1
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Azagury M, Buganim Y. Unlocking trophectoderm mysteries: In vivo and in vitro perspectives on human and mouse trophoblast fate induction. Dev Cell 2024; 59:941-960. [PMID: 38653193 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the pursuit of inducing the trophoblast stem cell (TSC) state has gained prominence as a compelling research objective, illuminating the establishment of the trophoblast lineage and unlocking insights into early embryogenesis. In this review, we examine how advancements in diverse technologies, including in vivo time course transcriptomics, cellular reprogramming to TSC state, chemical induction of totipotent stem-cell-like state, and stem-cell-based embryo-like structures, have enriched our insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that define the mouse and human trophectoderm/TSC states. We delve into disparities between mouse and human trophectoderm/TSC fate establishment, with a special emphasis on the intriguing role of pluripotency in this context. Additionally, we re-evaluate recent findings concerning the potential of totipotent-stem-like cells and embryo-like structures to fully manifest the trophectoderm/trophoblast lineage's capabilities. Lastly, we briefly discuss the potential applications of induced TSCs in pregnancy-related disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meir Azagury
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yosef Buganim
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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2
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Rodriguez-Polo I, Moris N. Using embryo models to understand the development and progression of embryonic lineages: a focus on primordial germ cell development. Cells Tissues Organs 2024:000538275. [PMID: 38479364 PMCID: PMC7616515 DOI: 10.1159/000538275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recapitulating mammalian cell type differentiation in vitro promises to improve our understanding of how these processes happen in vivo, while bringing additional prospects for biomedical applications. The establishment of stem cell-derived embryo models and embryonic organoids, which have experienced explosive growth over the last few years, open new avenues for research due to their scale, reproducibility, and accessibility. Embryo models mimic various developmental stages, exhibit different degrees of complexity, and can be established across species. Since embryo models exhibit multiple lineages organised spatially and temporally, they are likely to provide cellular niches that, to some degree, recapitulate the embryonic setting and enable "co-development" between cell types and neighbouring populations. One example where this is already apparent is in the case of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). SUMMARY While directed differentiation protocols enable the efficient generation of high PGCLC numbers, embryo models provide an attractive alternative as they enable the study of interactions of PGCLCs with neighbouring cells, alongside the regulatory molecular and biophysical mechanisms of PGC competency. Additionally, some embryo models can recapitulate post-specification stages of PGC development (including migration or gametogenesis), mimicking the inductive signals pushing PGCLCs to mature and differentiate, and enabling the study of PGCLC development across stages. Therefore, in vitro models may allow us to address questions of cell type differentiation, and PGC development specifically, that have hitherto been out of reach with existing systems. KEY MESSAGE This review evaluates the current advances in stem cell-based embryo models, with a focus on their potential to model cell type-specific differentiation in general, and in particular to address open questions in PGC development and gametogenesis.
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3
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Yakhou L, Azogui A, Therizols P, Defossez PA. [Using 2C-like cells to understand embryonic totipotency]. Med Sci (Paris) 2024; 40:147-153. [PMID: 38411422 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2023217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Totipotency is the ability of a cell to generate a whole organism, a property that characterizes the first embryonic cells, such as the zygote and the blastomeres. This review provides a retrospective on the progress made in the last decade in the study of totipotency, especially with the discovery of mouse ES cells expressing markers of the 2-cell stage (2C-like cells). This model has greatly contributed to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in totipotency (pioneer factors, epigenetic regulation, splicing, nuclear maturation). 2C-like cells have also paved the way for the development of new cellular models of human totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lounis Yakhou
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Anaelle Azogui
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Pierre Therizols
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Pierre-Antoine Defossez
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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4
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Zheng Y. Stem Cell-Derived Microfluidic Amniotic Sac Embryoid (μPASE). Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2767:75-84. [PMID: 36749485 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2022_470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The microfluidic amniotic sac embryoid (μPASE) is a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived multicellular human embryo-like structure with molecular and morphological features resembling the progressive development of the early post-implantation human embryonic sac. The microfluidic device is specifically designed to control the formation of hPSC clusters and expose the clusters to different morphogen environments, allowing the development of μPASEs in a highly controllable, reproducible, and scalable fashion. The μPASE model displays human embryonic developmental landmarks such as lumenogenesis of the epiblast, amniotic cavity formation, and the specification of primordial germ cells and gastrulating cells (or mesendoderm cells). Here, we provide detailed instructions needed to reproduce μPASEs, including the immunofluorescence staining and cell retrieval protocols for characterizing μPASEs obtained under different experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- BioInspired Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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5
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Hwang YS, Seita Y, Blanco MA, Sasaki K. CRISPR loss of function screening to identify genes involved in human primordial germ cell-like cell development. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011080. [PMID: 38091369 PMCID: PMC10752514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite our increasing knowledge of molecular mechanisms guiding various aspects of human reproduction, those underlying human primordial germ cell (PGC) development remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted custom CRISPR screening in an in vitro system of human PGC-like cells (hPGCLCs) to identify genes required for acquisition and maintenance of PGC fate. Amongst our candidates, we identified TCL1A, an AKT coactivator. Functional assessment in our in vitro hPGCLCs system revealed that TCL1A played a critical role in later stages of hPGCLC development. Moreover, we found that TCL1A loss reduced AKT-mTOR signaling, downregulated expression of genes related to translational control, and subsequently led to a reduction in global protein synthesis and proliferation. Together, our study highlights the utility of CRISPR screening for human in vitro-derived germ cells and identifies novel translational regulators critical for hPGCLC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Sun Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yasunari Seita
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - M. Andrés Blanco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kotaro Sasaki
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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6
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Liu WX, Li CX, Xie XX, Ge W, Qiao T, Sun XF, Shen W, Cheng SF. Transcriptomic landscape reveals germline potential of porcine skin-derived multipotent dermal fibroblast progenitors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:224. [PMID: 37480481 PMCID: PMC11072884 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
According to estimations, approximately about 15% of couples worldwide suffer from infertility, in which individuals with azoospermia or oocyte abnormalities cannot be treated with assisted reproductive technology. The skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) differentiation into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) is one of the major breakthroughs in the field of stem cells intervention for infertility treatment in recent years. However, the cellular origin of SDSCs and their dynamic changes in transcription profile during differentiation into PGCLCs in vitro remain largely undissected. Here, the results of single-cell RNA sequencing indicated that porcine SDSCs are mainly derived from multipotent dermal fibroblast progenitors (MDFPs), which are regulated by growth factors (EGF/bFGF). Importantly, porcine SDSCs exhibit pluripotency for differentiating into three germ layers and can effectively differentiate into PGCLCs through complex transcriptional regulation involving histone modification. Moreover, this study also highlights that porcine SDSC-derived PGCLCs specification exhibit conservation with the human primordial germ cells lineage and that its proliferation is mediated by the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings provide substantial novel insights into the field of regenerative medicine in which stem cells differentiate into germ cells in vitro, as well as potential therapeutic effects in individuals with azoospermia and/or defective oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Xiang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Chun-Xiao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Xin-Xiang Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Wei Ge
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Tian Qiao
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Sun
- Anqiu Women and Children's Hospital, Weifang, 262100, China
| | - Wei Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
| | - Shun-Feng Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology in Universities of Shandong, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
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7
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Zorzan I, Betto RM, Rossignoli G, Arboit M, Drusin A, Corridori C, Martini P, Martello G. Chemical conversion of human conventional PSCs to TSCs following transient naive gene activation. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e55235. [PMID: 36847616 PMCID: PMC10074076 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In human embryos, naive pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) generate epiblast, primitive endoderm and trophectoderm (TE) lineages, whence trophoblast cells derive. In vitro, naive pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) retain this potential and efficiently generate trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), while conventional PSCs form TSCs at low efficiency. Transient histone deacetylase and MEK inhibition combined with LIF stimulation is used to chemically reset conventional to naive PSCs. Here, we report that chemical resetting induces the expression of both naive and TSC markers and of placental imprinted genes. A modified chemical resetting protocol allows for the fast and efficient conversion of conventional PSCs into TSCs, entailing shutdown of pluripotency genes and full activation of the trophoblast master regulators, without induction of amnion markers. Chemical resetting generates a plastic intermediate state, characterised by co-expression of naive and TSC markers, after which cells steer towards one of the two fates in response to the signalling environment. The efficiency and rapidity of our system will be useful to study cell fate transitions and to generate models of placental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Zorzan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | - Mattia Arboit
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Drusin
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Martini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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8
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Cockerell A, Wright L, Dattani A, Guo G, Smith A, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, Richards DM. Biophysical models of early mammalian embryogenesis. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:26-46. [PMID: 36630902 PMCID: PMC9860129 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryo development is a critical and fascinating stage in the life cycle of many organisms. Despite decades of research, the earliest stages of mammalian embryogenesis are still poorly understood, caused by a scarcity of high-resolution spatial and temporal data, the use of only a few model organisms, and a paucity of truly multidisciplinary approaches that combine biological research with biophysical modeling and computational simulation. Here, we explain the theoretical frameworks and biophysical processes that are best suited to modeling the early mammalian embryo, review a comprehensive list of previous models, and discuss the most promising avenues for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina Cockerell
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Liam Wright
- Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK
| | - Anish Dattani
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ge Guo
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Austin Smith
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK; EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QJ, UK; Department of Bioinformatics and Mathematical Modelling, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 105 Acad. G. Bonchev Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - David M Richards
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK.
