1
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Ju LF, Xu HJ, Yang YG, Yang Y. Omics Views of Mechanisms for Cell Fate Determination in Early Mammalian Development. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 21:950-961. [PMID: 37075831 PMCID: PMC10928378 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
During mammalian preimplantation development, a totipotent zygote undergoes several cell cleavages and two rounds of cell fate determination, ultimately forming a mature blastocyst. Along with compaction, the establishment of apicobasal cell polarity breaks the symmetry of an embryo and guides subsequent cell fate choice. Although the lineage segregation of the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) is the first symbol of cell differentiation, several molecules have been shown to bias the early cell fate through their inter-cellular variations at much earlier stages, including the 2- and 4-cell stages. The underlying mechanisms of early cell fate determination have long been an important research topic. In this review, we summarize the molecular events that occur during early embryogenesis, as well as the current understanding of their regulatory roles in cell fate decisions. Moreover, as powerful tools for early embryogenesis research, single-cell omics techniques have been applied to both mouse and human preimplantation embryos and have contributed to the discovery of cell fate regulators. Here, we summarize their applications in the research of preimplantation embryos, and provide new insights and perspectives on cell fate regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Fang Ju
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Heng-Ji Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yun-Gui Yang
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Ying Yang
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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2
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Chowdhary S, Hadjantonakis AK. Journey of the mouse primitive endoderm: from specification to maturation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210252. [PMID: 36252215 PMCID: PMC9574636 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The blastocyst is a conserved stage and distinct milestone in the development of the mammalian embryo. Blastocyst stage embryos comprise three cell lineages which arise through two sequential binary cell fate specification steps. In the first, extra-embryonic trophectoderm (TE) cells segregate from inner cell mass (ICM) cells. Subsequently, ICM cells acquire a pluripotent epiblast (Epi) or extra-embryonic primitive endoderm (PrE, also referred to as hypoblast) identity. In the mouse, nascent Epi and PrE cells emerge in a salt-and-pepper distribution in the early blastocyst and are subsequently sorted into adjacent tissue layers by the late blastocyst stage. Epi cells cluster at the interior of the ICM, while PrE cells are positioned on its surface interfacing the blastocyst cavity, where they display apicobasal polarity. As the embryo implants into the maternal uterus, cells at the periphery of the PrE epithelium, at the intersection with the TE, break away and migrate along the TE as they mature into parietal endoderm (ParE). PrE cells remaining in association with the Epi mature into visceral endoderm. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the PrE from its specification to its maturation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayali Chowdhary
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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3
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Vrij EJ, Scholte op Reimer YS, Fuentes LR, Guerreiro IM, Holzmann V, Aldeguer JF, Sestini G, Koo BK, Kind J, van Blitterswijk CA, Rivron NC. A pendulum of induction between the epiblast and extra-embryonic endoderm supports post-implantation progression. Development 2022; 149:dev192310. [PMID: 35993866 PMCID: PMC9534490 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is supported by dynamic loops of cellular interactions. Here, we create a partial mouse embryo model to elucidate the principles of epiblast (Epi) and extra-embryonic endoderm co-development (XEn). We trigger naive mouse embryonic stem cells to form a blastocyst-stage niche of Epi-like cells and XEn-like cells (3D, hydrogel free and serum free). Once established, these two lineages autonomously progress in minimal medium to form an inner pro-amniotic-like cavity surrounded by polarized Epi-like cells covered with visceral endoderm (VE)-like cells. The progression occurs through reciprocal inductions by which the Epi supports the primitive endoderm (PrE) to produce a basal lamina that subsequently regulates Epi polarization and/or cavitation, which, in return, channels the transcriptomic progression to VE. This VE then contributes to Epi bifurcation into anterior- and posterior-like states. Similarly, boosting the formation of PrE-like cells within blastoids supports developmental progression. We argue that self-organization can arise from lineage bifurcation followed by a pendulum of induction that propagates over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J. Vrij
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yvonne S. Scholte op Reimer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laury Roa Fuentes
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Isabel Misteli Guerreiro
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Viktoria Holzmann
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Javier Frias Aldeguer
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Sestini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bon-Kyoung Koo
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jop Kind
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, UtrechtUppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Clemens A. van Blitterswijk
- MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Nicolas C. Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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4
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Endoh M, Niwa H. Stepwise pluripotency transitions in mouse stem cells. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e55010. [PMID: 35903955 PMCID: PMC9442314 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent cells in mouse embryos, which first emerge in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, undergo gradual transition marked by changes in gene expression, developmental potential, polarity, and morphology as they develop from the pre-implantation until post-implantation gastrula stage. Recent studies of cultured mouse pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have clarified the presence of intermediate pluripotent stages between the naïve pluripotent state represented by embryonic stem cells (ESCs-equivalent to the pre-implantation epiblast) and the primed pluripotent state represented by epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs-equivalent to the late post-implantation gastrula epiblast). In this review, we discuss these recent findings in light of our knowledge on peri-implantation mouse development and consider the implications of these new PSCs to understand their temporal sequence and the feasibility of using them as model system for pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhiro Endoh
- Department of Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG)Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Hitoshi Niwa
- Department of Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG)Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
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5
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Thompson JJ, Lee DJ, Mitra A, Frail S, Dale RK, Rocha PP. Extensive co-binding and rapid redistribution of NANOG and GATA6 during emergence of divergent lineages. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4257. [PMID: 35871075 PMCID: PMC9308780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31938-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fate-determining transcription factors (TFs) can promote lineage-restricted transcriptional programs from common progenitor states. The inner cell mass (ICM) of mouse blastocysts co-expresses the TFs NANOG and GATA6, which drive the bifurcation of the ICM into either the epiblast (Epi) or the primitive endoderm (PrE), respectively. Here, we induce GATA6 in embryonic stem cells-that also express NANOG-to characterize how a state of co-expression of opposing TFs resolves into divergent lineages. Surprisingly, we find that GATA6 and NANOG co-bind at the vast majority of Epi and PrE enhancers, a phenomenon we also observe in blastocysts. The co-bound state is followed by eviction and repression of Epi TFs, and quick remodeling of chromatin and enhancer-promoter contacts thus establishing the PrE lineage while repressing the Epi fate. We propose that co-binding of GATA6 and NANOG at shared enhancers maintains ICM plasticity and promotes the rapid establishment of Epi- and PrE-specific transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce J Thompson
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Apratim Mitra
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sarah Frail
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ryan K Dale
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Pedro P Rocha
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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6
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Nelson CM. Mechanical Control of Cell Differentiation: Insights from the Early Embryo. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2022; 24:307-322. [PMID: 35385680 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-060418-052527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Differentiation is the process by which a cell activates the expression of tissue-specific genes, downregulates the expression of potency markers, and acquires the phenotypic characteristics of its mature fate. The signals that regulate differentiation include biochemical and mechanical factors within the surrounding microenvironment. We describe recent breakthroughs in our understanding of the mechanical control mechanisms that regulate differentiation, with a specific emphasis on the differentiation events that build the early mouse embryo. Engineering approaches to reproducibly mimic the mechanical regulation of differentiation will permit new insights into early development and applications in regenerative medicine. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 24 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste M Nelson
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey USA;
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7
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Yanagida A, Corujo-Simon E, Revell CK, Sahu P, Stirparo GG, Aspalter IM, Winkel AK, Peters R, De Belly H, Cassani DAD, Achouri S, Blumenfeld R, Franze K, Hannezo E, Paluch EK, Nichols J, Chalut KJ. Cell surface fluctuations regulate early embryonic lineage sorting. Cell 2022; 185:777-793.e20. [PMID: 35196500 PMCID: PMC8896887 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In development, lineage segregation is coordinated in time and space. An important example is the mammalian inner cell mass, in which the primitive endoderm (PrE, founder of the yolk sac) physically segregates from the epiblast (EPI, founder of the fetus). While the molecular requirements have been well studied, the physical mechanisms determining spatial segregation between EPI and PrE remain elusive. Here, we investigate the mechanical basis of EPI and PrE sorting. We find that rather than the differences in static cell surface mechanical parameters as in classical sorting models, it is the differences in surface fluctuations that robustly ensure physical lineage sorting. These differential surface fluctuations systematically correlate with differential cellular fluidity, which we propose together constitute a non-equilibrium sorting mechanism for EPI and PrE lineages. By combining experiments and modeling, we identify cell surface dynamics as a key factor orchestrating the correct spatial segregation of the founder embryonic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Yanagida
