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Schumacher S, Fernkorn M, Marten M, Chen R, Kim YS, Bedzhov I, Schröter C. Tissue-intrinsic beta-catenin signals antagonize Nodal-driven anterior visceral endoderm differentiation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5055. [PMID: 38871742 PMCID: PMC11176336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49380-0] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterior-posterior axis of the mammalian embryo is laid down by the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE), an extraembryonic signaling center that is specified within the visceral endoderm. Current models posit that AVE differentiation is promoted globally by epiblast-derived Nodal signals, and spatially restricted by a BMP gradient established by the extraembryonic ectoderm. Here, we report spatially restricted AVE differentiation in bilayered embryo-like aggregates made from mouse embryonic stem cells that lack an extraembryonic ectoderm. Notably, clusters of AVE cells also form in pure visceral endoderm cultures upon activation of Nodal signaling, indicating that tissue-intrinsic factors can restrict AVE differentiation. We identify β-catenin activity as a tissue-intrinsic factor that antagonizes AVE-inducing Nodal signals. Together, our results show how an AVE-like population can arise through interactions between epiblast and visceral endoderm alone. This mechanism may be a flexible solution for axis patterning in a wide range of embryo geometries, and provide robustness to axis patterning when coupled with signal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Schumacher
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Max Fernkorn
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michelle Marten
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rui Chen
- Embryonic Self-Organization research group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Yung Su Kim
- Embryonic Self-Organization research group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Integrated Biosystems and Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization research group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Christian Schröter
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
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2
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Kruger RE, Frum T, Brumm AS, Hickey SL, Niakan KK, Aziz F, Shammami MA, Roberts JG, Ralston A. Smad4 is essential for epiblast scaling and morphogenesis after implantation, but nonessential before implantation. Development 2024; 151:dev202377. [PMID: 38752427 PMCID: PMC11190579 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202377] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling plays an essential and highly conserved role in embryo axial patterning in animal species. However, in mammalian embryos, which develop inside the mother, early development includes a preimplantation stage, which does not occur in externally developing embryos. During preimplantation, the epiblast is segregated from extra-embryonic lineages that enable implantation and development in utero. Yet, the requirement for BMP signaling is imprecisely defined in mouse early embryos. Here, we show that, in contrast to previous reports, BMP signaling (SMAD1/5/9 phosphorylation) is not detectable until implantation when it is detected in the primitive endoderm - an extra-embryonic lineage. Moreover, preimplantation development appears to be normal following deletion of maternal and zygotic Smad4, an essential effector of canonical BMP signaling. In fact, mice lacking maternal Smad4 are viable. Finally, we uncover a new requirement for zygotic Smad4 in epiblast scaling and cavitation immediately after implantation, via a mechanism involving FGFR/ERK attenuation. Altogether, our results demonstrate no role for BMP4/SMAD4 in the first lineage decisions during mouse development. Rather, multi-pathway signaling among embryonic and extra-embryonic cell types drives epiblast morphogenesis postimplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Kruger
- Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Tristan Frum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - A. Sophie Brumm
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute,London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Stephanie L. Hickey
- Research Technology Support Facility, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kathy K. Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute,London NW1 1AT, UK
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Farina Aziz
- Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Marcelio A. Shammami
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Genetics and Genome Sciences Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jada G. Roberts
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Amy Ralston
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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3
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Viswanathan PK, Chessel A, Molina MD, Haillot E, Lepage T. Maternal TGF-β ligand Panda breaks the radial symmetry of the sea urchin embryo by antagonizing the Nodal type II receptor ACVRII. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002701. [PMID: 38913712 PMCID: PMC11239237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002701] [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] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the highly regulative embryo of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, establishment of the dorsal-ventral (D/V) axis critically depends on the zygotic expression of the TGF-β nodal in the ventral ectoderm. nodal expression is first induced ubiquitously in the 32-cell embryo and becomes progressively restricted to the presumptive ventral ectoderm by the early blastula stage. This early spatial restriction of nodal expression is independent of Lefty, and instead relies on the activity of Panda, a maternally expressed TGF-β ligand related to Lefty and Inhibins, which is required maternally for D/V axis specification. However, the mechanism by which Panda restricts the early nodal expression has remained enigmatic and it is not known if Panda works like a BMP ligand by opposing Nodal and antagonizing Smad2/3 signaling, or if it works like Lefty by sequestering an essential component of the Nodal signaling pathway. In this study, we report that Panda functions as an antagonist of the TGF-β type II receptor ACVRII (Activin receptor type II), which is the only type II receptor for Nodal signaling in the sea urchin and is also a type II receptor for BMP ligands. Inhibiting translation of acvrII mRNA disrupted D/V patterning across all 3 germ layers and caused acvrII morphants to develop with a typical Nodal loss-of-function phenotype. In contrast, embryos overexpressing acvrII displayed strong ectopic Smad1/5/8 signaling at blastula stages and developed as dorsalized larvae, a phenotype very similar to that caused by over activation of BMP signaling. Remarkably, embryos co-injected with acvrII mRNA and panda mRNA did not show ectopic Smad1/5/8 signaling and developed with a largely normal dorsal-ventral polarity. Furthermore, using an axis induction assay, we found that Panda blocks the ability of ACVRII to orient the D/V axis when overexpressed locally. Using co-immunoprecipitation, we showed that Panda physically interacts with ACVRII, as well as with the Nodal co-receptor Cripto, and with TBR3 (Betaglycan), which is a non-signaling receptor for Inhibins in mammals. At the molecular level, we have traced back the antagonistic activity of Panda to the presence of a single proline residue, conserved with all the Lefty factors, in the ACVRII binding motif of Panda, instead of a serine as in most of TGF-β ligands. Conversion of this proline to a serine converted Panda from an antagonist that opposed Nodal signaling and promoted dorsalization to an agonist that promoted Nodal signaling and triggered ventralization when overexpressed. Finally, using phylogenomics, we analyzed the emergence of the agonist and antagonist form of Panda in the course of evolution. Our data are consistent with the idea that the presence of a serine at that position, like in most TGF-β, was the ancestral condition and that the initial function of Panda was possibly in promoting and not in antagonizing Nodal signaling. These results highlight the existence of key functional and structural elements conserved between Panda and Lefty, allow to draw an intriguing parallel between sea urchin Panda and mammalian Inhibin α and raise the unexpected possibility that the original function of Panda may have been in activation of the Nodal pathway rather than in its inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aline Chessel
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
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4
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Kruger RE, Frum T, Brumm AS, Hickey SL, Niakan KK, Aziz F, Shammami MA, Roberts JG, Ralston A. Smad4 is essential for epiblast scaling and morphogenesis after implantation, but nonessential prior to implantation in the mouse. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576717. [PMID: 38328075 PMCID: PMC10849569 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) signaling plays an essential and highly conserved role in axial patterning in embryos of many externally developing animal species. However, in mammalian embryos, which develop inside the mother, early development includes an additional stage known as preimplantation. During preimplantation, the epiblast lineage is segregated from the extraembryonic lineages that enable implantation and development in utero. Yet, the requirement for BMP signaling in mouse preimplantation is imprecisely defined. We show that, in contrast to prior reports, BMP signaling (as reported by SMAD1/5/9 phosphorylation) is not detectable until implantation, when it is detected in the primitive endoderm - an extraembryonic lineage. Moreover, preimplantation development appears normal following deletion of maternal and zygotic Smad4, an essential effector of BMP signaling. In fact, mice lacking maternal Smad4 are viable. Finally, we uncover a new requirement for zygotic Smad4 in epiblast scaling and cavitation immediately after implantation, via a mechanism involving FGFR/ERK attenuation. Altogether, our results demonstrate no role for BMP4/SMAD4 in the first lineage decisions during mouse development. Rather, multi-pathway signaling among embryonic and extraembryonic cell types drives epiblast morphogenesis post-implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Kruger
- Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Tristan Frum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Current address: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - A. Sophie Brumm
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute; London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Stephanie L. Hickey
- Research Technology Support Facility, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Kathy K. Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute; London, NW1 1AT, UK
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Farina Aziz
- Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Marcelio A. Shammami
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Genetics and Genome Sciences Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jada G. Roberts
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Ph.D. Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Amy Ralston
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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5
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Kriseman ML, Tang S, Liao Z, Jiang P, Parks SE, Cope DI, Yuan F, Chen F, Masand RP, Castro PD, Ittmann MM, Creighton CJ, Tan Z, Monsivais D. SMAD2/3 signaling in the uterine epithelium controls endometrial cell homeostasis and regeneration. Commun Biol 2023; 6:261. [PMID: 36906706 PMCID: PMC10008566 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04619-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The regenerative potential of the endometrium is attributed to endometrial stem cells; however, the signaling pathways controlling its regenerative potential remain obscure. In this study, genetic mouse models and endometrial organoids are used to demonstrate that SMAD2/3 signaling controls endometrial regeneration and differentiation. Mice with conditional deletion of SMAD2/3 in the uterine epithelium using Lactoferrin-iCre develop endometrial hyperplasia at 12-weeks and metastatic uterine tumors by 9-months of age. Mechanistic studies in endometrial organoids determine that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of SMAD2/3 signaling disrupts organoid morphology, increases the glandular and secretory cell markers, FOXA2 and MUC1, and alters the genome-wide distribution of SMAD4. Transcriptomic profiling of the organoids reveals elevated pathways involved in stem cell regeneration and differentiation such as the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and retinoic acid signaling (RA) pathways. Therefore, TGFβ family signaling via SMAD2/3 controls signaling networks which are integral for endometrial cell regeneration and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya L Kriseman