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9
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Kai Y, Mei H, Kawano H, Nakajima N, Takai A, Kumon M, Inoue A, Yamashita N. Transcriptomic signatures in trophectoderm and inner cell mass of human blastocysts classified according to developmental potential, maternal age and morphology. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278663. [PMID: 36455208 PMCID: PMC9715016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection of high-quality embryos is important to achieve successful pregnancy in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Recently, it has been debated whether RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) should be applied to ART to predict embryo quality. However, information on genes that can serve as markers for pregnant expectancy is limited. Furthermore, there is no information on which transcriptome of trophectoderm (TE) or inner cell mass (ICM) is more highly correlated with pregnant expectancy. Here, we performed RNA-Seq analysis of TE and ICM of human blastocysts, the pregnancy expectation of which was retrospectively determined using the clinical outcomes of 1,890 cases of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer. We identified genes that were correlated with the expected pregnancy rate in ICM and TE, respectively, with a larger number of genes identified in TE than in ICM. Downregulated genes in the TE of blastocysts that were estimated to have lower expectation of pregnancy included tight junction-related genes such as CXADR and ATP1B1, which have been implicated in peri-implantation development. Moreover, we identified dozens of differentially expressed genes by regrouping the blastocysts based on the maternal age and the Gardner score. Additionally, we showed that aneuploidy estimation using RNA-Seq datasets does not correlate with pregnancy expectation. Thus, our study provides an expanded list of candidate genes for the prediction of pregnancy in human blastocyst embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiteru Kai
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Yamashita Shonan Yume Clinic, Fujisawa, Japan
- * E-mail: (YK); (AI)
| | - Hailiang Mei
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroomi Kawano
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Yamashita Shonan Yume Clinic, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Naotsuna Nakajima
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Yamashita Shonan Yume Clinic, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Aya Takai
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Yamashita Shonan Yume Clinic, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Mami Kumon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Azusa Inoue
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
- * E-mail: (YK); (AI)
| | - Naoki Yamashita
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Yamashita Shonan Yume Clinic, Fujisawa, Japan
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10
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Liu WX, Tan SJ, Wang YF, Zhang FL, Feng YQ, Ge W, Dyce PW, Reiter RJ, Shen W, Cheng SF. Melatonin promotes the proliferation of primordial germ cell-like cells derived from porcine skin-derived stem cells: A mechanistic analysis. J Pineal Res 2022; 73:e12833. [PMID: 36106819 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In vitro differentiation of stem cells into functional gametes remains of great interest in the biomedical field. Skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) are an adult stem cells that provides a wide range of clinical applications without inherent ethical restrictions. In this paper, porcine SDSCs were successfully differentiated into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) in conditioned media. The PGCLCs were characterized in terms of cell morphology, marker gene expression, and epigenetic properties. Furthermore, we also found that 25 μM melatonin (MLT) significantly increased the proliferation of the SDSC-derived PGCLCs while acting through the MLT receptor type 1 (MT1). RNA-seq results found the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was more active when PGCLCs were cultured with MLT. Moreover, the effect of MLT was attenuated by the use of S26131 (MT1 antagonist), crenolanib (platelet-derived growth factor receptor inhibitor), U0126 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor), or CCG-1423 (serum response factor transcription inhibitor), suggesting that MLT promotes the proliferation processes through the MAPK pathway. Taken together, this study highlights the role of MLT in promoting PGCLCs proliferation. Importantly, this study provides a suitable in vitro model for use in translational studies and could help to answer numerous remaining questions related to germ cell physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Xiang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Shao-Jing Tan
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yu-Feng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Fa-Li Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yu-Qing Feng
- School Hospital, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Ge
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Paul W Dyce
- Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Wei Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shun-Feng Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
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11
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Zheng Y, Yan RZ, Sun S, Kobayashi M, Xiang L, Yang R, Goedel A, Kang Y, Xue X, Esfahani SN, Liu Y, Resto Irizarry AM, Wu W, Li Y, Ji W, Niu Y, Chien KR, Li T, Shioda T, Fu J. Single-cell analysis of embryoids reveals lineage diversification roadmaps of early human development. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:1402-1419.e8. [PMID: 36055194 PMCID: PMC9499422 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite its clinical and fundamental importance, our understanding of early human development remains limited. Stem cell-derived, embryo-like structures (or embryoids) allowing studies of early development without using natural embryos can potentially help fill the knowledge gap of human development. Herein, transcriptome at the single-cell level of a human embryoid model was profiled at different time points. Molecular maps of lineage diversifications from the pluripotent human epiblast toward the amniotic ectoderm, primitive streak/mesoderm, and primordial germ cells were constructed and compared with in vivo primate data. The comparative transcriptome analyses reveal a critical role of NODAL signaling in human mesoderm and primordial germ cell specification, which is further functionally validated. Through comparative transcriptome analyses and validations with human blastocysts and in vitro cultured cynomolgus embryos, we further proposed stringent criteria for distinguishing between human blastocyst trophectoderm and early amniotic ectoderm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Robin Zhexuan Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shiyu Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mutsumi Kobayashi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lifeng Xiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Ran Yang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Alexander Goedel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Yu Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Weisheng Wu
- BRCF Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yunxiu Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Weizhi Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Kenneth R Chien
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Tianqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Toshihiro Shioda
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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12
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Fang F, Iaquinta PJ, Xia N, Liu L, Diao L, Reijo Pera RA. Transcriptional control of human gametogenesis. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:313-345. [PMID: 35297982 PMCID: PMC9071081 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathways of gametogenesis encompass elaborate cellular specialization accompanied by precise partitioning of the genome content in order to produce fully matured spermatozoa and oocytes. Transcription factors are an important class of molecules that function in gametogenesis to regulate intrinsic gene expression programs, play essential roles in specifying (or determining) germ cell fate and assist in guiding full maturation of germ cells and maintenance of their populations. Moreover, in order to reinforce or redirect cell fate in vitro, it is transcription factors that are most frequently induced, over-expressed or activated. Many reviews have focused on the molecular development and genetics of gametogenesis, in vivo and in vitro, in model organisms and in humans, including several recent comprehensive reviews: here, we focus specifically on the role of transcription factors. Recent advances in stem cell biology and multi-omic studies have enabled deeper investigation into the unique transcriptional mechanisms of human reproductive development. Moreover, as methods continually improve, in vitro differentiation of germ cells can provide the platform for robust gain- and loss-of-function genetic analyses. These analyses are delineating unique and shared human germ cell transcriptional network components that, together with somatic lineage specifiers and pluripotency transcription factors, function in transitions from pluripotent stem cells to gametes. This grand theme review offers additional insight into human infertility and reproductive disorders that are linked predominantly to defects in the transcription factor networks and thus may potentially contribute to the development of novel treatments for infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Fang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Phillip J Iaquinta
- Division of Research, Economic Development, and Graduate Education, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Ninuo Xia
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lei Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lei Diao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Renee A Reijo Pera
- Division of Research, Economic Development, and Graduate Education, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT, USA
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13
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Hidalgo Aguilar A, Smith L, Owens D, Quelch R, Przyborski S. Recreating Tissue Structures Representative of Teratomas In Vitro Using a Combination of 3D Cell Culture Technology and Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9050185. [PMID: 35621463 PMCID: PMC9138123 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9050185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro studies using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a valuable method to study aspects of embryogenesis, avoiding ethical issues when using embryonic materials and species dissimilarities. The xenograft teratoma assay is often traditionally used to establish pluripotency in putative PSC populations, but also has additional applications, including the study of tissue differentiation. The stem cell field has long sought an alternative due to various well-established issues with the in vivo technique, including significant protocol variability and animal usage. We have established a two-step culture method which combines PSC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) with porous scaffolds to enhance their viability, prolonging the time these structures can be maintained, and therefore, permitting more complex, mature differentiation. Here, we have utilised human embryonic stem cell-derived EBs, demonstrating the formation of tissue rudiments of increasing complexity over time and the ability to manipulate their differentiation through the application of exogenous morphogens to achieve specific lineages. Crucially, these EB-derived tissues are highly reminiscent of xenograft teratoma samples derived from the same cell line. We believe this in vitro approach represents a reproducible, animal-free alternative to the teratoma assay, which can be used to study human tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy Smith
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (A.H.A.); (L.S.); (D.O.); (R.Q.)
| | - Dominic Owens
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (A.H.A.); (L.S.); (D.O.); (R.Q.)
| | - Rebecca Quelch
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (A.H.A.); (L.S.); (D.O.); (R.Q.)
| | - Stefan Przyborski
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (A.H.A.); (L.S.); (D.O.); (R.Q.)