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Elena Corujo-Simon
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Christopher K Revell
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Preeti Sahu
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Giuliano G Stirparo
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Irene M Aspalter
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Alex K Winkel
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Ruby Peters
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Henry De Belly
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Davide A D Cassani
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sarra Achouri
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Raphael Blumenfeld
- Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, Trinity St., Cambridge CB2 1TA, UK
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Edouard Hannezo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Ewa K Paluch
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
| | - Kevin J Chalut
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
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8
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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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9
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Kim EJY, Sorokin L, Hiiragi T. ECM-integrin signalling instructs cellular position-sensing to pattern the early mouse embryo. Development 2021; 149:273721. [PMID: 34908109 PMCID: PMC8881741 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Development entails patterned emergence of diverse cell types within the embryo. In mammals, cells positioned inside the embryo give rise to the inner cell mass (ICM), which eventually forms the embryo itself. Yet, the molecular basis of how these cells recognise their ‘inside’ position to instruct their fate is unknown. Here, we show that provision of extracellular matrix (ECM) to isolated embryonic cells induces ICM specification and alters the subsequent spatial arrangement between epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PrE) cells that emerge within the ICM. Notably, this effect is dependent on integrin β1 activity and involves apical-to-basal conversion of cell polarity. We demonstrate that ECM-integrin activity is sufficient for ‘inside’ positional signalling and is required for correct EPI/PrE patterning. Thus, our findings highlight the significance of ECM-integrin adhesion in enabling position sensing by cells to achieve tissue patterning. Summary: The importance of patterned cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in early mouse development: ECM signals can modulate both cell fate and the relative spatial arrangement between cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Jeong Yoon Kim
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lydia Sorokin
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry and Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre (CiMIC), University of Muenster, Germany
| | - Takashi Hiiragi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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10
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Cell fate determination and Hippo signaling pathway in preimplantation mouse embryo. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 386:423-444. [PMID: 34586506 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03530-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
First cell fate determination plays crucial roles in cell specification during early phases of embryonic development. Three classical concepts have been proposed to explain the lineage specification mechanism of the preimplantation embryo: inside-outside, pre-patterning, and polarity models. Transcriptional effectors of the Hippo signal pathway are YAP and TAZ activators that can create a shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Despite different localizations of YAP in the cell, it determines the fate of ICM and TE. How the decisive cue driving factors that determine YAP localization are coordinated remains a central unanswered question. How can an embryonic cell find its position? The objective of this review is to summarize the molecular and mechanical aspects in cell fate decision during mouse preimplantation embryonic development. The findings will reveal the relationship between cell-cell adhesion, cell polarity, and determination of cell fate during early embryonic development in mice and elucidate the inducing/inhibiting mechanisms that are involved in cell specification following zygotic genome activation and compaction processes. With future studies, new biophysical and chemical cues in the cell fate determination will impart significant spatiotemporal effects on early embryonic development. The achieved knowledge will provide important information to the development of new approaches to be used in infertility treatment and increase the success of pregnancy.
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11
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Forsyth JE, Al-Anbaki AH, de la Fuente R, Modare N, Perez-Cortes D, Rivera I, Seaton Kelly R, Cotter S, Plusa B. IVEN: A quantitative tool to describe 3D cell position and neighbourhood reveals architectural changes in FGF4-treated preimplantation embryos. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001345. [PMID: 34310594 PMCID: PMC8341705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Architectural changes at the cellular and organism level are integral and necessary to successful development and growth. During mammalian preimplantation development, cells reduce in size and the architecture of the embryo changes significantly. Such changes must be coordinated correctly to ensure continued development of the embryo and, ultimately, a successful pregnancy. However, the nature of such transformations is poorly defined during mammalian preimplantation development. In order to quantitatively describe changes in cell environment and organism architecture, we designed Internal Versus External Neighbourhood (IVEN). IVEN is a user-interactive, open-source pipeline that classifies cells into different populations based on their position and quantifies the number of neighbours of every cell within a dataset in a 3D environment. Through IVEN-driven analyses, we show how transformations in cell environment, defined here as changes in cell neighbourhood, are related to changes in embryo geometry and major developmental events during preimplantation mammalian development. Moreover, we demonstrate that modulation of the FGF pathway alters spatial relations of inner cells and neighbourhood distributions, leading to overall changes in embryo architecture. In conjunction with IVEN-driven analyses, we uncover differences in the dynamic of cell size changes over the preimplantation period and determine that cells within the mammalian embryo initiate growth phase only at the time of implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Forsyth
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- School of Mathematics, Alan Turing Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ali H. Al-Anbaki
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto de la Fuente
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Nikkinder Modare
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Diego Perez-Cortes
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Rivera
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rowena Seaton Kelly
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Cotter
- School of Mathematics, Alan Turing Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Berenika Plusa
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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12
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O'Hagan D, Kruger RE, Gu B, Ralston A. Efficient generation of endogenous protein reporters for mouse development. Development 2021; 148:269311. [PMID: 34036333 PMCID: PMC8276983 DOI: 10.1242/dev.197418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins and epitope tags can reveal protein localization in cells and animals, yet the large size of many tags hinders efficient genome targeting. Accordingly, many studies have relied on characterizing overexpressed proteins, which might not recapitulate endogenous protein activities. Here, we present two strategies for higher throughput production of endogenous protein reporters in mice, focusing on the blastocyst model of development. Our first strategy makes use of a split fluorescent protein, mNeonGreen2 (mNG2). Knock-in of a small portion of the mNG2 gene, in frame with gene coding regions of interest, was highly efficient in embryos, potentially obviating the need to establish mouse lines. When complemented by the larger portion of the mNG2 gene, fluorescence was reconstituted and endogenous protein localization faithfully reported in living embryos. Our second strategy achieves in-frame knock-in of a relatively small protein tag, which provides high efficiency and higher sensitivity protein reporting. Together, these two approaches provide complementary advantages and enable broad downstream applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O'Hagan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Robin E Kruger
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Bin Gu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Amy Ralston
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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13
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Totipotency of mouse zygotes extends to single blastomeres of embryos at the four-cell stage. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11167. [PMID: 34045607 PMCID: PMC8160171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90653-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, oocytes and sperm undergo fusion during fertilization and the resulting zygote gives rise to a new individual. The ability of zygotes to produce a fully formed individual from a single cell when placed in a supportive environment is known as totipotency. Given that totipotent cells are the source of all multicellular organisms, a better understanding of totipotency may have a wide-ranging impact on biology. The precise delineation of totipotent cells in mammals has remained elusive, however, although zygotes and single blastomeres of embryos at the two-cell stage have been thought to be the only totipotent cells in mice. We now show that a single blastomere of two- or four-cell mouse embryos can give rise to a fertile adult when placed in a uterus, even though blastomere isolation disturbs the transcriptome of derived embryos. Single blastomeres isolated from embryos at the eight-cell or morula stages and cultured in vitro manifested pronounced defects in the formation of epiblast and primitive endoderm by the inner cell mass and in the development of blastocysts, respectively. Our results thus indicate that totipotency of mouse zygotes extends to single blastomeres of embryos at the four-cell stage.