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Suni Tang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zian Liao
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Peixin Jiang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sydney E Parks
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Cancer and Cell Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dominique I Cope
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Fei Yuan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Fengju Chen
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ramya P Masand
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Patricia D Castro
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Michael M Ittmann
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Chad J Creighton
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhi Tan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Diana Monsivais
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Cancer and Cell Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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6
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Wang Y, Liu C, Qiao X, Han X, Liu ZP. PKI: A bioinformatics method of quantifying the importance of nodes in gene regulatory network via a pseudo knockout index. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194911. [PMID: 36804477 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene regulatory network (GRN) is a model that characterizes the complex relationships between genes and thereby provides an informatics environment to measure the importance of nodes. The evaluation of important nodes in a GRN can effectively refer to their functional implications severing as key players in particular biological processes, such as master regulator and driver gene. Currently, it is mainly based on network topological parameters and focuses only on evaluating a single node individually. However, genes and products play their functions by interacting with each other. It is worth noting that the effects of gene combinations in GRN are not simply additive. Key combinations discovery is of significance in revealing gene sets with important functions. Recently, with the development of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology, we can quantify gene expression profiles of individual cells that provide the potential to identify crucial nodes in gene regulations regarding specific condition, e.g., stem cell differentiation. RESULTS In this paper, we propose a bioinformatics method, called Pseudo Knockout Importance (PKI), to quantify the importance of node and node sets in a specific GRN structure using time-course scRNA-seq data. First, we construct ordinary differential equations to approach the gene regulations during cell differentiation. Then we design gene pseudo knockout experiments and define PKI score evaluation criteria based on the coefficient of determination. The importance of nodes can be described as the influence on the ODE system of removing variables. For key gene combinations, PKI is derived as a combinatorial optimization problem of quantifying the in silico gene knockout effects. CONCLUSIONS Here, we focus our analyses on the specific GRN of embryonic stem cells with time series gene expression profile. To verify the effectiveness and advantage of PKI method, we compare its node importance rankings with other twelve kinds of centrality-based methods, such as degree and Latora closeness. For key node combinations, we compare the results with the method based on minimum dominant set. Moreover, the famous combinations of transcription factors in induced pluripotent stem cell are also employed to verify the vital gene combinations identified by PKI. These results demonstrate the reliability and superiority of the proposed method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250061, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Xu Qiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250061, China
| | - Xianhua Han
- Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan
| | - Zhi-Ping Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250061, China.
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7
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Zhu Q, Ge J, Liu Y, Xu JW, Yan S, Zhou F. Decoding anterior-posterior axis emergence among mouse, monkey, and human embryos. Dev Cell 2023; 58:63-79.e4. [PMID: 36626872 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Anterior-posterior axis formation regulated by the distal visceral endoderm (DVE) and anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) is essential for peri-implantation embryogenesis. However, the principles of the origin and specialization of DVE and AVE remain elusive. Here, with single-cell transcriptome analysis and pseudotime prediction, we show that DVE and AVE independently originate from the specialized primary endoderm in mouse blastocysts. Along distinct developmental paths, these two lineages, respectively, undergo four representative states with stage-specific transcriptional patterns around implantation. Further comparative analysis shows that AVE, but not DVE, is detected in human and non-human primate embryos, defining differences in polarity formation across species. Moreover, stem cell-assembled human blastoids lack DVE or AVE precursors, implying that additional induction of stem cells with DVE/AVE potential could promote the current embryo-like models and their post-implantation growth. Our work provides insight into understanding of embryonic polarity formation and early mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Zhu
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jitao Ge
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jia-Wen Xu
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shengyi Yan
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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8
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Ye M, Ni Q, Wang H, Wang Y, Yao Y, Li Y, Wang W, Yang S, Chen J, Lv L, Zhao Y, Xue G, Guo X, Zhang L. CircRNA circCOL1A1 Acts as a Sponge of miR-30a-5p to Promote Vascular Smooth Cell Phenotype Switch through Regulation of Smad1 Expression. Thromb Haemost 2023; 123:97-107. [PMID: 36462769 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The mRNA expression of the synthetic biomarker Collagen Type I Alpha 1 Chain (COL1A1) gene is upregulated during the switch of VSMCs from the contractile to the synthetic phenotype. The association of noncoding circular RNAs transcribed by the COL1A1 gene with VSMC phenotype alteration and atherogenesis remains unclear. Here we reported a COL1A1 circular RNA (circCOL1A1) which is specifically expressed in VSMCs and is upregulated during phenotype alteration of VSMCs. CircCOL1A1 is also detectable in the serum or plasma. Healthy vascular tissues have a low expression of CircCOL1A1, while it is upregulated in atherosclerosis patients. Through ex vivo and in vitro assays, we found that circCOL1A1 can promote VSMC phenotype switch. Mechanistic analysis showed that circCOL1A1 may exert its function as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-30a-5p. Upregulation of circCOL1A1 ameliorates the inhibitory effect of miR-30a-5p on its target SMAD1, which leads to suppression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. Our findings demonstrate that circCOL1A1 promotes the phenotype switch of VSMCs through the miR-30a-5p/SMAD1/TGF-β axis and it may serve as a novel marker of atherogenesis or as a therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Ye
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihong Ni
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuli Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongjie Yao
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinan Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weilun Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuofei Yang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaquan Chen
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Lv
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiping Zhao
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanhua Xue
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangjiang Guo
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Plouhinec JL, Simon G, Vieira M, Collignon J, Sorre B. Dissecting signaling hierarchies in the patterning of the mouse primitive streak using micropatterned EpiLC colonies. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1757-1771. [PMID: 35714597 PMCID: PMC9287665 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo studies have established that the patterning of the mouse gastrula depends on a regulatory network in which the WNT, BMP, and NODAL signaling pathways cooperate, but aspects of their respective contributions remain unclear. Studying their impact on the spatial organization and developmental trajectories of micropatterned epiblast-like cell (EpiLC) colonies, we show that NODAL is required prior to BMP action to establish the mesoderm and endoderm lineages. The presence of BMP then forces NODAL and WNT to support the formation of posterior primitive streak (PS) derivatives, while its absence allows them to promote that of anterior PS derivatives. Also, a Nodal mutation elicits more severe patterning defects in vitro than in the embryo, suggesting that ligands of extra-embryonic origin can rescue them. These results support the implication of a combinatorial process in PS patterning and illustrate how the study of micropatterned EpiLC colonies can complement that of embryos. BMP or WNT cannot rescue the impact a Nodal KO has on primitive streak formation BMP exposure results in Nodal promoting posterior rather than anterior PS formation The maintenance of posterior mesodermal identities is dependent on Nodal expression Low Nodal expression does not prevent the emergence of anterior PS derivatives
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Plouhinec
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Gaël Simon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Vieira
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Benoit Sorre
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
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10
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Omelchenko T. Cellular protrusions in 3D: Orchestrating early mouse embryogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 129:63-74. [PMID: 35577698 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cellular protrusions generated by the actin cytoskeleton are central to the process of building the body of the embryo. Problems with cellular protrusions underlie human diseases and syndromes, including implantation defects and pregnancy loss, congenital birth defects, and cancer. Cells use protrusive activity together with actin-myosin contractility to create an ordered body shape of the embryo. Here, I review how actin-rich protrusions are used by two major morphological cell types, epithelial and mesenchymal cells, during collective cell migration to sculpt the mouse embryo body. Pre-gastrulation epithelial collective migration of the anterior visceral endoderm is essential for establishing the anterior-posterior body axis. Gastrulation mesenchymal collective migration of the mesoderm wings is crucial for body elongation, and somite and heart formation. Analysis of mouse mutants with disrupted cellular protrusions revealed the key role of protrusions in embryonic morphogenesis and embryo survival. Recent technical approaches have allowed examination of the mechanisms that control cell and tissue movements in vivo in the complex 3D microenvironment of living mouse embryos. Advancing our understanding of protrusion-driven morphogenesis should provide novel insights into human developmental disorders and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Omelchenko
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York 10065, USA.