- Reprocell Europe, NETPark, Sedgefield TS21 3FD, UK
- Correspondence:
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14
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Asymmetric Contribution of Blastomere Lineages of First Division of the Zygote to Entire Human Body Using Post-Zygotic Variants. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2022; 19:809-821. [PMID: 35438457 PMCID: PMC9294097 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-022-00443-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In humans, after fertilization, the zygote divides into two 2n diploid daughter blastomeres. During this division, DNA is replicated, and the remaining mutually exclusive genetic mutations in the genome of each cell are called post-zygotic variants. Using these somatic mutations, developmental lineages can be reconstructed. How these two blastomeres are contributing to the entire body is not yet identified. This study aims to evaluate the cellular contribution of two blastomeres of 2-cell embryos to the entire body in humans using post-zygotic variants based on whole genome sequencing. METHODS Tissues from different anatomical areas were obtained from five donated cadavers for use in single-cell clonal expansion and bulk target sequencing. After conducting whole genome sequencing, computational analysis was applied to find the early embryonic mutations of each clone. We developed our in-house bioinformatics pipeline, and filtered variants using strict criteria, composed of mapping quality, base quality scores, depth, soft-clipped reads, and manual inspection, resulting in the construction of embryological phylogenetic cellular trees. RESULTS Using our in-house pipeline for variant filtering, we could extract accurate true positive variants, and construct the embryological phylogenetic trees for each cadaver. We found that two daughter blastomeres, L1 and L2 (lineage 1 and 2, respectively), derived from the zygote, distribute unequally to the whole body at the clonal level. From bulk target sequencing data, we validated asymmetric contribution by means of the variant allele frequency of L1 and L2. The asymmetric contribution of L1 and L2 varied from person to person. CONCLUSION We confirmed that there is asymmetric contribution of two daughter blastomeres from the first division of the zygote across the whole human body.
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15
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Effects of fibrin matrix and Ishikawa cells on in vitro 3D uterine tissue cultures on a rat model: A controlled study. JOURNAL OF SURGERY AND MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.28982/josam.1054556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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16
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Abstract
Embryonic cells grow in environments that provide a plethora of physical cues, including mechanical forces that shape the development of the entire embryo. Despite their prevalence, the role of these forces in embryonic development and their integration with chemical signals have been mostly neglected, and scrutiny in modern molecular embryology tilted, instead, towards the dissection of molecular pathways involved in cell fate determination and patterning. It is now possible to investigate how mechanical signals induce downstream genetic regulatory networks to regulate key developmental processes in the embryo. Here, we review the insights into mechanical control of early vertebrate development, including the role of forces in tissue patterning and embryonic axis formation. We also highlight recent in vitro approaches using individual embryonic stem cells and self-organizing multicellular models of human embryos, which have been instrumental in expanding our understanding of how mechanics tune cell fate and cellular rearrangements during human embryonic development.
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17
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Dokmegang J. Modeling Epiblast Shape in Implanting Mammalian Embryos. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2490:281-296. [PMID: 35486253 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2281-0_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
An indispensable prerequisite of mammalian development is successful morphogenesis in the epiblast, the embryonic tissue that gives rise to all differentiated cells of the adult mammal. The right control of both epiblast morphogenesis and the events that regulate its shape in particular during implantation is henceforth of tremendous importance. However, monitoring the process of development in implanting human embryos is ethically and technically challenging, making it difficult to troubleshoot when things go wrong, as it is unfortunately the case with over 30% of pregnancy failures. Although modern in vitro techniques have proven very insightful lately, more tools are needed in the quest to elucidate mammalian and human development. Mathematical and computational modeling position themselves as helpful complementary tools in the biologist's toolbox, enabling the exploration of the living in silico, beyond the boundaries set by ethical concerns and the potential limitations of wet lab techniques. Here, we show how mathematical modeling and computer simulations can be used to emulate and investigate mechanisms driving epiblast shape changes in mouse and human embryos during implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Dokmegang
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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18
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Martínez-Falguera D, Iborra-Egea O, Gálvez-Montón C. iPSC Therapy for Myocardial Infarction in Large Animal Models: Land of Hope and Dreams. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1836. [PMID: 34944652 PMCID: PMC8698445 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction is the main driver of heart failure due to ischemia and subsequent cell death, and cell-based strategies have emerged as promising therapeutic methods to replace dead tissue in cardiovascular diseases. Research in this field has been dramatically advanced by the development of laboratory-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that harbor the capability to become any cell type. Like other experimental strategies, stem cell therapy must meet multiple requirements before reaching the clinical trial phase, and in vivo models are indispensable for ensuring the safety of such novel therapies. Specifically, translational studies in large animal models are necessary to fully evaluate the therapeutic potential of this approach; to empirically determine the optimal combination of cell types, supplementary factors, and delivery methods to maximize efficacy; and to stringently assess safety. In the present review, we summarize the main strategies employed to generate iPSCs and differentiate them into cardiomyocytes in large animal species; the most critical differences between using small versus large animal models for cardiovascular studies; and the strategies that have been pursued regarding implanted cells' stage of differentiation, origin, and technical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daina Martínez-Falguera
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona (UB), 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Oriol Iborra-Egea
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Carolina Gálvez-Montón
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
- Heart Institute (iCor), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERCV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Jayakar S, Shim J, Jo S, Bean BP, Singeç I, Woolf CJ. Developing nociceptor-selective treatments for acute and chronic pain. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj9837. [PMID: 34757806 PMCID: PMC9964063 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite substantial efforts dedicated to the development of new, nonaddictive analgesics, success in treating pain has been limited. Clinically available analgesic agents generally lack efficacy and may have undesirable side effects. Traditional target-based drug discovery efforts that generate compounds with selectivity for single targets have a high rate of attrition because of their poor clinical efficacy. Here, we examine the challenges associated with the current analgesic drug discovery model and review evidence in favor of stem cell–derived neuronal-based screening approaches for the identification of analgesic targets and compounds for treating diverse forms of acute and chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selwyn Jayakar
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jaehoon Shim
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sooyeon Jo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bruce P Bean
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ilyas Singeç
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Stem Cell Translation Laboratory (SCTL), National Institutes of Health (NIH); Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Chen Y, Shao Y. Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models: En Route to a Programmable Future. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167353. [PMID: 34774563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Early-stage human embryogenesis, such as implantation, gastrulation, and neurulation, are critical for successful pregnancy. For decades, our knowledge about these stages has been limited by the inaccessibility to such embryo specimens in vivo and the difficulty in rebuilding them in vitro. Although human embryos could be cultured in vitro beyond implantation, it remains challenging for the cultured embryos to recapitulate the continuous, coordinated morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation as seen in vivo. Stem cell-based embryo models, mainly derived from human pluripotent stem cells, are organized structures mimicking essential developmental processes in the early-stage human embryos. Despite their invaluable potentials, most embryo models are based on the self-organization of human pluripotent stem cells, which are limited in controllability, reproducibility, and developmental fidelity. Recently, the integration of bioengineered tools and stem cell biology has fueled a technological transformation towards programmable, highly complex, high-fidelity stem cell-based embryo models. Given its scientific and clinical significance, we present an overview of recent paradigm-shifting advances as well as historical perspectives regarding the past, present, and future of synthetic human embryology. Following the developmental roadmap of human embryogenesis, we critically review existing stem cell-based models for implantation, gastrulation, and neurulation, respectively. We highlight the limitations encountered by autonomous self-organization strategy and discuss the concept and application of guided cell organization as a game-changer for innovating next-generation embryo models. Future endeavors in synthetic human embryology should rationally leverage both the self-organizing power and programmable microenvironmental guidance to secure faithful reconstructions of the hierarchical orders of human embryogenesis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunping Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Shao