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14
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Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Principles of Self-Organization of the Mammalian Embryo. Cell 2021; 183:1467-1478. [PMID: 33306953 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Early embryogenesis is a conserved and self-organized process. In the mammalian embryo, the potential for self-organization is manifested in its extraordinary developmental plasticity, allowing a correctly patterned embryo to arise despite experimental perturbation. The underlying mechanisms enabling such regulative development have long been a topic of study. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of the self-organizing principles behind the regulative nature of the early mammalian embryo. We argue that geometrical constraints, feedback between mechanical and biochemical factors, and cellular heterogeneity are all required to ensure the developmental plasticity of mammalian embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Present address: Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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15
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Tse JD, Moore R, Meng Y, Tao W, Smith ER, Xu XX. Dynamic conversion of cell sorting patterns in aggregates of embryonic stem cells with differential adhesive affinity. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2021; 21:2. [PMID: 33407086 PMCID: PMC7788919 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-020-00234-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian early development comprises the proliferation, differentiation, and self-assembly of the embryonic cells. The classic experiment undertaken by Townes and Holtfreter demonstrated the ability of dissociated embryonic cells to sort and self-organize spontaneously into the original tissue patterns. Here, we further explored the principles and mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of spontaneous tissue organization by studying aggregation and sorting of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells with differential adhesive affinity in culture. RESULTS As observed previously, in aggregates of wild-type and E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, the cell assemblies exhibited an initial sorting pattern showing wild-type cells engulfed by less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, which fits the pattern predicted by the differential adhesive hypothesis proposed by Malcom Steinberg. However, in further study of more mature cell aggregates, the initial sorting pattern reversed, with the highly adhesive wild-type ES cells forming an outer shell enveloping the less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient cells, contradicting Steinberg's sorting principle. The outer wild-type cells of the more mature aggregates did not differentiate into endoderm, which is known to be able to sort to the exterior from previous studies. In contrast to the naive aggregates, the mature aggregates presented polarized, highly adhesive cells at the outer layer. The surface polarity was observed as an actin cap contiguously spanning across the apical surface of multiple adjacent cells, though independent of the formation of tight junctions. CONCLUSIONS Our experimental findings suggest that the force of differential adhesive affinity can be overcome by even subtle polarity generated from strong bilateral ligation of highly adhesive cells in determining cell sorting patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Tse
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Robert Moore
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Yue Meng
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Wensi Tao
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Smith
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Xiang-Xi Xu
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
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16
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Fagotto F. Tissue segregation in the early vertebrate embryo. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 107:130-146. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Saiz N, Hadjantonakis AK. Coordination between patterning and morphogenesis ensures robustness during mouse development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190562. [PMID: 32829684 PMCID: PMC7482220 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian preimplantation embryo is a highly tractable, self-organizing developmental system in which three cell types are consistently specified without the need for maternal factors or external signals. Studies in the mouse over the past decades have greatly improved our understanding of the cues that trigger symmetry breaking in the embryo, the transcription factors that control lineage specification and commitment, and the mechanical forces that drive morphogenesis and inform cell fate decisions. These studies have also uncovered how these multiple inputs are integrated to allocate the right number of cells to each lineage despite inherent biological noise, and as a response to perturbations. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of how these processes are coordinated to ensure a robust and precise developmental outcome during early mouse development. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Néstor Saiz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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18
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Origin and function of the yolk sac in primate embryogenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3760. [PMID: 32724077 PMCID: PMC7387521 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17575-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryogenesis is hallmarked by two phases of yolk sac development. The primate hypoblast gives rise to a transient primary yolk sac, which is rapidly superseded by a secondary yolk sac during gastrulation. Moreover, primate embryos form extraembryonic mesoderm prior to gastrulation, in contrast to mouse. The function of the primary yolk sac and the origin of extraembryonic mesoderm remain unclear. Here, we hypothesise that the hypoblast-derived primary yolk sac serves as a source for early extraembryonic mesoderm, which is supplemented with mesoderm from the gastrulating embryo. We discuss the intricate relationship between the yolk sac and the primate embryo and highlight the pivotal role of the yolk sac as a multifunctional hub for haematopoiesis, germ cell development and nutritional supply.