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11
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Filimonow K, de la Fuente R. Specification and role of extraembryonic endoderm lineages in the periimplantation mouse embryo. Theriogenology 2021; 180:189-206. [PMID: 34998083 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During mammalian embryo development, the correct formation of the first extraembryonic endoderm lineages is fundamental for successful development. In the periimplantation blastocyst, the primitive endoderm (PrE) is formed, which gives rise to the parietal endoderm (PE) and visceral endoderm (VE) during further developmental stages. These PrE-derived lineages show significant differences in both their formation and roles. Whereas differentiation of the PE as a migratory lineage has been suggested to represent the first epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in development, organisation of the epithelial VE is of utmost importance for the correct axis definition and patterning of the embryo. Despite sharing a common origin, the striking differences between the VE and PE are indicative of their distinct roles in early development. However, there is a significant disparity in the current knowledge of each lineage, which reflects the need for a deeper understanding of their respective specification processes. In this review, we will discuss the origin and maturation of the PrE, PE, and VE during the periimplantation period using the mouse model as an example. Additionally, we consider the latest findings regarding the role of the PrE-derived lineages and early embryo morphogenesis, as obtained from the most recent in vitro models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Filimonow
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland.
| | - Roberto de la Fuente
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland.
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12
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Kim YS, Fan R, Kremer L, Kuempel-Rink N, Mildner K, Zeuschner D, Hekking L, Stehling M, Bedzhov I. Deciphering epiblast lumenogenesis reveals proamniotic cavity control of embryo growth and patterning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/11/eabe1640. [PMID: 33692105 PMCID: PMC7946377 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
During the peri-implantation stages, the mouse embryo radically changes its appearance, transforming from a hollow-shaped blastocyst to an egg cylinder. At the same time, the epiblast gets reorganized from a simple ball of cells to a cup-shaped epithelial monolayer enclosing the proamniotic cavity. However, the cavity's function and mechanism of formation have so far been obscure. Through investigating the cavity formation, we found that in the epiblast, the process of lumenogenesis is driven by reorganization of intercellular adhesion, vectoral fluid transport, and mitotic paracellular water influx from the blastocoel into the emerging proamniotic cavity. By experimentally blocking lumenogenesis, we found that the proamniotic cavity functions as a hub for communication between the early lineages, enabling proper growth and patterning of the postimplantation embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Su Kim
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Rui Fan
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ludmila Kremer
- Transgenic Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nannette Kuempel-Rink
- Transgenic Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Karina Mildner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Dagmar Zeuschner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Liesbeth Hekking
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Martin Stehling
- Flow Cytometry Unit, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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13
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Sozen B, Demir N, Zernicka-Goetz M. BMP signalling is required for extra-embryonic ectoderm development during pre-to-post-implantation transition of the mouse embryo. Dev Biol 2020; 470:84-94. [PMID: 33217407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
At implantation, the mouse embryo undergoes a critical transformation which requires the precise spatiotemporal control of signalling pathways necessary for morphogenesis and developmental progression. The role played by such signalling pathways during this transition are largely unexplored, due to the inaccessibility of the embryo during the implantation when it becomes engulfed by uterine tissues. Genetic studies demonstrate that mutant embryos for BMPs die around gastrulation. Here we have aimed to dissect the role of BMPs during pre-to post-implantation transition by using a protocol permitting the development of the embryo beyond implantation stages in vitro and using stem cells to mimic post-implantation tissue organisation. By assessing both the canonical and non-canonical mechanisms of BMP, we show that the loss of canonical BMP activity compromises the extra-embryonic ectoderm development. Our analyses demonstrate that BMP signalling maintains stem cell populations within both embryonic/extra-embryonic tissues during pre-to post-implantation development. These results may provide insight into the role played by BMP signalling in controlling early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, 07070, Turkey; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Necdet Demir
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, 07070, Turkey
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
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14
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Bardot ES, Hadjantonakis AK. Mouse gastrulation: Coordination of tissue patterning, specification and diversification of cell fate. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103617. [PMID: 32473204 PMCID: PMC7534585 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
During mouse embryonic development a mass of pluripotent epiblast tissue is transformed during gastrulation to generate the three definitive germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. During gastrulation, a spatiotemporally controlled sequence of events results in the generation of organ progenitors and positions them in a stereotypical fashion throughout the embryo. Key to the correct specification and differentiation of these cell fates is the establishment of an axial coordinate system along with the integration of multiple signals by individual epiblast cells to produce distinct outcomes. These signaling domains evolve as the anterior-posterior axis is established and the embryo grows in size. Gastrulation is initiated at the posteriorly positioned primitive streak, from which nascent mesoderm and endoderm progenitors ingress and begin to diversify. Advances in technology have facilitated the elaboration of landmark findings that originally described the epiblast fate map and signaling pathways required to execute those fates. Here we will discuss the current state of the field and reflect on how our understanding has shifted in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S Bardot
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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15
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Camacho-Aguilar E, Warmflash A. Insights into mammalian morphogen dynamics from embryonic stem cell systems. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 137:279-305. [PMID: 32143746 PMCID: PMC7713707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Morphogens play an essential role in cell fate specification and patterning including in laying out the mammalian body plan during gastrulation. In vivo studies have shed light on the signaling pathways involved in this process and the phenotypes associated with their disruption, however, several important open questions remain regarding how morphogens function in space and time. Self-organized patterning systems based on embryonic stem cells have emerged as a powerful platform for beginning to address these questions that is complementary to in vivo approaches. Here we review recent progress in understanding morphogen signaling dynamics and patterning in early mammalian development by taking advantage of cutting-edge embryonic stem cell technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.
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16
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Senft AD, Costello I, King HW, Mould AW, Bikoff EK, Robertson EJ. Combinatorial Smad2/3 Activities Downstream of Nodal Signaling Maintain Embryonic/Extra-Embryonic Cell Identities during Lineage Priming. Cell Rep 2020; 24:1977-1985.e7. [PMID: 30134160 PMCID: PMC6113931 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Epiblast cells in the early post-implantation stage mammalian embryo undergo a transition described as lineage priming before cell fate allocation, but signaling pathways acting upstream remain ill defined. Genetic studies demonstrate that Smad2/3 double-mutant mouse embryos die shortly after implantation. To learn more about the molecular disturbances underlying this abrupt failure, here we characterized Smad2/3-deficient embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We found that Smad2/3 double-knockout ESCs induced to form epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) display changes in naive and primed pluripotency marker gene expression, associated with the disruption of Oct4-bound distal regulatory elements. In the absence of Smad2/3, we observed enhanced Bmp target gene expression and de-repression of extra-embryonic gene expression. Cell fate allocation into all three embryonic germ layers is disrupted. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate that combinatorial Smad2/3 functional activities are required to maintain distinct embryonic and/or extra-embryonic cell identity during lineage priming in the epiblast before gastrulation. Smad2/3 alters the transcriptome and activity of distal regulatory elements in EpiLCs Smad2 prevents expression of extra-embryonic genes during priming and differentiation Smad2/3 is essential for mesoderm and definitive endoderm cell fate allocation Smad2/3 signaling balances Bmp signaling during neural precursor differentiation
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Senft
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Ita Costello
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Hamish W King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Arne W Mould
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Elizabeth K Bikoff
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
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17
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Senft AD, Bikoff EK, Robertson EJ, Costello I. Genetic dissection of Nodal and Bmp signalling requirements during primordial germ cell development in mouse. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1089. [PMID: 30842446 PMCID: PMC6403387 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09052-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The essential roles played by Nodal and Bmp signalling during early mouse development have been extensively documented. Here we use conditional deletion strategies to investigate functional contributions made by Nodal, Bmp and Smad downstream effectors during primordial germ cell (PGC) development. We demonstrate that Nodal and its target gene Eomes provide early instructions during formation of the PGC lineage. We discover that Smad2 inactivation in the visceral endoderm results in increased numbers of PGCs due to an expansion of the PGC niche. Smad1 is required for specification, whereas in contrast Smad4 controls the maintenance and migration of PGCs. Additionally we find that beside Blimp1, down-regulated phospho-Smad159 levels also distinguishes PGCs from their somatic neighbours so that emerging PGCs become refractory to Bmp signalling that otherwise promotes mesodermal development in the posterior epiblast. Thus balanced Nodal/Bmp signalling cues regulate germ cell versus somatic cell fate decisions in the early posterior epiblast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Senft
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Elizabeth K Bikoff
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | | | - Ita Costello
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
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18