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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21
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Mojsa B, Tatham MH, Davidson L, Liczmanska M, Branigan E, Hay RT. Identification of SUMO Targets Associated With the Pluripotent State in Human Stem Cells. Mol Cell Proteomics 2021; 20:100164. [PMID: 34673284 PMCID: PMC8604812 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2021.100164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the role of SUMO modification in the maintenance of pluripotent stem cells, we used ML792, a potent and selective inhibitor of SUMO Activating Enzyme. Treatment of human induced pluripotent stem cells with ML792 resulted in the loss of key pluripotency markers. To identify putative effector proteins and establish sites of SUMO modification, cells were engineered to stably express either SUMO1 or SUMO2 with C-terminal TGG to KGG mutations that facilitate GlyGly-K peptide immunoprecipitation and identification. A total of 976 SUMO sites were identified in 427 proteins. STRING enrichment created three networks of proteins with functions in regulation of gene expression, ribosome biogenesis, and RNA splicing, although the latter two categories represented only 5% of the total GGK peptide intensity. The rest have roles in transcription and the regulation of chromatin structure. Many of the most heavily SUMOylated proteins form a network of zinc-finger transcription factors centered on TRIM28 and associated with silencing of retroviral elements. At the level of whole proteins, there was only limited evidence for SUMO paralogue-specific modification, although at the site level there appears to be a preference for SUMO2 modification over SUMO1 in acidic domains. We show that SUMO influences the pluripotent state in hiPSCs and identify many chromatin-associated proteins as bona fide SUMO substrates in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Mojsa
- Division of Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Michael H Tatham
- Division of Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Lindsay Davidson
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Magda Liczmanska
- Division of Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Emma Branigan
- Division of Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Ronald T Hay
- Division of Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
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22
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Chhabra S, Warmflash A. BMP-treated human embryonic stem cells transcriptionally resemble amnion cells in the monkey embryo. Biol Open 2021; 10:271874. [PMID: 34435204 PMCID: PMC8502258 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) possess an immense potential to generate clinically relevant cell types and unveil mechanisms underlying early human development. However, using hESCs for discovery or translation requires accurately identifying differentiated cell types through comparison with their in vivo counterparts. Here, we set out to determine the identity of much debated BMP-treated hESCs by comparing their transcriptome to recently published single cell transcriptomic data from early human embryos (
Xiang et al., 2020). Our analyses reveal several discrepancies in the published human embryo dataset, including misclassification of putative amnion, intermediate and inner cell mass cells. These misclassifications primarily resulted from similarities in pseudogene expression, highlighting the need to carefully consider gene lists when making comparisons between cell types. In the absence of a relevant human dataset, we utilized the recently published single cell transcriptome of the early post implantation monkey embryo to discern the identity of BMP-treated hESCs. Our results suggest that BMP-treated hESCs are transcriptionally more similar to amnion cells than trophectoderm cells in the monkey embryo. Together with prior studies, this result indicates that hESCs possess a unique ability to form mature trophectoderm subtypes via an amnion-like transcriptional state. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: We show that BMP-treated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are more likely to represent an amnion rather than a trophectoderm cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapna Chhabra
- Systems Synthetic and Physical Biology graduate program, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.,Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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23
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Clonal dynamics in early human embryogenesis inferred from somatic mutation. Nature 2021; 597:393-397. [PMID: 34433967 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03786-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cellular dynamics and fate decision in early human embryogenesis remain largely unknown owing to the challenges of performing studies in human embryos1. Here, we explored whole-genomes of 334 single-cell colonies and targeted deep sequences of 379 bulk tissues obtained from various anatomical locations of seven recently deceased adult human donors. Using somatic mutations as an intrinsic barcode, we reconstructed early cellular phylogenies that demonstrate (1) an endogenous mutational rate that is higher in the first cell division but decreases to approximately one per cell per cell division later in life; (2) universal unequal contribution of early cells to embryo proper, resulting from early cellular bottlenecks that stochastically set aside epiblast cells within the embryo; (3) examples of varying degrees of early clonal imbalances between tissues on the left and right sides of the body, different germ layers and specific anatomical parts and organs; (4) emergence of a few ancestral cells that will substantially contribute to adult cell pools in blood and liver; and (5) presence of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in the fertilized egg. Our approach also provides insights into the age-related mutational processes and loss of sex chromosomes in normal somatic cells. In sum, this study provides a foundation for future studies to complete cellular phylogenies in human embryogenesis.
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24
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Derivation of Mouse Parthenogenetic Advanced Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168976. [PMID: 34445681 PMCID: PMC8396573 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenetic embryos have been widely studied as an effective tool related to paternal and maternal imprinting genes and reproductive problems for a long time. In this study, we established a parthenogenetic epiblast-like stem cell line through culturing parthenogenetic diploid blastocysts in a chemically defined medium containing activin A and bFGF named paAFSCs. The paAFSCs expressed pluripotent marker genes and germ-layer-related genes, as well as being alkaline-phosphatase-positive, which is similar to epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). We previously showed that advanced embryonic stem cells (ASCs) represent hypermethylated naive pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Here, we converted paAFSCs to ASCs by replacing bFGF with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), CHIR99021, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in a culture medium, and we obtained parthenogenetic advanced stem cells (paASCs). The paASCs showed similar morphology with ESCs and also displayed a stronger developmental potential than paAFSCs in vivo by producing chimaeras. Our study demonstrates that maternal genes could support parthenogenetic EpiSCs derived from blastocysts and also have the potential to convert primed state paAFSCs to naive state paASCs.
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25
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Guo G, Stirparo GG, Strawbridge SE, Spindlow D, Yang J, Clarke J, Dattani A, Yanagida A, Li MA, Myers S, Özel BN, Nichols J, Smith A. Human naive epiblast cells possess unrestricted lineage potential. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1040-1056.e6. [PMID: 33831366 PMCID: PMC8189439 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Classic embryological experiments have established that the early mouse embryo develops via sequential lineage bifurcations. The first segregated lineage is the trophectoderm, essential for blastocyst formation. Mouse naive epiblast and derivative embryonic stem cells are restricted accordingly from producing trophectoderm. Here we show, in contrast, that human naive embryonic stem cells readily make blastocyst trophectoderm and descendant trophoblast cell types. Trophectoderm was induced rapidly and efficiently by inhibition of ERK/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Nodal signaling. Transcriptome comparison with the human embryo substantiated direct formation of trophectoderm with subsequent differentiation into syncytiotrophoblast, cytotrophoblast, and downstream trophoblast stem cells. During pluripotency progression lineage potential switches from trophectoderm to amnion. Live-cell tracking revealed that epiblast cells in the human blastocyst are also able to produce trophectoderm. Thus, the paradigm of developmental specification coupled to lineage restriction does not apply to humans. Instead, epiblast plasticity and the potential for blastocyst regeneration are retained until implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Guo
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Giuliano Giuseppe Stirparo
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Stanley E Strawbridge
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Daniel Spindlow
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Jian Yang
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - James Clarke
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Anish Dattani
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ayaka Yanagida
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Meng Amy Li
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Sam Myers
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Buse Nurten Özel
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK.