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19
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Płusa B, Piliszek A. Common principles of early mammalian embryo self-organisation. Development 2020; 147:147/14/dev183079. [PMID: 32699138 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pre-implantation mammalian development unites extreme plasticity with a robust outcome: the formation of a blastocyst, an organised multi-layered structure ready for implantation. The process of blastocyst formation is one of the best-known examples of self-organisation. The first three cell lineages in mammalian development specify and arrange themselves during the morphogenic process based on cell-cell interactions. Despite decades of research, the unifying principles driving early mammalian development are still not fully defined. Here, we discuss the role of physical forces, and molecular and cellular mechanisms, in driving self-organisation and lineage formation that are shared between eutherian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenika Płusa
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Anna Piliszek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Postepu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
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20
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Abstract
Gene regulatory networks and tissue morphogenetic events drive the emergence of shape and function: the pillars of embryo development. Although model systems offer a window into the molecular biology of cell fate and tissue shape, mechanistic studies of our own development have so far been technically and ethically challenging. However, recent technical developments provide the tools to describe, manipulate and mimic human embryos in a dish, thus opening a new avenue to exploring human development. Here, I discuss the evidence that supports a role for the crosstalk between cell fate and tissue shape during early human embryogenesis. This is a critical developmental period, when the body plan is laid out and many pregnancies fail. Dissecting the basic mechanisms that coordinate cell fate and tissue shape will generate an integrated understanding of early embryogenesis and new strategies for therapeutic intervention in early pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta N Shahbazi
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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21
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Bhattacharya B, Home P, Ganguly A, Ray S, Ghosh A, Islam MR, French V, Marsh C, Gunewardena S, Okae H, Arima T, Paul S. Atypical protein kinase C iota (PKCλ/ι) ensures mammalian development by establishing the maternal-fetal exchange interface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:14280-14291. [PMID: 32513715 PMCID: PMC7322033 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920201117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In utero mammalian development relies on the establishment of the maternal-fetal exchange interface, which ensures transportation of nutrients and gases between the mother and the fetus. This exchange interface is established via development of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast cells (SynTs) during placentation. In mice, SynTs develop via differentiation of the trophoblast stem cell-like progenitor cells (TSPCs) of the placenta primordium, and in humans, SynTs are developed via differentiation of villous cytotrophoblast (CTB) progenitors. Despite the critical need in pregnancy progression, conserved signaling mechanisms that ensure SynT development are poorly understood. Herein, we show that atypical protein kinase C iota (PKCλ/ι) plays an essential role in establishing the SynT differentiation program in trophoblast progenitors. Loss of PKCλ/ι in the mouse TSPCs abrogates SynT development, leading to embryonic death at approximately embryonic day 9.0 (E9.0). We also show that PKCλ/ι-mediated priming of trophoblast progenitors for SynT differentiation is a conserved event during human placentation. PKCλ/ι is selectively expressed in the first-trimester CTBs of a developing human placenta. Furthermore, loss of PKCλ/ι in CTB-derived human trophoblast stem cells (human TSCs) impairs their SynT differentiation potential both in vitro and after transplantation in immunocompromised mice. Our mechanistic analyses indicate that PKCλ/ι signaling maintains expression of GCM1, GATA2, and PPARγ, which are key transcription factors to instigate SynT differentiation programs in both mouse and human trophoblast progenitors. Our study uncovers a conserved molecular mechanism, in which PKCλ/ι signaling regulates establishment of the maternal-fetal exchange surface by promoting trophoblast progenitor-to-SynT transition during placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaswati Bhattacharya
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Pratik Home
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Avishek Ganguly
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Soma Ray
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Ananya Ghosh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Md Rashedul Islam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Valerie French
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Courtney Marsh
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Sumedha Gunewardena
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Hiroaki Okae
- Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takahiro Arima
- Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Soumen Paul
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160;
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
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22
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Sozen B, Cox AL, De Jonghe J, Bao M, Hollfelder F, Glover DM, Zernicka-Goetz M. Self-Organization of Mouse Stem Cells into an Extended Potential Blastoid. Dev Cell 2020; 51:698-712.e8. [PMID: 31846649 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian blastocysts comprise three distinct cell lineages essential for development beyond implantation: the pluripotent epiblast, which generates the future embryo, and surrounding it the extra-embryonic primitive endoderm and the trophectoderm tissues. Embryonic stem cells can reintegrate into embryogenesis but contribute primarily to epiblast lineages. Here, we show that mouse embryonic stem cells cultured under extended pluripotent conditions (EPSCs) can be partnered with trophoblast stem cells to self-organize into blastocyst-like structures with all three embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages. Morphogenetic and transcriptome profiling analyses reveal that these blastocyst-like structures show distinct embryonic-abembryonic axes and primitive endoderm differentiation and can initiate the transition from the pre- to post-implantation egg cylinder morphology in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andy L Cox
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Joachim De Jonghe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Min Bao
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - David M Glover
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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23
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Fischer SC, Corujo-Simon E, Lilao-Garzon J, Stelzer EHK, Muñoz-Descalzo S. The transition from local to global patterns governs the differentiation of mouse blastocysts. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233030. [PMID: 32413083 PMCID: PMC7228118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian blastocyst development, inner cell mass (ICM) cells differentiate into epiblast (Epi) or primitive endoderm (PrE). These two fates are characterized by the expression of the transcription factors NANOG and GATA6, respectively. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal distribution of NANOG and GATA6 expressing cells in the ICM of the mouse blastocysts with quantitative three-dimensional single cell-based neighbourhood analyses. We define the cell neighbourhood by local features, which include the expression levels of both fate markers expressed in each cell and its neighbours, and the number of neighbouring cells. We further include the position of a cell relative to the centre of the ICM as a global positional feature. Our analyses reveal a local three-dimensional pattern that is already present in early blastocysts: 1) Cells expressing the highest NANOG levels are surrounded by approximately nine neighbours, while 2) cells expressing GATA6 cluster according to their GATA6 levels. This local pattern evolves into a global pattern in the ICM that starts to emerge in mid blastocysts. We show that FGF/MAPK signalling is involved in the three-dimensional distribution of the cells and, using a mutant background, we further show that the GATA6 neighbourhood is regulated by NANOG. Our quantitative study suggests that the three-dimensional cell neighbourhood plays a role in Epi and PrE precursor specification. Our results highlight the importance of analysing the three-dimensional cell neighbourhood while investigating cell fate decisions during early mouse embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine C. Fischer
- Physikalische Biologie, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elena Corujo-Simon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, England, United Kingdom
| | - Joaquin Lilao-Garzon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, England, United Kingdom
- Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Ernst H. K. Stelzer
- Physikalische Biologie, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Silvia Muñoz-Descalzo
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, England, United Kingdom
- Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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24