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Jeon SA, Lee JH, Kim DW, Cho JY. E3-ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 enhances bone formation by removing TGFβ1-induced pSMAD1 in immature osteoblast. Bone 2018; 116:248-258. [PMID: 30125728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 4 (NEDD4) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates animal growth and development. To investigate the role of NEDD4 in skeletogenesis in vivo, we established immature osteoblast-specific 2.3-kb Collagen Type I Alpha 1 chain (Col1α1) promoter-driven Nedd4 transgenic (Nedd4-TG, Col1α1-Nedd4Tg/+) mice and conditional knockout (Nedd4-cKO, Col1α1-Cre;Nedd4fl/fl) mice. The Nedd4-TG mice displayed enhanced bone mass accrual and upregulated gene expression of osteogenic markers in bone. In addition, bone formation was decreased in the Nedd4-cKO mice compared to that in their littermates. The proliferation of primary osteoblasts isolated from calvaria and the number and surface area of tibial osteoblasts were higher in the Nedd4-TG mice than those in their littermates. Throughout the osteoblast differentiation, the expression of Nedd4 and Tgfb1 were high at early stage of osteoblast maturation, but decreased at the later stage when Bmp2 expression level is high. TGFβ1 signaling was consolidated by degradation of pSMAD1, which was transiently induced by TGFβ1, in NEDD4-overexpressing osteoblasts. Furthermore, pERK1/2 signaling was enhanced in osteoblast from TG mice than those in their littermates. These results suggest that NEDD4 enhances osteoblast proliferation by removing pSMAD1 activated by TGFβ1, and potentiating pSMAD2 and pERK1/2 pathways at early stage of bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon-Ae Jeon
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, BK21 Plus and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Lee
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, BK21 Plus and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dong Wook Kim
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, BK21 Plus and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Je-Yoel Cho
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, BK21 Plus and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
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19
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Abstract
TGF-β family ligands function in inducing and patterning many tissues of the early vertebrate embryonic body plan. Nodal signaling is essential for the specification of mesendodermal tissues and the concurrent cellular movements of gastrulation. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling patterns tissues along the dorsal-ventral axis and simultaneously directs the cell movements of convergence and extension. After gastrulation, a second wave of Nodal signaling breaks the symmetry between the left and right sides of the embryo. During these processes, elaborate regulatory feedback between TGF-β ligands and their antagonists direct the proper specification and patterning of embryonic tissues. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the function and regulation of TGF-β family signaling in these processes. Although we cover principles that are involved in the development of all vertebrate embryos, we focus specifically on three popular model organisms: the mouse Mus musculus, the African clawed frog of the genus Xenopus, and the zebrafish Danio rerio, highlighting the similarities and differences between these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Zinski
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Benjamin Tajer
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Mary C Mullins
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
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20
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Stower MJ, Srinivas S. The Head's Tale: Anterior-Posterior Axis Formation in the Mouse Embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 128:365-390. [PMID: 29477169 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis is a fundamental event during early development and marks the start of the process by which the basic body plan is laid down. This axial information determines where gastrulation, that generates and positions cells of the three-germ layers, occurs. A-P patterning requires coordinated interactions between multiple tissues, tight spatiotemporal control of signaling pathways, and the coordination of tissue growth with morphogenetic movements. In the mouse, a specialized population of cells, the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) undergoes a migration event critical for correct A-P pattern. In this review, we summarize our understanding of the generation of anterior pattern, focusing on the role of the AVE. We will also outline some of the many questions that remain regarding the mechanism by which the first axial asymmetry is established, how the AVE is induced, and how it moves within the visceral endoderm epithelium.
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21
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Takaoka K, Nishimura H, Hamada H. Both Nodal signalling and stochasticity select for prospective distal visceral endoderm in mouse embryos. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1492. [PMID: 29138408 PMCID: PMC5686177 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01625-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Anterior–posterior (A–P) polarity of mouse embryos is established by distal visceral endoderm (DVE) at embryonic day (E) 5.5. Lefty1 is expressed first at E3.5 in a subset of epiblast progenitor cells (L1epi cells) and then in a subset of primitive endoderm cells (L1dve cells) fated to become DVE. Here we studied how prospective DVE cells are selected. Lefty1 expression in L1epi and L1dve cells depends on Nodal signaling. A cell that experiences the highest level of Nodal signaling begins to express Lefty1 and becomes an L1epi cell. Deletion of Lefty1 alone or together with Lefty2 increased the number of prospective DVE cells. Ablation of L1epi or L1dve cells triggered Lefty1 expression in a subset of remaining cells. Our results suggest that selection of prospective DVE cells is both random and regulated, and that a fixed prepattern for the A–P axis does not exist before the blastocyst stage. In the mouse embryo, anterior-posterior polarity is established by distal visceral endoderm (DVE) at embryonic day 5.5 but how this arises is unclear. Here, the authors show that expression of Lefty1 earlier can define DVE, and that future DVE cells are selected by Nodal signalling and stochasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuyoshi Takaoka
- Developmental Genetics Group, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. .,Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Gottingen, Germany.
| | - Hiromi Nishimura
- Developmental Genetics Group, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hamada
- Developmental Genetics Group, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
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22
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Hudnall AM, Arthur JW, Lowery JW. Clinical Relevance and Mechanisms of Antagonism Between the BMP and Activin/TGF-β Signaling Pathways. J Osteopath Med 2017; 116:452-61. [PMID: 27367950 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily is a large group of signaling molecules that participate in embryogenesis, organogenesis, and tissue homeostasis. These molecules are present in all animal genomes. Dysfunction in the regulation or activity of this superfamily's components underlies numerous human diseases and developmental defects. There are 2 distinct arms downstream of the TGF-β superfamily ligands-the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and activin/TGF-β signaling pathways-and these 2 responses can oppose one another's effects, most notably in disease states. However, studies have commonly focused on a single arm of the TGF-β superfamily, and the antagonism between these pathways is unknown in most physiologic and pathologic contexts. In this review, the authors summarize the clinically relevant scenarios in which the BMP and activin/TGF-β pathways reportedly oppose one another and identify several molecular mechanisms proposed to mediate this interaction. Particular attention is paid to experimental findings that may be informative to human pathology to highlight potential therapeutic approaches for future investigation.
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23
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Fullerton PT, Monsivais D, Kommagani R, Matzuk MM. Follistatin is critical for mouse uterine receptivity and decidualization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E4772-E4781. [PMID: 28559342 PMCID: PMC5474784 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620903114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryo implantation remains a significant challenge for assisted reproductive technology, with implantation failure occurring in ∼50% of in vitro fertilization attempts. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying uterine receptivity will enable the development of new interventions and biomarkers. TGFβ family signaling in the uterus is critical for establishing and maintaining pregnancy. Follistatin (FST) regulates TGFβ family signaling by selectively binding TGFβ family ligands and sequestering them. In humans, FST is up-regulated in the decidua during early pregnancy, and women with recurrent miscarriage have lower endometrial expression of FST during the luteal phase. Because global knockout of Fst is perinatal lethal in mice, we generated a conditional knockout (cKO) of Fst in the uterus using progesterone receptor-cre to study the roles of uterine Fst during pregnancy. Uterine Fst-cKO mice demonstrate severe fertility defects and deliver only 2% of the number of pups delivered by control females. In Fst-cKO mice, the uterine luminal epithelium does not respond properly to estrogen and progesterone signals and remains unreceptive to embryo attachment by continuing to proliferate and failing to differentiate. The uterine stroma of Fst-cKO mice also responds poorly to artificial decidualization, with lower levels of proliferation and differentiation. In the absence of uterine FST, activin B expression and signaling are up-regulated, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signals are impaired. Our findings support a model in which repression of activin signaling by FST enables uterine receptivity by preserving critical BMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul T Fullerton
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Diana Monsivais
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Ramakrishna Kommagani
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030;
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
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Matsuo I, Hiramatsu R. Mechanical perspectives on the anterior-posterior axis polarization of mouse implanted embryos. Mech Dev 2017; 144:62-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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25
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Conserved and divergent expression patterns of markers of axial development in the laboratory opossum,Monodelphis domestica. Dev Dyn 2016; 245:1176-1188. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Yoshida M, Kajikawa E, Kurokawa D, Noro M, Iwai T, Yonemura S, Kobayashi K, Kiyonari H, Aizawa S. Conserved and divergent expression patterns of markers of axial development in reptilian embryos: Chinese soft-shell turtle and Madagascar ground gecko. Dev Biol 2016; 415:122-142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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A Survey of Strategies to Modulate the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Pathway: Current and Future Perspectives. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:7290686. [PMID: 27433166 PMCID: PMC4940573 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7290686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) constitute the largest subdivision of the TGF-β family of ligands and are unequivocally involved in regulating stem cell behavior. Appropriate regulation of canonical BMP signaling is critical for the development and homeostasis of numerous human organ systems, as aberrations in the BMP pathway or its regulation are increasingly associated with diverse human pathologies. In this review, we provide a wide-perspective on strategies that increase or decrease BMP signaling. We briefly outline the current FDA-approved approaches, highlight emerging next-generation technologies, and postulate prospective avenues for future investigation. We also detail how activating other pathways may indirectly modulate BMP signaling, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the BMP and Activin/TGF-β pathways.