| | - Austin Smith
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
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26
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Lee BK, Kim J. Integrating High-Throughput Approaches and in vitro Human Trophoblast Models to Decipher Mechanisms Underlying Early Human Placenta Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:673065. [PMID: 34150768 PMCID: PMC8206641 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.673065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a temporary but pivotal organ for human pregnancy. It consists of multiple specialized trophoblast cell types originating from the trophectoderm of the blastocyst stage of the embryo. While impaired trophoblast differentiation results in pregnancy disorders affecting both mother and fetus, the molecular mechanisms underlying early human placenta development have been poorly understood, partially due to the limited access to developing human placentas and the lack of suitable human in vitro trophoblast models. Recent success in establishing human trophoblast stem cells and other human in vitro trophoblast models with their differentiation protocols into more specialized cell types, such as syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast, has provided a tremendous opportunity to understand early human placenta development. Unfortunately, while high-throughput research methods and omics tools have addressed numerous molecular-level questions in various research fields, these tools have not been widely applied to the above-mentioned human trophoblast models. This review aims to provide an overview of various omics approaches that can be utilized in the study of human in vitro placenta models by exemplifying some important lessons obtained from omics studies of mouse model systems and introducing recently available human in vitro trophoblast model systems. We also highlight some key unknown questions that might be addressed by such techniques. Integrating high-throughput omics approaches and human in vitro model systems will facilitate our understanding of molecular-level regulatory mechanisms underlying early human placenta development as well as placenta-associated complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bum-Kyu Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, University at Albany-State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, United States
| | - Jonghwan Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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27
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Spiteri C, Caprettini V, Chiappini C. Biomaterials-based approaches to model embryogenesis. Biomater Sci 2021; 8:6992-7013. [PMID: 33136109 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01485k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Understanding, reproducing, and regulating the cellular and molecular processes underlying human embryogenesis is critical to improve our ability to recapitulate tissues with proper architecture and function, and to address the dysregulation of embryonic programs that underlies birth defects and cancer. The rapid emergence of stem cell technologies is enabling enormous progress in understanding embryogenesis using simple, powerful, and accessible in vitro models. Biomaterials are playing a central role in providing the spatiotemporal organisation of biophysical and biochemical signalling necessary to mimic, regulate and dissect the evolving embryonic niche in vitro. This contribution is rapidly improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying embryonic patterning, in turn enabling the development of more effective clinical interventions for regenerative medicine and oncology. Here we highlight how key biomaterial approaches contribute to organise signalling in human embryogenesis models, and we summarise the biological insights gained from these contributions. Importantly, we highlight how nanotechnology approaches have remained largely untapped in this space, and we identify their key potential contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle Spiteri
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
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28
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Smith LA, Hidalgo Aguilar A, Owens DDG, Quelch RH, Knight E, Przyborski SA. Using Advanced Cell Culture Techniques to Differentiate Pluripotent Stem Cells and Recreate Tissue Structures Representative of Teratoma Xenografts. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:667246. [PMID: 34026759 PMCID: PMC8134696 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.667246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Various methods are currently used to investigate human tissue differentiation, including human embryo culture and studies utilising pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) such as in vitro embryoid body formation and in vivo teratoma assays. Each method has its own distinct advantages, yet many are limited due to being unable to achieve the complexity and maturity of tissue structures observed in the developed human. The teratoma xenograft assay allows maturation of more complex tissue derivatives, but this method has ethical issues surrounding animal usage and significant protocol variation. In this study, we have combined three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cell technologies including the common technique of embryoid body (EB) formation with a novel porous scaffold membrane, in order to prolong cell viability and extend the differentiation of PSC derived EBs. This approach enables the formation of more complex morphologically identifiable 3D tissue structures representative of all three primary germ layers. Preliminary in vitro work with the human embryonal carcinoma line TERA2.SP12 demonstrated improved EB viability and enhanced tissue structure formation, comparable to teratocarcinoma xenografts derived in vivo from the same cell line. This is thought to be due to reduced diffusion distances as the shape of the spherical EB transforms and flattens, allowing for improved nutritional/oxygen support to the developing structures over extended periods. Further work with EBs derived from murine embryonic stem cells demonstrated that the formation of a wide range of complex, recognisable tissue structures could be achieved within 2–3 weeks of culture. Rudimentary tissue structures from all three germ layers were present, including epidermal, cartilage and epithelial tissues, again, strongly resembling tissue structure of teratoma xenografts of the same cell line. Proof of concept work with EBs derived from the human embryonic stem cell line H9 also showed the ability to form complex tissue structures within this system. This novel yet simple model offers a controllable, reproducible method to achieve complex tissue formation in vitro. It has the potential to be used to study human developmental processes, as well as offering an animal free alternative method to the teratoma assay to assess the developmental potential of novel stem cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Smith
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - A Hidalgo Aguilar
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - D D G Owens
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - R H Quelch
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - E Knight
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - S A Przyborski
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.,Reprocell Europe, NETPark, Sedgefield, United Kingdom
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29
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Klymkowsky MW. Making mechanistic sense: are we teaching students what they need to know? Dev Biol 2021; 476:308-313. [PMID: 33930394 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating learning outcomes depends upon objective and actionable measures of what students know - that is, what can they do with what they have learned. In the context of a developmental biology course, a capstone of many molecular biology degree programs, I asked students to predict the behaviors of temporal and spatial signaling gradients. Their responses led me to consider an alternative to conventional assessments, namely a process in which students are asked to build and apply plausible explanatory mechanistic models ("PEMMs"). A salient point is not whether students' models are correct, but whether they "work" in a manner consistent with underlying scientific principles. Analyzing such models can reveal the extent to which students recognize and accurately apply relevant ideas. An emphasis on model building, analysis and revision, an authentic scientific practice, can be expected to have transformative effects on course and curricular design as well as on student engagement and learning outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Klymkowsky
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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30
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Kinoshita M, Barber M, Mansfield W, Cui Y, Spindlow D, Stirparo GG, Dietmann S, Nichols J, Smith A. Capture of Mouse and Human Stem Cells with Features of Formative Pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:453-471.e8. [PMID: 33271069 PMCID: PMC7939546 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent cells emerge as a naive founder population in the blastocyst, acquire capacity for germline and soma formation, and then undergo lineage priming. Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast-derived stem cells (EpiSCs) represent the initial naive and final primed phases of pluripotency, respectively. Here, we investigate the intermediate formative stage. Using minimal exposure to specification cues, we derive stem cells from formative mouse epiblast. Unlike ESCs or EpiSCs, formative stem (FS) cells respond directly to germ cell induction. They colonize somatic tissues and germline in chimeras. Whole-transcriptome analyses show similarity to pre-gastrulation formative epiblast. Signal responsiveness and chromatin accessibility features reflect lineage capacitation. Furthermore, FS cells show distinct transcription factor dependencies, relying critically on Otx2. Finally, FS cell culture conditions applied to human naive cells or embryos support expansion of similar stem cells, consistent with a conserved staging post on the trajectory of mammalian pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kinoshita
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - Michael Barber
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - William Mansfield
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Yingzhi Cui
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Daniel Spindlow
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Giuliano Giuseppe Stirparo
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Sabine Dietmann
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Austin Smith
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
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31
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Saitou M. Mammalian Germ Cell Development: From Mechanism to In Vitro Reconstitution. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:669-680. [PMID: 33577794 PMCID: PMC8072030 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The germ cell lineage gives rise to totipotency and perpetuates and diversifies genetic as well as epigenetic information. Specifically, germ cells undergo epigenetic reprogramming/programming, replicate genetic information with high fidelity, and create genetic diversity through meiotic recombination. Driven by advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying germ cell development and stem cell/reproductive technologies, research over the past 2 decades has culminated in the in vitro reconstitution of mammalian germ cell development: mouse pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can now be induced into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) and then differentiated into fully functional oocytes and spermatogonia, and human PSCs can be induced into PGCLCs and into early oocytes and prospermatogonia with epigenetic reprogramming. Here, I provide my perspective on the key investigations that have led to the in vitro reconstitution of mammalian germ cell development, which will be instrumental in exploring salient themes in germ cell biology and, with further refinements/extensions, in developing innovative medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitinori Saitou
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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32