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Linneberg-Agerholm M, Wong YF, Romero Herrera JA, Monteiro RS, Anderson KGV, Brickman JM. Naïve human pluripotent stem cells respond to Wnt, Nodal and LIF signalling to produce expandable naïve extra-embryonic endoderm. Development 2019; 146:dev.180620. [PMID: 31740534 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exist in at least two states that transcriptionally resemble different stages of embryonic development. Naïve ESCs resemble peri-implantation stages and primed ESCs the pre-gastrulation epiblast. In mouse, primed ESCs give rise to definitive endoderm in response to the pathways downstream of Nodal and Wnt signalling. However, when these pathways are activated in naïve ESCs, they differentiate to a cell type resembling early primitive endoderm (PrE), the blastocyst-stage progenitor of the extra-embryonic endoderm. Here, we apply this context dependency to human ESCs, showing that activation of Nodal and Wnt signalling drives the differentiation of naïve pluripotent cells toward extra-embryonic PrE, or hypoblast, and these can be expanded as an in vitro model for naïve extra-embryonic endoderm (nEnd). Consistent with observations made in mouse, human PrE differentiation is dependent on FGF signalling in vitro, and we show that, by inhibiting FGF receptor signalling, we can simplify naïve pluripotent culture conditions, such that the inhibitor requirements closer resemble those used in mouse. The expandable nEnd cultures reported here represent stable extra-embryonic endoderm, or human hypoblast, cell lines.This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Linneberg-Agerholm
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Yan Fung Wong
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jose Alejandro Romero Herrera
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Rita S Monteiro
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kathryn G V Anderson
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Joshua M Brickman
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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25
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Ryan AQ, Chan CJ, Graner F, Hiiragi T. Lumen Expansion Facilitates Epiblast-Primitive Endoderm Fate Specification during Mouse Blastocyst Formation. Dev Cell 2019; 51:684-697.e4. [PMID: 31735667 PMCID: PMC6912163 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial tissues typically form lumina. In mammalian blastocysts, in which the first embryonic lumen forms, many studies have investigated how the cell lineages are specified through genetics and signaling, whereas potential roles of the fluid lumen have yet to be investigated. We discover that in mouse pre-implantation embryos at the onset of lumen formation, cytoplasmic vesicles are secreted into intercellular space. The segregation of epiblast and primitive endoderm directly follows lumen coalescence. Notably, pharmacological and biophysical perturbation of lumen expansion impairs the specification and spatial segregation of primitive endoderm cells within the blastocyst. Luminal deposition of FGF4 expedites fate specification and partially rescues the reduced specification in blastocysts with smaller cavities. Combined, our results suggest that blastocyst lumen expansion plays a critical role in guiding cell fate specification and positioning, possibly mediated by luminally deposited FGF4. Lumen expansion may provide a general mechanism for tissue pattern formation. Lumenogenesis coincides with cytoplasmic vesicle release into intercellular space Mouse blastocyst epiblast-primitive endoderm segregation follows lumen expansion Reduced lumen expansion impairs cell fate specification and segregation Luminally deposited FGF4 expedites epiblast-primitive endoderm specification
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson Quinn Ryan
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université Denis Diderot, Paris 7, CNRS UMR 7057, Condorcet Building 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Chii Jou Chan
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Graner
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université Denis Diderot, Paris 7, CNRS UMR 7057, Condorcet Building 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Takashi Hiiragi
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Filimonow K, Saiz N, Suwińska A, Wyszomirski T, Grabarek JB, Ferretti E, Piliszek A, Plusa B, Maleszewski M. No evidence of involvement of E-cadherin in cell fate specification or the segregation of Epi and PrE in mouse blastocysts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212109. [PMID: 30735538 PMCID: PMC6368326 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During preimplantation mouse development stages, emerging pluripotent epiblast (Epi) and extraembryonic primitive endoderm (PrE) cells are first distributed in the blastocyst in a "salt-and-pepper" manner before they segregate into separate layers. As a result of segregation, PrE cells become localised on the surface of the inner cell mass (ICM), and the Epi is enclosed by the PrE on one side and by the trophectoderm on the other. During later development, a subpopulation of PrE cells migrates away from the ICM and forms the parietal endoderm (PE), while cells remaining in contact with the Epi form the visceral endoderm (VE). Here, we asked: what are the mechanisms mediating Epi and PrE cell segregation and the subsequent VE vs PE specification? Differences in cell adhesion have been proposed; however, we demonstrate that the levels of plasma membrane-bound E-cadherin (CDH1, cadherin 1) in Epi and PrE cells only differ after the segregation of these lineages within the ICM. Moreover, manipulating E-cadherin levels did not affect lineage specification or segregation, thus failing to confirm its role during these processes. Rather, we report changes in E-cadherin localisation during later PrE-to-PE transition which are accompanied by the presence of Vimentin and Twist, supporting the hypothesis that an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process occurs in the mouse peri-implantation blastocyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Filimonow
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Nestor Saiz
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Aneta Suwińska
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wyszomirski
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, The University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna B. Grabarek
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anna Piliszek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Berenika Plusa
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MM); (BP)
| | - Marek Maleszewski
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, The University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa, Warsaw, Poland
- * E-mail: (MM); (BP)
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Abstract
At the time of implantation, the mouse blastocyst has developed three cell lineages: the epiblast (Epi), the primitive endoderm (PrE), and the trophectoderm (TE). The PrE and TE are extraembryonic tissues but their interactions with the Epi are critical to sustain embryonic growth, as well as to pattern the embryo. We review here the cellular and molecular events that lead to the production of PrE and Epi lineages and discuss the different hypotheses that are proposed for the induction of these cell types. In the second part, we report the current knowledge about the epithelialization of the PrE.
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Milewski R, Szpila M, Ajduk A. Dynamics of cytoplasm and cleavage divisions correlates with preimplantation embryo development. Reproduction 2017; 155:1-14. [PMID: 28993454 DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In vitro fertilization has become increasingly popular as an infertility treatment. In order to improve efficiency of this procedure, there is a strong need for a refinement of existing embryo assessment methods and development of novel, robust and non-invasive selection protocols. Studies conducted on animal models can be extremely helpful here, as they allow for more extensive research on the potential biomarkers of embryo quality. In the present paper, we subjected mouse embryos to non-invasive time-lapse imaging and combined the Particle Image Velocimetry analysis of cytoplasmic dynamics in freshly fertilized oocytes with the morphokinetic analysis of recordings covering 5 days of preimplantation development. Our results indicate that parameters describing cytoplasmic dynamics and cleavage divisions independently correspond to mouse embryo's capacity to form a high-quality blastocyst. We also showed for the first time that these parameters are associated with the percentage of abnormal embryonic cells with fragmented nuclei and with embryo's ability to form primitive endoderm, one of the cell lineages differentiated during preimplantation development. Finally, we present a model that links selected cytoplasmic and morphokinetic parameters reflecting frequency of fertilization-induced Ca2+-oscillations and timing of 4-cell stage and compaction with viability of the embryo assessed as the total number of cells at the end of its preimplantation development. Our results indicate that a combined analysis of cytoplasmic dynamics and morphokinetics may facilitate the assessment of embryo's ability to form high-quality blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Milewski
- Department of Statistics and Medical InformaticsMedical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Marcin Szpila
- Department of EmbryologyFaculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Ajduk
- Department of EmbryologyFaculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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29
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Maître JL. Mechanics of blastocyst morphogenesis. Biol Cell 2017; 109:323-338. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201700029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie; PSL Research University; CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934; Paris France
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30
