Sage J, Nolan GP. Spatial epitope barcoding reveals clonal tumor patch behaviors. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1423-1439.e11. [PMID: 36240778 PMCID: PMC9673683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is a seminal feature of human tumors contributing to tumor progression and response to treatment. Current technologies are still largely unsuitable to accurately track phenotypes and clonal evolution within tumors, especially in response to genetic manipulations. Here, we developed epitopes for imaging using combinatorial tagging (EpicTags), which we coupled to multiplexed ion beam imaging (EpicMIBI) for in situ tracking of barcodes within tissue microenvironments. Using EpicMIBI, we dissected the spatial component of cell lineages and phenotypes in xenograft models of small cell lung cancer. We observed emergent properties from mixed clones leading to the preferential expansion of clonal patches for both neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine cancer cell states in these models. In a tumor model harboring a fraction of PTEN-deficient cancer cells, we observed a non-autonomous increase of clonal patch size in PTEN wild-type cancer cells. EpicMIBI facilitates in situ interrogation of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic processes involved in intratumoral heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Rovira-Clavé
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alexandros P Drainas
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sizun Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yunhao Bai
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maya Baron
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Bokai Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alec E Dallas
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Myung Chang Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Theresa P Chu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alessandra Holzem
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ramya Ayyagari
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Debadrita Bhattacharya
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Erin F McCaffrey
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Noah F Greenwald
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maxim Markovic
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Garry L Coles
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Angelo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Garry P Nolan
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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49
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Serrano A, Berthelet J, Naik SH, Merino D. Mastering the use of cellular barcoding to explore cancer heterogeneity. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:609-624. [PMID: 35982229 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00500-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tumours are often composed of a multitude of malignant clones that are genomically unique, and only a few of them may have the ability to escape cancer therapy and grow as symptomatic lesions. As a result, tumours with a large degree of genomic diversity have a higher chance of leading to patient death. However, clonal fate can be driven by non-genomic features. In this context, new technologies are emerging not only to track the spatiotemporal fate of individual cells and their progeny but also to study their molecular features using various omics analysis. In particular, the recent development of cellular barcoding facilitates the labelling of tens to millions of cancer clones and enables the identification of the complex mechanisms associated with clonal fate in different microenvironments and in response to therapy. In this Review, we highlight the recent discoveries made using lentiviral-based cellular barcoding techniques, namely genetic and optical barcoding. We also emphasize the strengths and limitations of each of these technologies and discuss some of the key concepts that must be taken into consideration when one is designing barcoding experiments. Finally, we suggest new directions to further improve the use of these technologies in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Serrano
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jean Berthelet
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shalin H Naik
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Delphine Merino
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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50
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Toward predictive engineering of gene circuits. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 41:760-768. [PMID: 36435671 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many synthetic biology applications rely on programming living cells using gene circuits - the assembly and wiring of genetic elements to control cellular behaviors. Extensive progress has been made in constructing gene circuits with diverse functions and applications. For many circuit functions, however, it remains challenging to ensure that the circuits operate in a predictable manner. Although the notion of predictability may appear intuitive, close inspection suggests that it is not always clear what constitutes predictability. We dissect this concept and how it can be confounded by the complexity of a circuit, the complexity of the context, and the interplay between the two. We discuss circuit engineering strategies, in both computation and experiment, that have been used to improve the predictability of gene circuits.
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