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Lovely CB, Swartz ME, McCarthy N, Norrie JL, Eberhart JK. Bmp signaling mediates endoderm pouch morphogenesis by regulating Fgf signaling in zebrafish. Development 2016; 143:2000-11. [PMID: 27122171 DOI: 10.1242/dev.129379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The endodermal pouches are a series of reiterated structures that segment the pharyngeal arches and help pattern the vertebrate face. Multiple pathways regulate the complex process of endodermal development, including the Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) pathway. However, the role of Bmp signaling in pouch morphogenesis is poorly understood. Using genetic and chemical inhibitor approaches, we show that pouch morphogenesis requires Bmp signaling from 10-18 h post-fertilization, immediately following gastrulation. Blocking Bmp signaling during this window results in morphological defects to the pouches and craniofacial skeleton. Using genetic chimeras we show that Bmp signals directly to the endoderm for proper morphogenesis. Time-lapse imaging and analysis of reporter transgenics show that Bmp signaling is necessary for pouch outpocketing via the Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) pathway. Double loss-of-function analyses demonstrate that Bmp and Fgf signaling interact synergistically in craniofacial development. Collectively, our analyses shed light on the tissue and signaling interactions that regulate development of the vertebrate face.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ben Lovely
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Mary E Swartz
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Neil McCarthy
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | | | - Johann K Eberhart
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Qiu Z, Elsayed Z, Peterkin V, Alkatib S, Bennett D, Landry JW. Ino80 is essential for proximal-distal axis asymmetry in part by regulating Bmp4 expression. BMC Biol 2016; 14:18. [PMID: 26975355 PMCID: PMC4790052 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0238-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding how embryos specify asymmetric axes is a major focus of biology. While much has been done to discover signaling pathways and transcription factors important for axis specification, comparatively little is known about how epigenetic regulators are involved. Epigenetic regulators operate downstream of signaling pathways and transcription factors to promote nuclear processes, most prominently transcription. To discover novel functions for these complexes in axis establishment during early embryonic development, we characterized phenotypes of a mouse knockout (KO) allele of the chromatin remodeling Ino80 ATPase. Results Ino80 KO embryos implant, but fail to develop beyond the egg cylinder stage. Ino80 KO embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are viable and maintain alkaline phosphatase activity, which is suggestive of pluripotency, but they fail to fully differentiate as either embryoid bodies or teratomas. Gene expression analysis of Ino80 KO early embryos by in situ hybridization and embryoid bodies by RT-PCR shows elevated Bmp4 expression and reduced expression of distal visceral endoderm (DVE) markers Cer1, Hex, and Lefty1. In culture, Bmp4 maintains stem cell pluripotency and when overexpressed is a known negative regulator of DVE differentiation in the early embryo. Consistent with the early embryo, we observed upregulated Bmp4 expression and down-regulated Cer1, Hex, and Lefty1 expression when Ino80 KO ESCs are differentiated in a monolayer. Molecular studies in these same cells demonstrate that Ino80 bound to the Bmp4 promoter regulates its chromatin structure, which correlates with enhanced SP1 binding. These results in combination suggest that Ino80 directly regulates the chromatin structure of the Bmp4 promoter with consequences to gene expression. Conclusions In contrast to Ino80 KO differentiated cells, our experiments show that undifferentiated Ino80 KO ESCs are viable, but fail to differentiate in culture and in the early embryo. Ino80 KO ESCs and the early embryo up-regulate Bmp4 expression and down-regulate the expression of DVE markers Cer1, Hex and Lefty1. Based on this data, we propose a model where the Ino80 chromatin remodeling complex represses Bmp4 expression in the early embryo, thus promoting DVE differentiation and successful proximal-distal axis establishment. These results are significant because they show that epigenetic regulators have specific roles in establishing embryonic axes. By further characterizing these complexes, we will deepen our understanding of how the mammalian embryo is patterned by epigenetic regulators. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0238-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijun Qiu
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Zeinab Elsayed
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Veronica Peterkin
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Suehyb Alkatib
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Dorothy Bennett
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Joseph W Landry
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
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A serum-free and defined medium for the culture of mammalian postimplantation embryos. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 468:813-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Yoshida M, Kajikawa E, Kurokawa D, Tokunaga T, Onishi A, Yonemura S, Kobayashi K, Kiyonari H, Aizawa S. Conserved and divergent expression patterns of markers of axial development in eutherian mammals. Dev Dyn 2015; 245:67-86. [PMID: 26404161 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mouse embryos are cup shaped, but most nonrodent eutherian embryos are disk shaped. Extraembryonic ectoderm (ExEc), which may have essential roles in anterior-posterior (A-P) axis formation in mouse embryos, does not develop in many eutherian embryos. To assess A-P axis formation in eutherians, comparative analyses were made on rabbit, porcine, and Suncus embryos. RESULTS All embryos examined expressed Nodal initially throughout epiblast and visceral endoderm; its expression became restricted to the posterior region before gastrulation. Anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) genes were expressed in Otx2-positive visceral endoderm, with Dkk1 expression being most anterior. The mouse pattern of AVE formation was conserved in rabbit embryos, but had diverged in porcine and Suncus embryos. No structure that was molecularly equivalent to Bmp-positive ExEc, existed in rabbit or pig embryos. In Suncus embryos, A-P axis was determined at prehatching stage, and these embryos attached to uterine wall at future posterior side. CONCLUSIONS Nodal, but not Bmp, functions in epiblast and visceral endoderm development may be conserved in eutherians. AVE functions may also be conserved, but the pattern of its formation has diverged among eutherians. Roles of BMP and NODAL gradients in AVE formation seem to have been established in a subset of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michio Yoshida
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Eriko Kajikawa
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kurokawa
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan.,Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Misaki, Miura, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Tokunaga
- Animal Development and Differentiation Research Unit, Animal Research Division, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Onishi
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Science and Resources, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shigenobu Yonemura
- Ultrastructural Research Team, Biosystem Dynamics Group, Division of Bio-function Dynamics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies (CLST), Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kensaku Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shinichi Aizawa
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan.,Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
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Haillot E, Molina MD, Lapraz F, Lepage T. The Maternal Maverick/GDF15-like TGF-β Ligand Panda Directs Dorsal-Ventral Axis Formation by Restricting Nodal Expression in the Sea Urchin Embryo. PLoS Biol 2015; 13:e1002247. [PMID: 26352141 PMCID: PMC4564238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Specification of the dorsal-ventral axis in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo critically relies on the zygotic expression of nodal, but whether maternal factors provide the initial spatial cue to orient this axis is not known. Although redox gradients have been proposed to entrain the dorsal-ventral axis by acting upstream of nodal, manipulating the activity of redox gradients only has modest consequences, suggesting that other factors are responsible for orienting nodal expression and defining the dorsal-ventral axis. Here we uncover the function of Panda, a maternally provided transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) ligand that requires the activin receptor-like kinases (Alk) Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 receptors to break the radial symmetry of the embryo and orient the dorsal-ventral axis by restricting nodal expression. We found that the double inhibition of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptors Alk3/6 and Alk1/2 causes a phenotype dramatically more severe than the BMP2/4 loss-of-function phenotype, leading to extreme ventralization of the embryo through massive ectopic expression of nodal, suggesting that an unidentified signal acting through BMP type I receptors cooperates with BMP2/4 to restrict nodal expression. We identified this ligand as the product of maternal Panda mRNA. Double inactivation of panda and bmp2/4 led to extreme ventralization, mimicking the phenotype caused by inactivation of the two BMP receptors. Inhibition of maternal panda mRNA translation disrupted the early spatial restriction of nodal, leading to persistent massive ectopic expression of nodal on the dorsal side despite the presence of Lefty. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Panda is not a prototypical BMP ligand but a member of a subfamily of TGF-β distantly related to Inhibins, Lefty, and TGF-β that includes Maverick from Drosophila and GDF15 from vertebrates. Indeed, overexpression of Panda does not appear to directly or strongly activate phosphoSmad1/5/8 signaling, suggesting that although this TGF-β may require Alk1/2 and/or Alk3/6 to antagonize nodal expression, it may do so by sequestering a factor essential for Nodal signaling, by activating a non-Smad pathway downstream of the type I receptors, or by activating extremely low levels of pSmad1/5/8. We provide evidence that, although panda mRNA is broadly distributed in the early embryo, local expression of panda mRNA efficiently orients the dorsal-ventral axis and that Panda activity is required locally in the early embryo to specify this axis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that maternal panda mRNA is both necessary and sufficient to orient the dorsal-ventral axis. These results therefore provide evidence that in the highly regulative sea urchin embryo, the activity of spatially restricted maternal factors regulates patterning along the dorsal-ventral axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Haillot