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Nissen SB, Perera M, Gonzalez JM, Morgani SM, Jensen MH, Sneppen K, Brickman JM, Trusina A. Four simple rules that are sufficient to generate the mammalian blastocyst. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2000737. [PMID: 28700688 PMCID: PMC5507476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early mammalian development is both highly regulative and self-organizing. It involves the interplay of cell position, predetermined gene regulatory networks, and environmental interactions to generate the physical arrangement of the blastocyst with precise timing. However, this process occurs in the absence of maternal information and in the presence of transcriptional stochasticity. How does the preimplantation embryo ensure robust, reproducible development in this context? It utilizes a versatile toolbox that includes complex intracellular networks coupled to cell-cell communication, segregation by differential adhesion, and apoptosis. Here, we ask whether a minimal set of developmental rules based on this toolbox is sufficient for successful blastocyst development, and to what extent these rules can explain mutant and experimental phenotypes. We implemented experimentally reported mechanisms for polarity, cell-cell signaling, adhesion, and apoptosis as a set of developmental rules in an agent-based in silico model of physically interacting cells. We find that this model quantitatively reproduces specific mutant phenotypes and provides an explanation for the emergence of heterogeneity without requiring any initial transcriptional variation. It also suggests that a fixed time point for the cells' competence of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) sets an embryonic clock that enables certain scaling phenomena, a concept that we evaluate quantitatively by manipulating embryos in vitro. Based on these observations, we conclude that the minimal set of rules enables the embryo to experiment with stochastic gene expression and could provide the robustness necessary for the evolutionary diversification of the preimplantation gene regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas Boye Nissen
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Perera
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Sophie M. Morgani
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mogens H. Jensen
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kim Sneppen
- CMOL, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joshua M. Brickman
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Danish Stem Cell Centre, DanStem, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JMB); (AT)
| | - Ala Trusina
- StemPhys, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JMB); (AT)
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Leung CY, Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Polarity in Cell-Fate Acquisition in the Early Mouse Embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 120:203-34. [PMID: 27475853 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Establishing polarity is a fundamental part of embryogenesis and can be traced back to the earliest developmental stages. It can be achieved in one of two ways: through the preexisting polarization of germ cells before fertilization or via symmetry breaking after fertilization. In mammals, it seems to be the latter, and we will discuss the various cytological and molecular events that lead up to this event, its mechanisms and the consequences. In mammals, the first polarization event occurs in the preimplantation period, when the embryo is but a cluster of cells, free-floating in the oviduct. This provides a unique, autonomous system to study the de novo polarization that is essential to life. In this review, we will cover modern and past studies on the polarization of the early embryo, using the mouse as a model system, as well as hypothesizing the potential implications and functions of the biological events involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Y Leung
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - M Zhu
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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33
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Garg V, Morgani S, Hadjantonakis AK. Capturing Identity and Fate Ex Vivo: Stem Cells from the Mouse Blastocyst. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 120:361-400. [PMID: 27475857 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During mouse preimplantation development, three molecularly, morphologically, and spatially distinct lineages are formed, the embryonic epiblast, the extraembryonic primitive endoderm, and the trophectoderm. Stem cell lines representing each of these lineages have now been derived and can be indefinitely maintained and expanded in culture, providing an unlimited source of material to study the interplay of tissue-specific transcription factors and signaling pathways involved in these fundamental cell fate decisions. Here we outline our current understanding of the derivation, maintenance, and properties of these in vitro stem cell models representing the preimplantation embryonic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Garg
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, United States
| | - S Morgani
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - A-K Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, United States.
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34
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Lokken AA, Ralston A. The Genetic Regulation of Cell Fate During Preimplantation Mouse Development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 120:173-202. [PMID: 27475852 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The adult body is estimated to contain several hundred distinct cell types, each with a specialized physiological function. Failure to maintain cell fate can lead to devastating diseases and cancer, but understanding how cell fates are assigned and maintained during animal development provides new opportunities for human health intervention. The mouse is a premier model for evaluating the genetic regulation of cell fate during development because of the wide variety of tools for measuring and manipulating gene expression levels, the ability to access embryos at desired developmental stages, and the similarities between mouse and human development, particularly during the early stages of development. During the first 3 days of mouse development, the preimplantation embryo sets aside cells that will contribute to the extraembryonic tissues. The extraembryonic tissues are essential for establishing pregnancy and ensuring normal fetal development in both mice and humans. Genetic analyses of mouse preimplantation development have permitted identification of genes that are essential for specification of the extraembryonic lineages. In this chapter, we review the tools and concepts of mouse preimplantation development. We describe genes that are essential for cell fate specification during preimplantation stages, and we describe diverse models proposed to account for the mechanisms of cell fate specification during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Lokken
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - A Ralston
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
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35
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Kim HY, Jackson TR, Davidson LA. On the role of mechanics in driving mesenchymal-to-epithelial transitions. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 67:113-122. [PMID: 27208723 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is an intrinsically mechanical process describing a multi-step progression where autonomous mesenchymal cells gradually become tightly linked, polarized epithelial cells. METs are fundamental to a wide range of biological processes, including the evolution of multicellular organisms, generation of primary and secondary epithelia during development and organogenesis, and the progression of diseases including cancer. In these cases, there is an interplay between the establishment of cell polarity and the mechanics of neighboring cells and microenvironment. In this review, we highlight a spectrum of METs found in normal development as well as in pathological lesions, and provide insight into the critical role mechanics play at each step. We define MET as an independent process, distinct from a reverse-EMT, and propose questions to further explore the cellular and physical mechanisms of MET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Young Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Timothy R Jackson
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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36
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Chazaud C, Yamanaka Y. Lineage specification in the mouse preimplantation embryo. Development 2016; 143:1063-74. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.128314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During mouse preimplantation embryo development, totipotent blastomeres generate the first three cell lineages of the embryo: trophectoderm, epiblast and primitive endoderm. In recent years, studies have shown that this process appears to be regulated by differences in cell-cell interactions, gene expression and the microenvironment of individual cells, rather than the active partitioning of maternal determinants. Precisely how these differences first emerge and how they dictate subsequent molecular and cellular behaviours are key questions in the field. As we review here, recent advances in live imaging, computational modelling and single-cell transcriptome analyses are providing new insights into these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Chazaud
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire GReD, Clermont-Ferrand F-63000, France
- Inserm, UMR1103, Clermont-Ferrand F-63001, France
- CNRS, UMR6293, Clermont-Ferrand F-63001, France
| | - Yojiro Yamanaka
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, 1160 Pine Avenue West, rm419, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1A3
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37
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Molecular Control of Atypical Protein Kinase C: Tipping the Balance between Self-Renewal and Differentiation. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:1455-64. [PMID: 26992354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Complex organisms are faced with the challenge of generating and maintaining diverse cell types, ranging from simple epithelia to neurons and motile immune cells [1-3]. To meet this challenge, a complex set of regulatory pathways controls nearly every aspect of cell growth and function, including genetic and epigenetic programming, cytoskeleton dynamics, and protein trafficking. The far reach of cell fate specification pathways makes it particularly catastrophic when they malfunction, both during development and for tissue homeostasis in adult organisms. Furthermore, the therapeutic promise of stem cells derives from their ability to deftly navigate the multitude of pathways that control cell fate [4]. How the molecular components making up these pathways function to specify cell fate is beginning to become clear. Work from diverse systems suggests that the atypical Protein Kinase C (aPKC) is a key regulator of cell fate decisions in metazoans [5-7]. Here, we examine some of the diverse physiological outcomes of aPKC's function in differentiation, along with the molecular pathways that control aPKC and those that are responsive to changes in its catalytic activity.