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Hu Y, Huang K, Zeng Q, Feng Y, Ke Q, An Q, Qin LJ, Cui Y, Guo Y, Zhao D, Peng Y, Tian D, Xia K, Chen Y, Ni B, Wang J, Zhu X, Wei L, Liu Y, Xiang P, Liu JY, Xue Z, Fan G. Single-cell analysis of nonhuman primate preimplantation development in comparison to humans and mice. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:974-985. [PMID: 33449399 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic programs underlying preimplantation development and early lineage segregation are highly conserved across mammals. It has been suggested that nonhuman primates would be better model organisms for human embryogenesis, but a limited number of studies have investigated the monkey preimplantation development. In this study, we collect single cells from cynomolgus monkey preimplantation embryos for transcriptome profiling and compare with single-cell RNA-seq data derived from human and mouse embryos. RESULTS By weighted gene-coexpression network analysis, we found that cynomolgus gene networks have greater conservation with human embryos including a greater number of conserved hub genes than that of mouse embryos. Consistently, we found that early ICM/TE lineage-segregating genes in monkeys exhibit greater similarity with human when compared to mouse, so are the genes in signaling pathways such as LRP1 and TCF7 involving in WNT pathway. Last, we tested the role of one conserved pre-EGA hub gene, SIN3A, using a morpholino knockdown of maternal RNA transcripts in monkey embryos followed by single-cell RNA-seq. We found that SIN3A knockdown disrupts the gene-silencing program during the embryonic genome activation transition and results in developmental delay of cynomolgus embryos. CONCLUSION Taken together, our study provided new insight into evolutionarily conserved and divergent transcriptome dynamics during mammalian preimplantation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun-Ye-Sat University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kevin Huang
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Qiao Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Feng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Ke
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering Ministry of Education, Zhongshan College of Medicine, Sun-Ye-Sat University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qin An
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lian-Ju Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - YuGui Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Guo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dicheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Di Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Birth Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Bin Ni
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Birth Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Jinmei Wang
- Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences & Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianmin Zhu
- Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences & Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lai Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun-Ye-Sat University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun-Ye-Sat University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering Ministry of Education, Zhongshan College of Medicine, Sun-Ye-Sat University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Clinical Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhigang Xue
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoping Fan
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Abstract
In the past several decades, the establishment of in vitro models of pluripotency has ushered in a golden era for developmental and stem cell biology. Research in this arena has led to profound insights into the regulatory features that shape early embryonic development. Nevertheless, an integrative theory of the epigenetic principles that govern the pluripotent nucleus remains elusive. Here, we summarize the epigenetic characteristics that define the pluripotent state. We cover what is currently known about the epigenome of pluripotent stem cells and reflect on the use of embryonic stem cells as an experimental system. In addition, we highlight insights from super-resolution microscopy, which have advanced our understanding of the form and function of chromatin, particularly its role in establishing the characteristically "open chromatin" of pluripotent nuclei. Further, we discuss the rapid improvements in 3C-based methods, which have given us a means to investigate the 3D spatial organization of the pluripotent genome. This has aided the adaptation of prior notions of a "pluripotent molecular circuitry" into a more holistic model, where hotspots of co-interacting domains correspond with the accumulation of pluripotency-associated factors. Finally, we relate these earlier hypotheses to an emerging model of phase separation, which posits that a biophysical mechanism may presuppose the formation of a pluripotent-state-defining transcriptional program.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eran Meshorer
- Department of Genetics, the Institute of Life Sciences
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 9190400
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34
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Sun C, Wang H, Ma Q, Chen C, Yue J, Li B, Zhang X. Time-course single-cell RNA sequencing reveals transcriptional dynamics and heterogeneity of limbal stem cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:24. [PMID: 33485387 PMCID: PMC7824938 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00541-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human pluripotent stem cell-derived limbal stem cells (hPSC-derived LSCs) provide a promising cell source for corneal transplants and ocular surface reconstruction. Although recent efforts in the identification of LSC markers have increased our understanding of the biology of LSCs, much more remains to be characterized in the developmental origin, cell fate determination, and identity of human LSCs. The lack of knowledge hindered the establishment of efficient differentiation protocols for generating hPSC-derived LSCs and held back their clinical application. RESULTS Here, we performed a time-course single-cell RNA-seq to investigate transcriptional heterogeneity and expression changes of LSCs derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Based on current protocol, expression heterogeneity of reported LSC markers were identified in subpopulations of differentiated cells. EMT has been shown to occur during differentiation process, which could possibly result in generation of untargeted cells. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed transcriptional changes and signatures of commitment of hESCs-derived LSCs and their progeny-the transit amplifying cells. CONCLUSION Single-cell RNA-seq revealed time-course expression changes and significant transcriptional heterogeneity during hESC-derived LSC differentiation in vitro. Our results demonstrated candidate developmental trajectory and several new candidate markers for LSCs, which could facilitate elucidating the identity and developmental origin of human LSCs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changbin Sun
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China
| | - Hailun Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Qiwang Ma
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China
| | - Chao Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China
| | - Jianhui Yue
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China.,Section of Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China. .,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China.
| | - Xi Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China. .,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518082, China.
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35
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Zheng Y, Shao Y, Fu J. A microfluidics-based stem cell model of early post-implantation human development. Nat Protoc 2020; 16:309-326. [PMID: 33311712 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00417-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Early post-implantation human embryonic development has been challenging to study due to both technical limitations and ethical restrictions. Proper modeling of the process is important for infertility and toxicology research. Here we provide details of the design and implementation of a microfluidic device that can be used to model human embryo development. The microfluidic human embryo model is established from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), and the resulting structures exhibit molecular and cellular features resembling the progressive development of the early post-implantation human embryo. The compartmentalized configuration of the microfluidic device allows the formation of spherical hPSC clusters in prescribed locations in the device, enabling the two opposite regions of each hPSC cluster to be exposed to two different exogenous chemical environments. Under such asymmetrical chemical conditions, several early post-implantation human embryo developmental landmarks, including lumenogenesis of the epiblast and the resultant pro-amniotic cavity, formation of a bipolar embryonic sac, and specification of primordial germ cells and gastrulating cells (or mesendoderm cells), can be robustly recapitulated using the microfluidic device. The microfluidic human embryo model is compatible with high-throughput studies, live imaging, immunofluorescence staining, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and single-cell sequencing. This protocol takes ~5 d to complete, including microfluidic device fabrication (2 d), cell seeding (1 d), and progressive development of the microfluidic model until gastrulation-like events occur (1-2 d).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yue Shao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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36
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Dodsworth BT, Hatje K, Rostovskaya M, Flynn R, Meyer CA, Cowley SA. Profiling of naïve and primed human pluripotent stem cells reveals state-associated miRNAs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10542. [PMID: 32601281 PMCID: PMC7324611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67376-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Naïve human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) resemble the embryonic epiblast at an earlier time-point in development than conventional, 'primed' hPSC. We present a comprehensive miRNA profiling of naïve-to-primed transition in hPSC, a process recapitulating aspects of early in vivo embryogenesis. We identify miR-143-3p and miR-22-3p as markers of the naïve state and miR-363-5p, several members of the miR-17 family, miR-302 family as primed markers. We uncover that miR-371-373 are highly expressed in naïve hPSC. MiR-371-373 are the human homologs of the mouse miR-290 family, which are the most highly expressed miRNAs in naïve mouse PSC. This aligns with the consensus that naïve hPSC resemble mouse naive PSC, showing that the absence of miR-371-373 in conventional hPSC is due to cell state rather than a species difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Dodsworth
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Klas Hatje
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Rowan Flynn
- Censo Biotechnologies, Roslin Innovation Centre Charnock Bradley Building, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Claas A Meyer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sally A Cowley
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.
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37
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Patra SK. Roles of OCT4 in pathways of embryonic development and cancer progression. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 189:111286. [PMID: 32531293 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Somatic cells may be reprogrammed to pluripotent state by ectopic expression of certain transcription factors; namely, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms are not adequately understood, especially for human embryonic development. Studies during the last five years implicated importance of OCT4 in human zygotic genome activation (ZGA), patterns of OCT4 protein folding and role of specialized sequences in binding to DNA for modulation of gene expression during development. Epigenetic modulation of OCT4 gene and post translational modifications of OCT4 protein activity in the context of multiple cancers are important issues. A consensus is emerging that chromatin organization and epigenetic landscape play crucial roles for the interactions of transcription factors, including OCT4 with the promoters and/or regulatory sequences of genes associated with human embryonic development (ZGA through lineage specification) and that when the epigenome niche is deregulated OCT4 helps in cancer progression, and how OCT4 silencing in somatic cells of adult organisms may impact ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India.
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38
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Synthetic human embryology: towards a quantitative future. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:30-35. [PMID: 32172182 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Study of early human embryo development is essential for advancing reproductive and regenerative medicine. Traditional human embryological studies rely on embryonic tissue specimens, which are difficult to acquire due to technical challenges and ethical restrictions. The availability of human stem cells with developmental potentials comparable to pre-implantation and peri-implantation human embryonic and extraembryonic cells, together with properly engineered in vitro culture environments, allow for the first time researchers to generate self-organized multicellular structures in vitro that mimic the structural and molecular features of their in vivo counterparts. The development of these stem cell-based, synthetic human embryo models offers a paradigm-shifting experimental system for quantitative measurements and perturbations of multicellular development, critical for advancing human embryology and reproductive and regenerative medicine without using intact human embryos.