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, iBV, UMR 7277 CNRS, Inserm U1091, UNS, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
| | - Maria Dolores Molina
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, iBV, UMR 7277 CNRS, Inserm U1091, UNS, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
| | - François Lapraz
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, iBV, UMR 7277 CNRS, Inserm U1091, UNS, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
| | - Thierry Lepage
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, iBV, UMR 7277 CNRS, Inserm U1091, UNS, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
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Papanayotou C, Collignon J. Activin/Nodal signalling before implantation: setting the stage for embryo patterning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0539. [PMID: 25349448 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activins and Nodal are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family of growth factors. Their Smad2/3-dependent signalling pathway is well known for its implication in the patterning of the embryo after implantation. Although this pathway is active early on at preimplantation stages, embryonic phenotypes for loss-of-function mutations of prominent components of the pathway are not detected before implantation. It is only fairly recently that an understanding of the role of the Activin/Nodal signalling pathway at these stages has started to emerge, notably from studies detailing how it controls the expression of target genes in embryonic stem cells. We review here what is currently known of the TGF-β-related ligands that determine the activity of Activin/Nodal signalling at preimplantation stages, and recent advances in the elucidation of the Smad2/3-dependent mechanisms underlying developmental progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costis Papanayotou
- Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, 75205 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, 75205 Paris, France
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Hoshino H, Shioi G, Aizawa S. AVE protein expression and visceral endoderm cell behavior during anterior-posterior axis formation in mouse embryos: Asymmetry in OTX2 and DKK1 expression. Dev Biol 2015; 402:175-91. [PMID: 25910836 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The initial landmark of anterior-posterior (A-P) axis formation in mouse embryos is the distal visceral endoderm, DVE, which expresses a series of anterior genes at embryonic day 5.5 (E5.5). Subsequently, DVE cells move to the future anterior region, generating anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). Questions remain regarding how the DVE is formed and how the direction of the movement is determined. This study compares the detailed expression patterns of OTX2, HHEX, CER1, LEFTY1 and DKK1 by immunohistology and live imaging at E4.5-E6.5. At E6.5, the AVE is subdivided into four domains: most anterior (OTX2, HHEX, CER1-low/DKK1-high), anterior (OTX2, HHEX, CER1-high/DKK1-low), main (OTX2, HHEX, CER1, LEFTY1-high) and antero-lateral and posterior (OTX2, HHEX-low). The study demonstrates how this pattern is established. AVE protein expression in the DVE occurs de novo at E5.25-E5.5. Neither HHEX, LEFTY1 nor CER1 expression is asymmetric. In contrast, OTX2 expression is tilted on the future posterior side with the DKK1 expression at its proximal domain; the DVE cells move in the opposite direction of the tilt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideharu Hoshino
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
| | - Go Shioi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
| | - Shinichi Aizawa
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan; Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
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van Leeuwen J, Berg DK, Pfeffer PL. Morphological and Gene Expression Changes in Cattle Embryos from Hatched Blastocyst to Early Gastrulation Stages after Transfer of In Vitro Produced Embryos. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129787. [PMID: 26076128 PMCID: PMC4468082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A detailed morphological staging system for cattle embryos at stages following blastocyst hatching and preceding gastrulation is presented here together with spatiotemporal mapping of gene expression for BMP4, BRACHYURY, CERBERUS1 (CER1), CRIPTO, EOMESODERMIN, FURIN and NODAL. Five stages are defined based on distinct developmental events. The first of these is the differentiation of the visceral hypoblast underlying the epiblast, from the parietal hypoblast underlying the mural trophoblast. The second concerns the formation of an asymmetrically positioned, morphologically recognisable region within the visceral hypoblast that is marked by the presence of CER1 and absence of BMP4 expression. We have termed this the anterior visceral hypoblast or AVH. Intra-epiblast cavity formation and the disappearance of the polar trophoblast overlying the epiblast (Rauber’s layer) have been mapped in relation to AVH formation. The third chronological event involves the transition of the epiblast into the embryonic ectoderm with concomitant onset of posterior NODAL, EOMES and BRACHYURY expression. Lastly, gastrulation commences as the posterior medial embryonic ectoderm layer thickens to form the primitive streak and cells ingress between the embryonic ectoderm and hypoblast. At this stage a novel domain of CER1 expression is seen whereas the AVH disappears. Comparison with the mouse reveals that while gene expression patterns at the onset of gastrulation are well conserved, asymmetry establishment, which relies on extraembryonic tissues such as the hypoblast and trophoblast, has diverged in terms of both gene expression and morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica van Leeuwen
- AgResearch Ruakura, Animal Productivity Section, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Debra K. Berg
- AgResearch Ruakura, Animal Productivity Section, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Peter L. Pfeffer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
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Lowery JW, Intini G, Gamer L, Lotinun S, Salazar VS, Ote S, Cox K, Baron R, Rosen V. Loss of BMPR2 leads to high bone mass due to increased osteoblast activity. J Cell Sci 2015; 128:1308-15. [PMID: 25663702 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.156737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Imbalances in the ratio of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) versus activin and TGFβ signaling are increasingly associated with human diseases yet the mechanisms mediating this relationship remain unclear. The type 2 receptors ACVR2A and ACVR2B bind BMPs and activins but the type 2 receptor BMPR2 only binds BMPs, suggesting that type 2 receptor utilization might play a role in mediating the interaction of these pathways. We tested this hypothesis in the mouse skeleton, where bone mass is reciprocally regulated by BMP signaling and activin and TGFβ signaling. We found that deleting Bmpr2 in mouse skeletal progenitor cells (Bmpr2-cKO mice) selectively impaired activin signaling but had no effect on BMP signaling, resulting in an increased bone formation rate and high bone mass. Additionally, activin sequestration had no effect on bone mass in Bmpr2-cKO mice but increased bone mass in wild-type mice. Our findings suggest a novel model whereby BMPR2 availability alleviates receptor-level competition between BMPs and activins and where utilization of ACVR2A and ACVR2B by BMPs comes at the expense of activins. As BMP and activin pathway modulation are of current therapeutic interest, our findings provide important mechanistic insight into the relationship between these pathways in human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W Lowery
- Department of Biomedical Science, Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Giuseppe Intini
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Laura Gamer
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sutada Lotinun
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA Department of Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Valerie S Salazar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Satoshi Ote
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karen Cox
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Roland Baron
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vicki Rosen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Kumar A, Lualdi M, Lyozin GT, Sharma P, Loncarek J, Fu XY, Kuehn MR. Nodal signaling from the visceral endoderm is required to maintain Nodal gene expression in the epiblast and drive DVE/AVE migration. Dev Biol 2014; 400:1-9. [PMID: 25536399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the early mouse embryo, a specialized population of extraembryonic visceral endoderm (VE) cells called the distal VE (DVE) arises at the tip of the egg cylinder stage embryo and then asymmetrically migrates to the prospective anterior, recruiting additional distal cells. Upon migration these cells, called the anterior VE (AVE), establish the anterior posterior (AP) axis by restricting gastrulation-inducing signals to the opposite pole. The Nodal-signaling pathway has been shown to have a critical role in the generation and migration of the DVE/AVE. The Nodal gene is expressed in both the VE and in the pluripotent epiblast, which gives rise to the germ layers. Previous findings have provided conflicting evidence as to the relative importance of Nodal signaling from the epiblast vs. VE for AP patterning. Here we show that conditional mutagenesis of the Nodal gene specifically within the VE leads to reduced Nodal expression levels in the epiblast and incomplete or failed DVE/AVE migration. These results support a required role for VE Nodal to maintain normal levels of expression in the epiblast, and suggest signaling from both VE and epiblast is important for DVE/AVE migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Margaret Lualdi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, SAIC-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, United States
| | - George T Lyozin
- Department of Pediatrics (Neonatology), The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Prashant Sharma
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Jadranka Loncarek
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Xin-Yuan Fu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Michael R Kuehn
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States.