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38
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Saiz N, Kang M, Schrode N, Lou X, Hadjantonakis AK. Quantitative Analysis of Protein Expression to Study Lineage Specification in Mouse Preimplantation Embryos. J Vis Exp 2016:53654. [PMID: 26967230 DOI: 10.3791/53654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This protocol presents a method to perform quantitative, single-cell in situ analyses of protein expression to study lineage specification in mouse preimplantation embryos. The procedures necessary for embryo collection, immunofluorescence, imaging on a confocal microscope, and image segmentation and analysis are described. This method allows quantitation of the expression of multiple nuclear markers and the spatial (XYZ) coordinates of all cells in the embryo. It takes advantage of MINS, an image segmentation software tool specifically developed for the analysis of confocal images of preimplantation embryos and embryonic stem cell (ESC) colonies. MINS carries out unsupervised nuclear segmentation across the X, Y and Z dimensions, and produces information on cell position in three-dimensional space, as well as nuclear fluorescence levels for all channels with minimal user input. While this protocol has been optimized for the analysis of images of preimplantation stage mouse embryos, it can easily be adapted to the analysis of any other samples exhibiting a good signal-to-noise ratio and where high nuclear density poses a hurdle to image segmentation (e.g., expression analysis of embryonic stem cell (ESC) colonies, differentiating cells in culture, embryos of other species or stages, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor Saiz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Minjung Kang
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Nadine Schrode
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Xinghua Lou
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
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39
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Vrij EJ, Espinoza S, Heilig M, Kolew A, Schneider M, van Blitterswijk CA, Truckenmüller RK, Rivron NC. 3D high throughput screening and profiling of embryoid bodies in thermoformed microwell plates. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:734-742. [PMID: 26775648 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01499a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
3D organoids using stem cells to study development and disease are now widespread. These models are powerful to mimic in vivo situations but are currently associated with high variability and low throughput. For biomedical research, platforms are thus necessary to increase reproducibility and allow high-throughput screens (HTS). Here, we introduce a microwell platform, integrated in standard culture plates, for functional HTS. Using micro-thermoforming, we form round-bottom microwell arrays from optically clear cyclic olefin polymer films, and assemble them with bottom-less 96-well plates. We show that embryonic stem cells aggregate faster and more reproducibly (centricity, circularity) as compared to a state-of-the-art microwell array. We then run a screen of a chemical library to direct differentiation into primitive endoderm (PrE) and, using on-chip high content imaging (HCI), we identify molecules, including regulators of the cAMP pathway, regulating tissue size, morphology and PrE gene activity. We propose that this platform will benefit to the systematic study of organogenesis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Vrij
- Merln Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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40
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Graham SJ, Zernicka-Goetz M. The Acquisition of Cell Fate in Mouse Development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 117:671-95. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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41
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Moorhouse KS, Gudejko HF, McDougall A, Burgess DR. Influence of cell polarity on early development of the sea urchin embryo. Dev Dyn 2015; 244:1469-84. [PMID: 26293695 PMCID: PMC4715636 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is critical for normal embryonic development. Previously, it was thought that the echinoderm embryo remained relatively unpolarized until the first asymmetric division at the 16-cell stage. Here, we analyzed roles of the cell polarity regulators, the PAR complex proteins, and how their disruption in early development affects later developmental milestones. RESULTS We found that PAR6, aPKC, and CDC42 localize to the apical cortex as early as the 2-cell stage and that this localization is retained through the gastrula stage. Of interest, PAR1 also colocalizes with these apical markers through the gastrula stage. Additionally, PAR1 was found to be in complex with aPKC, but not PAR6. PAR6, aPKC, and CDC42 are anchored in the cortical actin cytoskeleton by assembled myosin. Furthermore, assembled myosin was found to be necessary to maintain proper PAR6 localization through subsequent cleavage divisions. Interference with myosin assembly prevented the embryos from reaching the blastula stage, while transient disruptions of either actin or microtubules did not have this effect. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest that disruptions of the polarity in the early embryo can have a significant impact on the ability of the embryo to reach later critical stages in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen S. Moorhouse
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
| | - Heather F.M. Gudejko
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
| | - Alex McDougall
- UMR 7009, UPMC Sorbonne Universités, Centre National de la Recherche (CNRS), Observatoire Océanologique, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - David R. Burgess
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
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42
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Yeste M, Jones C, Amdani SN, Patel S, Coward K. Oocyte activation deficiency: a role for an oocyte contribution? Hum Reprod Update 2015; 22:23-47. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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43
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Leung CY, Zernicka-Goetz M. Mapping the journey from totipotency to lineage specification in the mouse embryo. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2015; 34:71-6. [PMID: 26343010 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the past is to understand the present. Mammalian life, with all its complexity comes from a humble beginning of a single fertilized egg cell. Achieving this requires an enormous diversification of cellular function, the majority of which is generated through a series of cellular decisions during embryogenesis. The first decisions are made as the embryo prepares for implantation, a process that will require specialization of extra-embryonic lineages while preserving an embryonic one. In this mini-review, we will focus on the mouse as a mammalian model and discuss recent advances in the decision making process of the early embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuen Yan Leung
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, United Kingdom
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, United Kingdom.
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44
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Single cells get together: High-resolution approaches to study the dynamics of early mouse development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 47-48:92-100. [PMID: 26183190 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development is a complex and highly dynamic process during which individual cells interact with one another, adopt different identities and organize themselves in three-dimensional space to generate an entire organism. Recent technical developments in genomics and high-resolution quantitative imaging are making it possible to study cellular populations at single-cell resolution and begin to integrate different inputs, for example genetic, physical and chemical factors, that affect cell differentiation over spatial and temporal scales. The preimplantation mouse embryo allows the analysis of cell fate decisions in vivo with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this review we highlight how the application of live imaging and single-cell resolution analysis pipelines is providing an unprecedented level of insight on the processes that shape the earliest stages of mammalian development.