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Noli L, Khorsandi SE, Pyle A, Giritharan G, Fogarty N, Capalbo A, Devito L, Jovanovic VM, Khurana P, Rosa H, Kolundzic N, Cvoro A, Niakan KK, Malik A, Foulk R, Heaton N, Ardawi MS, Chinnery PF, Ogilvie C, Khalaf Y, Ilic D. Effects of thyroid hormone on mitochondria and metabolism of human preimplantation embryos. Stem Cells 2020; 38:369-381. [PMID: 31778245 PMCID: PMC7064942 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Thyroid hormones are regarded as the major controllers of metabolic rate and oxygen consumption in mammals. Although it has been demonstrated that thyroid hormone supplementation improves bovine embryo development in vitro, the cellular mechanisms underlying these effects are so far unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of thyroid hormone in development of human preimplantation embryos. Embryos were cultured in the presence or absence of 10-7 M triiodothyronine (T3) till blastocyst stage. Inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) were separated mechanically and subjected to RNAseq or quantification of mitochondrial DNA copy number. Analyses were performed using DESeq (v1.16.0 on R v3.1.3), MeV4.9 and MitoMiner 4.0v2018 JUN platforms. We found that the exposure of human preimplantation embryos to T3 had a profound impact on nuclear gene transcription only in the cells of ICM (1178 regulated genes-10.5% of 11 196 expressed genes) and almost no effect on cells of TE (38 regulated genes-0.3% of expressed genes). The analyses suggest that T3 induces in ICM a shift in ribosome and oxidative phosphorylation activity, as the upregulated genes are contributing to the composition and organization of the respiratory chain and associated cofactors involved in mitoribosome assembly and stability. Furthermore, a number of genes affecting the citric acid cycle energy production have reduced expression. Our findings might explain why thyroid disorders in women have been associated with reduced fertility and adverse pregnancy outcome. Our data also raise a possibility that supplementation of culture media with T3 may improve outcomes for women undergoing in vitro fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Noli
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
- Department of Pathological SciencesFakeeh College for Medical SciencesJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | | | - Angela Pyle
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial ResearchInstitute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | | | - Norah Fogarty
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | - Antonio Capalbo
- Igenomix Italyvia Fermi 1, MarosticaItaly
- DAHFMO, Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza, University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Liani Devito
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
| | - Vladimir M. Jovanovic
- Bioinformatics Solution Center and Human Biology Group; Institute for Zoology; Department of Biology, Chemistry and PharmacyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Preeti Khurana
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
| | - Hannah Rosa
- MitoDNA Service LabKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Nikola Kolundzic
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
| | - Aleksandra Cvoro
- Center for BioenergeticsHouston Methodist Research InstituteHoustonTexas
| | - Kathy K. Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | - Afshan Malik
- MitoDNA Service LabKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Nigel Heaton
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College HospitalLondonUK
| | - Mohammad Saleh Ardawi
- Department of Pathological SciencesFakeeh College for Medical SciencesJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Patrick F. Chinnery
- MRC‐Mitochondrial Biology Unit and Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Caroline Ogilvie
- Department of Medical and Molecular GeneticsKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Yacoub Khalaf
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
| | - Dusko Ilic
- Division of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College London and Assisted Conception Unit, Guy's HospitalLondonUK
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Choi J, Seo BJ, La H, Yoon SH, Hong YJ, Lee JH, Chung HM, Hong K, Do JT. Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial morphology, energy metabolism, and gene expression signatures in three types of blastocyst-derived stem cells. Redox Biol 2020; 30:101437. [PMID: 31981893 PMCID: PMC6992993 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-implantation mouse blastocyst-derived stem cells, namely embryonic stem cells (ESCs), trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), and extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) cells, have their own characteristics and lineage specificity. So far, several studies have attempted to identify these three stem cell types based on genetic markers, morphologies, and factors involved in maintaining cell self-renewal. In this study, we focused on characterizing the three stem cell types derived from mouse blastocysts by observing cellular organelles, especially the mitochondria, and analyzing how mitochondrial dynamics relates to the energy metabolism in each cell type. Our study revealed that XEN cells have distinct mitochondrial morphology and energy metabolism compared with that in ESCs and TSCs. In addition, by analyzing the energy metabolism (oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rates), we demonstrated that differences in the mitochondria affect the cellular metabolism in the stem cells. RNA sequencing analysis showed that although ESCs are developmentally closer to XEN cells in origin, their gene expression pattern is relatively closer to that of TSCs. Notably, mitochondria-, mitochondrial metabolism-, transport/secretory action-associated genes were differentially expressed in XEN cells compared with that in ESCs and TSCs, and this feature corresponds with the morphology of the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joonhyuk Choi
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong Jong Seo
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonwoo La
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Yoon
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yean Ju Hong
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Heon Lee
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Min Chung
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwonho Hong
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Tae Do
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Yang J, Bashkenova N, Zang R, Huang X, Wang J. The roles of TET family proteins in development and stem cells. Development 2020; 147:147/2/dev183129. [PMID: 31941705 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ten-eleven translocation (TET) methylcytosine dioxygenases are enzymes that catalyze the demethylation of 5-methylcytosine on DNA. Through global and site-specific demethylation, they regulate cell fate decisions during development and in embryonic stem cells by maintaining pluripotency or by regulating differentiation. In this Primer, we provide an updated overview of TET functions in development and stem cells. We discuss the catalytic and non-catalytic activities of TETs, and their roles as epigenetic regulators of both DNA and RNA hydroxymethylation, highlighting how TET proteins function in regulating gene expression at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Yang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nazym Bashkenova
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ruge Zang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.,Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jianlong Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Li QV, Rosen BP, Huangfu D. Decoding pluripotency: Genetic screens to interrogate the acquisition, maintenance, and exit of pluripotency. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2020; 12:e1464. [PMID: 31407519 PMCID: PMC6898739 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to unlimitedly self-renew and differentiate to any somatic cell lineage. A number of systems biology approaches have been used to define this pluripotent state. Complementary to systems level characterization, genetic screens offer a unique avenue to functionally interrogate the pluripotent state and identify the key players in pluripotency acquisition and maintenance, exit of pluripotency, and lineage differentiation. Here we review how genetic screens have helped us decode pluripotency regulation. We will summarize results from RNA interference (RNAi) based screens, discuss recent advances in CRISPR/Cas-based genetic perturbation methods, and how these advances have made it possible to more comprehensively interrogate pluripotency and differentiation through genetic screens. Such investigations will not only provide a better understanding of this unique developmental state, but may enhance our ability to use pluripotent stem cells as an experimental model to study human development and disease progression. Functional interrogation of pluripotency also provides a valuable roadmap for utilizing genetic perturbation to gain systems level understanding of additional cellular states, from later stages of development to pathological disease states. This article is categorized under: Developmental Biology > Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease Biological Mechanisms > Cell Fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing V. Li
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bess P. Rosen
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Danwei Huangfu
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
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43
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Barry C, Schmitz MT, Argus C, Bolin JM, Probasco MD, Leng N, Duffin BM, Steill J, Swanson S, McIntosh BE, Stewart R, Kendziorski C, Thomson JA, Bacher R. Automated minute scale RNA-seq of pluripotent stem cell differentiation reveals early divergence of human and mouse gene expression kinetics. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007543. [PMID: 31815944 PMCID: PMC6922475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells retain the developmental timing of their species of origin in vitro, an observation that suggests the existence of a cell-intrinsic developmental clock, yet the nature and machinery of the clock remain a mystery. We hypothesize that one possible component may lie in species-specific differences in the kinetics of transcriptional responses to differentiation signals. Using a liquid-handling robot, mouse and human pluripotent stem cells were exposed to identical neural differentiation conditions and sampled for RNA-sequencing at high frequency, every 4 or 10 minutes, for the first 10 hours of differentiation to test for differences in transcriptomic response rates. The majority of initial transcriptional responses occurred within a rapid window in the first minutes of differentiation for both human and mouse stem cells. Despite similarly early onsets of gene expression changes, we observed shortened and condensed gene expression patterns in mouse pluripotent stem cells compared to protracted trends in human pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, the speed at which individual genes were upregulated, as measured by the slopes of gene expression changes over time, was significantly faster in mouse compared to human cells. These results suggest that downstream transcriptomic response kinetics to signaling cues are faster in mouse versus human cells, and may offer a partial account for the vast differences in developmental rates across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Barry
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | | | - Cara Argus
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Bolin
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | | | - Ning Leng
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Bret M. Duffin
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - John Steill
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Scott Swanson
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Brian E. McIntosh
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Ron Stewart
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Christina Kendziorski
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - James A. Thomson
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Rhonda Bacher
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
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44
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Domesticated cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells allow the generation of neonatal interspecies chimeric pigs. Protein Cell 2019; 11:97-107. [PMID: 31781970 PMCID: PMC6954905 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-019-00676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocyst complementation by pluripotent stem cell (PSC) injection is believed to be the most promising method to generate xenogeneic organs. However, ethical issues prevent the study of human chimeras in the late embryonic stage of development. Primate embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which have similar pluripotency to human ESCs, are a good model for studying interspecies chimerism and organ generation. However, whether primate ESCs can be used in xenogenous grafts remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the chimeric ability of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) ESCs (cmESCs) in pigs, which are excellent hosts because of their many similarities to humans. We report an optimized culture medium that enhanced the anti-apoptotic ability of cmESCs and improved the development of chimeric embryos, in which domesticated cmESCs (D-ESCs) injected into pig blastocysts differentiated into cells of all three germ layers. In addition, we obtained two neonatal interspecies chimeras, in which we observed tissue-specific D-ESC differentiation. Taken together, the results demonstrate the capability of D-ESCs to integrate and differentiate into functional cells in a porcine model, with a chimeric ratio of 0.001–0.0001 in different neonate tissues. We believe this work will facilitate future developments in xenogeneic organogenesis, bringing us one step closer to producing tissue-specific functional cells and organs in a large animal model through interspecies blastocyst complementation.