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Graham SJL, Wicher KB, Jedrusik A, Guo G, Herath W, Robson P, Zernicka-Goetz M. BMP signalling regulates the pre-implantation development of extra-embryonic cell lineages in the mouse embryo. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5667. [PMID: 25514175 PMCID: PMC4338527 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-implantation development requires the specification and organization of embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages. The separation of these lineages takes place when asymmetric divisions generate inside and outside cells that differ in polarity, position and fate. Here we assess the global transcriptional identities of these precursor cells to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating lineage segregation. Unexpectedly, this reveals that complementary components of the BMP signalling pathway are already differentially expressed after the first wave of asymmetric divisions. We investigate the role of BMP signalling by expressing dominant negative forms of Smad4 and Bmpr2, by down-regulating the pathway using RNAi against BMP ligands and by applying three different BMP inhibitors at distinct stages. This reveals that BMP signalling regulates the correct development of both extra-embryonic lineages, primitive endoderm and trophectoderm, but not the embryonic lineage, prior to implantation. Together these findings indicate multiple roles of BMP signalling in the early mouse embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J L Graham
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Krzysztof B Wicher
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Agnieszka Jedrusik
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Guoji Guo
- 1] Developmental Cellomics Laboratory, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore [2] Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Wishva Herath
- Developmental Cellomics Laboratory, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Paul Robson
- 1] Developmental Cellomics Laboratory, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore [2] Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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Yang G, Yuan G, Ye W, Cho KWY, Chen Y. An atypical canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway regulates Msh homeobox 1 (Msx1) expression during odontogenesis. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:31492-502. [PMID: 25274628 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.600064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling plays an essential role in early tooth development, evidenced by disruption of BMP signaling leading to an early arrested tooth development. Despite being a central mediator of BMP canonical signaling pathway, inactivation of Smad4 in dental mesenchyme does not result in early developmental defects. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism of receptor-activated Smads (R-Smads) and Smad4 in the regulation of the odontogenic gene Msx1 expression in the dental mesenchyme. We showed that the canonical BMP signaling is not operating in the early developing tooth, as assessed by failed activation of the BRE-Gal transgenic allele and the absence of phospho-(p)Smad1/5/8-Smad4 complexes. The absence of pSmad1/5/8-Smad4 complex appeared to be the consequence of saturation of Smad4 by pSmad2/3 in the dental mesenchyme as knockdown of Smad2/3 or overexpression of Smad4 led to the formation of pSmad1/5/8-Smad4 complexes and activation of canonical BMP signaling in dental mesenchymal cells. We showed that Smad1/5 but not Smad4 are required for BMP-induced expression of Msx1 in dental mesenchymal cells. We further presented evidence that in the absence of Smad4, BMPs are still able to induce pSmad1/5/8 nuclear translocation and their binding to the Msx1 promoter directly in dental mesenchymal cells. Our results demonstrate the functional operation of an atypical canonical BMP signaling (Smad4-independent and Smad1/5/8-dependent) pathway in the dental mesenchyme during early odontogenesis, which may have general implication in the development of other organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobin Yang
- From the State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China, the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, and
| | - Guohua Yuan
- From the State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China, the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, and
| | - Wenduo Ye
- the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, and
| | - Ken W Y Cho
- the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - YiPing Chen
- the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, and
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40
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Rivera-Pérez JA, Hadjantonakis AK. The Dynamics of Morphogenesis in the Early Mouse Embryo. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2014; 7:cshperspect.a015867. [PMID: 24968703 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a015867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYOver the past two decades, our understanding of mouse development from implantation to gastrulation has grown exponentially with an upsurge of genetic, molecular, cellular, and morphogenetic information. New discoveries have exalted the role of extraembryonic tissues in orchestrating embryonic patterning and axial specification. At the same time, the identification of unexpected morphogenetic processes occurring during mouse gastrulation has challenged established dogmas and brought new insights into the mechanisms driving germ layer formation. In this article, we summarize the key findings that have reinvigorated the contemporary view of early postimplantation mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Rivera-Pérez
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
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41
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Fuerer C, Nostro MC, Constam DB. Nodal·Gdf1 heterodimers with bound prodomains enable serum-independent nodal signaling and endoderm differentiation. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:17854-71. [PMID: 24798330 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.550301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The TGFβ family member Nodal is central to control pluripotent stem cell fate, but its use as a stem cell differentiation factor is limited by low specific activity. During development, Nodal depends on growth and differentiation factor (Gdf)-1 and on the shared co-receptor Cryptic to specify visceral left-right axis asymmetry. We therefore asked whether the functionality of Nodal can be augmented by Gdf1. Because Nodal and Gdf1 coimmunoprecipitate each other, they were predicted to form heterodimers, possibly to facilitate diffusion or to increase the affinity for signaling receptors. Here, we report that Gdf1 suppresses an unexpected dependence of Nodal on serum proteins and that it is critically required for non-autonomous signaling in cells expressing Cryptic. Nodal, Gdf1, and their cleaved propeptides copurified as a heterodimeric low molecular weight complex that stimulated Activin receptor (Acvr) signaling far more potently than Nodal alone. Although heterodimerization with Gdf1 did not increase binding of Nodal to Fc fusions of co-receptors or Acvr extracellular domains, it was essential for soluble Acvr2 to inhibit Nodal signaling. This implies that Gdf1 potentiates Nodal activity by stabilizing a low molecular weight fraction that is susceptible to neutralization by soluble Acvr2. Finally, in differentiating human ES cells, endodermal markers were more efficiently induced by Nodal·Gdf1 than by Nodal, suggesting that Nodal·Gdf1 is an attractive new reagent to direct stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Fuerer
- From the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences (SV), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - M Cristina Nostro
- McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Daniel B Constam
- From the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences (SV), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
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42
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Robertson EJ. Dose-dependent Nodal/Smad signals pattern the early mouse embryo. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 32:73-9. [PMID: 24704361 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Nodal signals in the early post-implantation stage embryo are essential to establish initial proximal-distal (P-D) polarity and generate the final anterior-posterior (A-P) body axis. Nodal signaling in the epiblast results in the phosphorylation of Smad2 in the overlying visceral endoderm necessary to induce the AVE, in part via Smad2-dependent activation of the T-box gene Eomesodermin. Slightly later following mesoderm induction a continuum of dose-dependent Nodal signaling during the process of gastrulation underlies specification of mesodermal and definitive endoderm progenitors. Dynamic Nodal expression during the critical 72 h time window immediately following implantation, accomplished by a series of feed-back and feed-forward mechanisms serves to provide key positional cues required for establishment of the body plan and controls cell fate decisions in the early mammalian embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Robertson
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
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43
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Hiramatsu R, Matsuoka T, Kimura-Yoshida C, Han SW, Mochida K, Adachi T, Takayama S, Matsuo I. External mechanical cues trigger the establishment of the anterior-posterior axis in early mouse embryos. Dev Cell 2014; 27:131-144. [PMID: 24176640 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Mouse anterior-posterior axis polarization is preceded by formation of the distal visceral endoderm (DVE) by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show by in vitro culturing of embryos immediately after implantation in microfabricated cavities that the external mechanical cues exerted on the embryo are crucial for DVE formation, as well as the elongated egg cylinder shape, without affecting embryo-intrinsic transcriptional programs except those involving DVE-specific genes. This implies that these developmental events immediately after implantation are not simply embryo-autonomous processes but require extrinsic factors from maternal tissues. Moreover, the mechanical forces induce a breach of the basement membrane barrier at the distal portion locally, and thereby the transmigrated epiblast cells emerge as the DVE cells. Thus, we propose that external mechanical forces exerted by the interaction between embryo and maternal uterine tissues directly control the location of DVE formation at the distal tip and consequently establish the mammalian primary body axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Hiramatsu
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840 Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan; Department of Safety Research on Blood and Biological Products, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashi-Murayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Toshiki Matsuoka
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chiharu Kimura-Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840 Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
| | - Sung-Woong Han
- Department of Biomechanics, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawaharacho, Shogoin, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kyoko Mochida
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840 Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
| | - Taiji Adachi
- Department of Biomechanics, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawaharacho, Shogoin, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shuichi Takayama
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Isao Matsuo
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840 Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan; Department of Pediatric and Neonatal-Perinatal Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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44