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45
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Hermitte S, Chazaud C. Primitive endoderm differentiation: from specification to epithelium formation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0537. [PMID: 25349446 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In amniotes, primitive endoderm (PrE) plays important roles not only for nutrient support but also as an inductive tissue required for embryo patterning. PrE is an epithelial monolayer that is visible shortly before embryo implantation and is one of the first three cell lineages produced by the embryo. We review here the molecular mechanisms that have been uncovered during the past 10 years on PrE and epiblast cell lineage specification within the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and on their subsequent steps of differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Hermitte
- Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Laboratoire GReD, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France INSERM, UMR1103, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France CNRS, UMR6293, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Claire Chazaud
- Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Laboratoire GReD, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France INSERM, UMR1103, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France CNRS, UMR6293, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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46
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Sabherwal N, Thuret R, Lea R, Stanley P, Papalopulu N. aPKC phosphorylates p27Xic1, providing a mechanistic link between apicobasal polarity and cell-cycle control. Dev Cell 2015; 31:559-71. [PMID: 25490266 PMCID: PMC4262734 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During the development of the nervous system, apicobasally polarized stem cells are characterized by a shorter cell cycle than nonpolar progenitors, leading to a lower differentiation potential of these cells. However, how polarization might be directly linked to the kinetics of the cell cycle is not understood. Here, we report that apicobasally polarized neuroepithelial cells in Xenopus laevis have a shorter cell cycle than nonpolar progenitors, consistent with mammalian systems. We show that the apically localized serine/threonine kinase aPKC directly phosphorylates an N-terminal site of the cell-cycle inhibitor p27Xic1 and reduces its ability to inhibit the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2), leading to shortening of G1 and S phases. Overexpression of activated aPKC blocks the neuronal differentiation-promoting activity of p27Xic1. These findings provide a direct mechanistic link between apicobasal polarity and the cell cycle, which may explain how proliferation is favored over differentiation in polarized neural stem cells. aPKC shortens G1 and S phases of cell cycle by phosphorylating p27Xic1 Phosphorylated p27Xic1 exhibits weaker binding to and inhibition of Cdk2 p27Xic1 promotes neuronal differentiation and elongates cell cycle via G1 phase Effects of p27Xic1 on neuronal differentiation are rescued by activated aPKC
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Sabherwal
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Raphael Thuret
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Robert Lea
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Peter Stanley
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Nancy Papalopulu
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
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47
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Francou A, Saint-Michel E, Mesbah K, Kelly RG. TBX1 regulates epithelial polarity and dynamic basal filopodia in the second heart field. Development 2015; 141:4320-31. [PMID: 25371366 DOI: 10.1242/dev.115022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Elongation of the vertebrate heart occurs by progressive addition of second heart field (SHF) cardiac progenitor cells from pharyngeal mesoderm to the poles of the heart tube. The importance of these cells in the etiology of congenital heart defects has led to extensive research into the regulation of SHF deployment by signaling pathways and transcription factors. However, the basic cellular features of these progenitor cells, including epithelial polarity, cell shape and cell dynamics, remain poorly characterized. Here, using immunofluorescence, live imaging and embryo culture, we demonstrate that SHF cells constitute an atypical, apicobasally polarized epithelium in the dorsal pericardial wall, characterized by apical monocilia and dynamic actin-rich basal filopodia. We identify the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome gene Tbx1, required in the SHF for outflow tract development, as a regulator of the epithelial properties of SHF cells. Cell shape changes in mutant embryos include increased circularity, a reduced basolateral membrane domain and impaired filopodial activity, and are associated with elevated aPKCζ levels. Activation of aPKCζ in embryo culture similarly impairs filopodia activity and phenocopies proliferative defects and ectopic differentiation observed in the SHF of Tbx1 null embryos. Our results reveal that epithelial and progenitor cell status are coupled in the SHF, identifying control of cell shape as a regulatory step in heart tube elongation and outflow tract morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Francou
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, Marseille 13288, France
| | | | - Karim Mesbah
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, Marseille 13288, France
| | - Robert G Kelly
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, Marseille 13288, France
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48
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Artus J, Chazaud C. A close look at the mammalian blastocyst: epiblast and primitive endoderm formation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:3327-38. [PMID: 24794628 PMCID: PMC11113690 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
During early development, the mammalian embryo undergoes a series of profound changes that lead to the formation of two extraembryonic tissues--the trophectoderm and the primitive endoderm. These tissues encapsulate the pluripotent epiblast at the time of implantation. The current model proposes that the formation of these lineages results from two consecutive binary cell fate decisions. The first controls the formation of the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass, and the second controls the formation of the primitive endoderm and the epiblast within the inner cell mass. While early mammalian embryos develop with extensive plasticity, the embryonic pattern prior to implantation is remarkably reproducible. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms driving the cell fate decision between primitive endoderm and epiblast in the mouse embryo and integrate data from recent studies into the current model of the molecular network regulating the segregation between these lineages and their subsequent differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Artus
- Institut Pasteur, Mouse Functional Genetics, CNRS URA2578, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Claire Chazaud
- Clermont Université, Laboratoire GReD, Université d’Auvergne, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Inserm, UMR1103, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR6293, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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49
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Schrode N, Saiz N, Di Talia S, Hadjantonakis AK. GATA6 levels modulate primitive endoderm cell fate choice and timing in the mouse blastocyst. Dev Cell 2014; 29:454-67. [PMID: 24835466 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse blastocyst differentiate into the pluripotent epiblast or the primitive endoderm (PrE), marked by the transcription factors NANOG and GATA6, respectively. To investigate the mechanistic regulation of this process, we applied an unbiased, quantitative, single-cell-resolution image analysis pipeline to analyze embryos lacking or exhibiting reduced levels of GATA6. We find that Gata6 mutants exhibit a complete absence of PrE and demonstrate that GATA6 levels regulate the timing and speed of lineage commitment within the ICM. Furthermore, we show that GATA6 is necessary for PrE specification by FGF signaling and propose a model where interactions between NANOG, GATA6, and the FGF/ERK pathway determine ICM cell fate. This study provides a framework for quantitative analyses of mammalian embryos and establishes GATA6 as a nodal point in the gene regulatory network driving ICM lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Schrode
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Néstor Saiz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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50
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Doughton G, Wei J, Tapon N, Welham MJ, Chalmers AD. Formation of a polarised primitive endoderm layer in embryoid bodies requires fgfr/erk signalling. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95434. [PMID: 24752320 PMCID: PMC3994041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The primitive endoderm arises from the inner cell mass during mammalian pre-implantation development. It faces the blastocoel cavity and later gives rise to the extraembryonic parietal and visceral endoderm. Here, we investigate a key step in primitive endoderm development, the acquisition of apico-basolateral polarity and epithelial characteristics by the non-epithelial inner cell mass cells. Embryoid bodies, formed from mouse embryonic stem cells, were used as a model to study this transition. The outer cells of these embryoid bodies were found to gradually acquire the hallmarks of polarised epithelial cells and express markers of primitive endoderm cell fate. Fgf receptor/Erk signalling is known to be required for specification of the primitive endoderm, but its role in polarisation of this tissue is less well understood. To investigate the function of this pathway in the primitive endoderm, embryoid bodies were cultured in the presence of a small molecule inhibitor of Mek. This inhibitor caused a loss of expression of markers of primitive endoderm cell fate and maintenance of the pluripotency marker Nanog. In addition, a mislocalisation of apico-basolateral markers and disruption of the epithelial barrier, which normally blocks free diffusion across the epithelial cell layer, occurred. Two inhibitors of the Fgf receptor elicited similar phenotypes, suggesting that Fgf receptor signalling promotes Erk-mediated polarisation. This data shows that primitive endoderm cells of the outer layer of embryoid bodies gradually polarise, and formation of a polarised primitive endoderm layer requires the Fgf receptor/Erk signalling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail Doughton
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jun Wei
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Tapon
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie J. Welham
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D. Chalmers
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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