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Wada Y. Vacuoles in mammals: a subcellular structure indispensable for early embryogenesis. BIOARCHITECTURE 2013; 3:13-9. [PMID: 23572040 PMCID: PMC3639239 DOI: 10.4161/bioa.24126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A vacuole is a membrane-bound subcellular structure involved in intracellular digestion. Instead of the large "vacuolar" organelles that are found in plants and fungi, animal cells possess lysosomes that are smaller in size and are enriched with hydrolytic enzymes similar to those found in the vacuoles. Large vacuolar structures are often observed in highly differentiated mammalian tissues such as embryonic visceral endoderm and absorbing epithelium. Vacuoles/lysosomes share a conserved mechanism of biogenesis, and they are at the terminal of the endocytic pathways, Recent genetic studies of the mammalian orthologs of Vam/Vps genes, which have essential functions for vacuole assembly, revealed that the dynamics of vacuoles/lysosomes are important for tissue differentiation and patterning through regulation of various molecular signaling events in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoh Wada
- Division of Biological Sciences, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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45
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Arkell RM, Tam PPL. Initiating head development in mouse embryos: integrating signalling and transcriptional activity. Open Biol 2013; 2:120030. [PMID: 22754658 PMCID: PMC3382960 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The generation of an embryonic body plan is the outcome of inductive interactions between the progenitor tissues that underpin their specification, regionalization and morphogenesis. The intercellular signalling activity driving these processes is deployed in a time- and site-specific manner, and the signal strength must be precisely controlled. Receptor and ligand functions are modulated by secreted antagonists to impose a dynamic pattern of globally controlled and locally graded signals onto the tissues of early post-implantation mouse embryo. In response to the WNT, Nodal and Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signalling cascades, the embryo acquires its body plan, which manifests as differences in the developmental fate of cells located at different positions in the anterior–posterior body axis. The initial formation of the anterior (head) structures in the mouse embryo is critically dependent on the morphogenetic activity emanating from two signalling centres that are juxtaposed with the progenitor tissues of the head. A common property of these centres is that they are the source of antagonistic factors and the hub of transcriptional activities that negatively modulate the function of WNT, Nodal and BMP signalling cascades. These events generate the scaffold of the embryonic head by the early-somite stage of development. Beyond this, additional tissue interactions continue to support the growth, regionalization, differentiation and morphogenesis required for the elaboration of the structure recognizable as the embryonic head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M Arkell
- Early Mammalian Development Laboratory, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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46
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Nowotschin S, Costello I, Piliszek A, Kwon GS, Mao CA, Klein WH, Robertson EJ, Hadjantonakis AK. The T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin is essential for AVE induction in the mouse embryo. Genes Dev 2013; 27:997-1002. [PMID: 23651855 DOI: 10.1101/gad.215152.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Reciprocal inductive interactions between the embryonic and extraembryonic tissues establish the anterior-posterior (AP) axis of the early mouse embryo. The anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) signaling center emerges at the distal tip of the embryo at embryonic day 5.5 and translocates to the prospective anterior side of the embryo. The process of AVE induction and migration are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the T-box gene Eomesodermin (Eomes) plays an essential role in AVE recruitment, in part by directly activating the homeobox transcription factor Lhx1. Thus, Eomes function in the visceral endoderm (VE) initiates an instructive transcriptional program controlling AP identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Nowotschin
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
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47
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Gavrilov S, Lacy E. Genetic dissection of ventral folding morphogenesis in mouse: embryonic visceral endoderm-supplied BMP2 positions head and heart. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2013; 23:461-9. [PMID: 23706163 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2013.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Ventral folding morphogenesis (VFM), a vital morphogenetic process in amniotes, mediates gut endoderm internalization, linear heart tube formation, ventral body wall closure and encasement of the fetus in extraembryonic membranes. Aberrant VFM underlies a number of birth defects such as gastroschisis and ectopia cordis in human and misplacement of head and heart in mouse. Recent cell lineage-specific mouse mutant analyses identified the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway and Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE) as key regulators of anterior VFM. Loss of BMP2 expression solely from embryonic visceral endoderm (EmVE) and the AVE blocks formation of foregut invagination, and simultaneously, aberrantly positions the heart anterior/dorsal to the head, suggesting a mechanistic link between foregut and head/heart morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Gavrilov
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
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48
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Sakaki-Yumoto M, Liu J, Ramalho-Santos M, Yoshida N, Derynck R. Smad2 is essential for maintenance of the human and mouse primed pluripotent stem cell state. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:18546-60. [PMID: 23649632 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.446591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells and mouse epiblast stem cells represent a primed pluripotent stem cell state that requires TGF-β/activin signaling. TGF-β and/or activin are commonly thought to regulate transcription through both Smad2 and Smad3. However, the different contributions of these two Smads to primed pluripotency and the downstream events that they may regulate remain poorly understood. We addressed the individual roles of Smad2 and Smad3 in the maintenance of primed pluripotency. We found that Smad2, but not Smad3, is required to maintain the undifferentiated pluripotent state. We defined a Smad2 regulatory circuit in human embryonic stem cells and mouse epiblast stem cells, in which Smad2 acts through binding to regulatory promoter sequences to activate Nanog expression while in parallel repressing autocrine bone morphogenetic protein signaling. Increased autocrine bone morphogenetic protein signaling caused by Smad2 down-regulation leads to cell differentiation toward the trophectoderm, mesoderm, and germ cell lineages. Additionally, induction of Cdx2 expression, as a result of decreased Smad2 expression, leads to repression of Oct4 expression, which, together with the decreased Nanog expression, accelerates the loss of pluripotency. These findings reveal that Smad2 is a unique integrator of transcription and signaling events and is essential for the maintenance of the mouse and human primed pluripotent stem cell state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayo Sakaki-Yumoto
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Program in Cell Biology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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49
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Han C, Hong KH, Kim YH, Kim MJ, Song C, Kim MJ, Kim SJ, Raizada MK, Oh SP. SMAD1 deficiency in either endothelial or smooth muscle cells can predispose mice to pulmonary hypertension. Hypertension 2013; 61:1044-52. [PMID: 23478097 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.111.199158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A deficiency in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) signaling is a central contributor in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We have recently shown that endothelial-specific Bmpr2 deletion by a novel L1Cre line resulted in pulmonary hypertension. SMAD1 is one of the canonical signal transducers of the BMPR2 pathway, and its reduced activity has been shown to be associated with PAH. To determine whether SMAD1 is an important downstream mediator of BMPR2 signaling in the pathogenesis of PAH, we analyzed pulmonary hypertension phenotypes in Smad1-conditional knockout mice by deleting the Smad1 gene either in endothelial cells or in smooth muscle cells using L1Cre or Tagln-Cre mouse lines, respectively. A significant number of the L1Cre(+);Smad1 (14/35) and Tagln-Cre(+);Smad1 (4/33) mutant mice showed elevated pulmonary pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and a thickening of pulmonary arterioles. A pulmonary endothelial cell line in which the Bmpr2 gene deletion can be induced by 4-hydroxy tamoxifen was established. SMAD1 phosphorylation in Bmpr2-deficient cells was markedly reduced by BMP4 but unaffected by BMP7. The sensitivity of SMAD2 phosphorylation by transforming growth factor-β1 was enhanced in the Bmpr2-deficient cells, and the inhibitory effect of transforming growth factor-β1-mediated SMAD2 phosphorylation by BMP4 was impaired in the Bmpr2-deficient cells. Furthermore, transcript levels of several known transforming growth factor-β downstream genes implicated in pulmonary hypertension were elevated in the Bmpr2-deficient cells. Taken together, these data suggest that SMAD1 is a critical mediator of BMPR2 signaling pertinent to PAH, and that an impaired balance between BMP4 and transforming growth factor-β1 may account for the pathogenesis of PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul Han
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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50
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Peterson AJ, O'Connor MB. Activin receptor inhibition by Smad2 regulates Drosophila wing disc patterning through BMP-response elements. Development 2013; 140:649-59. [PMID: 23293296 DOI: 10.1242/dev.085605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Imaginal disc development in Drosophila requires coordinated cellular proliferation and tissue patterning. In our studies of TGFβ superfamily signaling components, we found that a protein null mutation of Smad2, the only Activin subfamily R-Smad in the fruit fly, produces overgrown wing discs that resemble gain of function for BMP subfamily signaling. The wing discs are expanded specifically along the anterior-posterior axis, with increased proliferation in lateral regions. The morphological defect is not observed in mutants for the TGFβ receptor baboon, and epistasis tests showed that baboon is epistatic to Smad2 for disc overgrowth. Rescue experiments indicate that Baboon binding, but not canonical transcription factor activity, of Smad2 is required for normal disc growth. Smad2 mutant discs generate a P-Mad stripe that is narrower and sharper than the normal gradient, and activation targets are correspondingly expressed in narrowed domains. Repression targets of P-Mad are profoundly mis-regulated, with brinker and pentagone reporter expression eliminated in Smad2 mutants. Loss of expression requires a silencer element previously shown to be controlled by BMP signaling. Epistasis experiments show that Baboon, Mad and Schnurri are required to mediate the ectopic silencer output in the absence of Smad2. Taken together, our results show that loss of Smad2 permits promiscuous Baboon activity, which represses genes subject to control by Mad-dependent silencer elements. The absence of Brinker and Pentagone in Smad2 mutants explains the compound wing disc phenotype. Our results highlight the physiological relevance of substrate inhibition of a kinase, and reveal a novel interplay between the Activin and BMP pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J Peterson
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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