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Niu Y, Sun N, Li C, Lei Y, Huang Z, Wu J, Si C, Dai X, Liu C, Wei J, Liu L, Feng S, Kang Y, Si W, Wang H, Zhang E, Zhao L, Li Z, Luo X, Cui G, Peng G, Izpisúa Belmonte JC, Ji W, Tan T. Dissecting primate early post-implantation development using long-term in vitro embryo culture. Science 2019; 366:science.aaw5754. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw5754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The transition from peri-implantation to gastrulation in mammals entails the specification and organization of the lineage progenitors into a body plan. Technical and ethical challenges have limited understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie this transition. We established a culture system that enabled the development of cynomolgus monkey embryos in vitro for up to 20 days. Cultured embryos underwent key primate developmental stages, including lineage segregation, bilaminar disc formation, amniotic and yolk sac cavitation, and primordial germ cell–like cell (PGCLC) differentiation. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed development trajectories of primitive endoderm, trophectoderm, epiblast lineages, and PGCLCs. Analysis of single-cell chromatin accessibility identified transcription factors specifying each cell type. Our results reveal critical developmental events and complex molecular mechanisms underlying nonhuman primate embryogenesis in the early postimplantation period, with possible relevance to human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyu Niu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Nianqin Sun
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Chang Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Ying Lei
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Zhihao Huang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chenyang Si
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Xi Dai
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Chuanyu Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Jingkuan Wei
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Longqi Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Su Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Wei Si
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - E. Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Lu Zhao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Ziwei Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Xi Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, CAS, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Guizhong Cui
- Center of Cell Lineage and Atlas, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory (GRMH-GDL), Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Guangdun Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, CAS, Guangzhou 510530, China
- Center of Cell Lineage and Atlas, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory (GRMH-GDL), Guangzhou 510530, China
| | | | - Weizhi Ji
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, CAS, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tao Tan
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
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Evans J, Rai A, Nguyen HPT, Poh QH, Elglass K, Simpson RJ, Salamonsen LA, Greening DW. Human Endometrial Extracellular Vesicles Functionally Prepare Human Trophectoderm Model for Implantation: Understanding Bidirectional Maternal-Embryo Communication. Proteomics 2019; 19:e1800423. [PMID: 31531940 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201800423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Embryo implantation into maternal endometrium is critical for initiation and establishment of pregnancy, requiring developmental synchrony between endometrium and blastocyst. However, factors regulating human endometrial-embryo cross talk and facilitate implantation remain largely unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as important mediators of this process. Here, a trophectoderm spheroid-based in vitro model mimicking the pre-implantation human embryo is used to recapitulate important functional aspects of blastocyst implantation. Functionally, human endometrial EVs, derived from hormonally treated cells synchronous with implantation, are readily internalized by trophectoderm cells, regulating adhesive and invasive capacity of human trophectoderm spheroids. To gain molecular insights into mechanisms underpinning endometrial EV-mediated enhancement of implantation, quantitative proteomics reveal critical alterations in trophectoderm cellular adhesion networks (cell adhesion molecule binding, cell-cell adhesion mediator activity, and cell adherens junctions) and metabolic and gene expression networks, and the soluble secretome from human trophectodermal spheroids. Importantly, transfer of endometrial EV cargo proteins to trophectoderm to mediate changes in trophectoderm function is demonstrated. This is highlighted by correlation among endometrial EVs, the trophectodermal proteome following EV uptake, and EV-mediated trophectodermal cellular proteome, important for implantation. This work provides an understanding into molecular mechanisms of endometrial EV-mediated regulation of human trophectoderm functions-fundamental in understanding human endometrium-embryo signaling during implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma Evans
- Endometrial Remodelling Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alin Rai
- Molecular Proteomics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Hong P T Nguyen
- Endometrial Remodelling Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Qi Hui Poh
- Molecular Proteomics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Kirstin Elglass
- Endometrial Remodelling Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Richard J Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Lois A Salamonsen
- Endometrial Remodelling Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Departments of Physiology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - David W Greening
- Molecular Proteomics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
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47
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Gandolfi F, Arcuri S, Pennarossa G, Brevini TAL. New tools for cell reprogramming and conversion: Possible applications to livestock. Anim Reprod 2019; 16:475-484. [PMID: 32435291 PMCID: PMC7234139 DOI: 10.21451/1984-3143-ar2019-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic cell nuclear transfer and iPS are both forms of radical cell reprogramming able to transform a fully differentiated cell type into a totipotent or pluripotent cell. Both processes, however, are hampered by low efficiency and, in the case of iPS, the application to livestock species is uncertain. Epigenetic manipulation has recently emerged as an efficient and robust alternative method for cell reprogramming. It is based upon the use of small molecules that are able to modify the levels of DNA methylation with 5-azacitidyne as one of the most widely used. Among a number of advantages, it includes the fact that it can be applied to domestic species including pig, dog and cat. Treated cells undergo a widespread demethylation which is followed by a renewed methylation pattern induced by specific chemical stimuli that lead to the desired phenotype. A detailed study of the mechanisms of epigenetic manipulation revealed that cell plasticity is achieved through the combined action of a reduced DNA methyl transferase activity with an active demethylation driven by the TET protein family. Surprisingly the same combination of molecular processes leads to the transformation of fibroblasts into iPS and regulate the epigenetic changes that take place during early development and, hence, during reprogramming following SCNT. Finally, it has recently emerged that mechanic stimuli in the form of a 3D cell rearrangement can significantly enhance the efficiency of epigenetic reprogramming as well as of maintenance of pluripotency. Interestingly these mechanic stimuli act on the same mechanisms both in epigenetic cell conversion with 5-Aza-CR and in iPS. We suggest that the balanced combination of epigenetic erasing, 3D cell rearrangement and chemical induction can go a long way to obtain ad hoc cell types that can fully exploit the current exiting development brought by gene editing and animal cloning in livestock production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvio Gandolfi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Sharon Arcuri
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Georgia Pennarossa
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana A L Brevini
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Italy
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48
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Fiorenza MT, Rava A. The TCL1 function revisited focusing on metabolic requirements of stemness. Cell Cycle 2019; 18:3055-3063. [PMID: 31564197 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2019.1672465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The oncogenic ability of the T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1 gene, TCL1, has captured the attention in the field of prolymphocytic T-cell and B-cell chronic leukemias for more than two decades. However, the finding that TCL1 is also expressed in totipotent cells of the mouse preimplantation embryos and that it is among the 10 genes, including the transcription factors Nanog, Oct4, Sox2, Tbx3, and Esrrb, that are required for maintaining the mitotic self-renewal state of embryonic stem cells, raises a great interest. In this review, we highlight newly acquired evidence pinpointing TCL1 as a crucial regulator of metabolic pathways that dictate somatic cell reprogramming toward pluripotency. In our opinion, this feature provides a relevant hint for reframing the role that this factor plays at early stages of mammalian embryo development and in tumorigenesis. Hence, the TCL1-dependent enhancement of serine/threonine AKT/PKB kinase activity favoring cell proliferation appears to be associated to the promotion of glucose transport and activation of glycolytic pathways. This is also consistent with the TCL1 ability to suppress mitochondrial biogenesis and oxygen consumption, downplaying the contribution of oxidative phosphorylation to energy metabolism. It thus appears that TCL1 masters the direction of energy metabolism toward the glycolytic pathway to meet a critical metabolic requirement that goes beyond the mere ATP production. For instance, the synthesis of glycolytic intermediates that are required for DNA synthesis likely represents the most pressing cellular need for both cleavage-stage embryos and rapidly proliferating tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Teresa Fiorenza
- Department of Psychology, Division of Neuroscience and "Daniel Bovet" Neurobiology Research Center, Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia , Rome , Italy
| | - Alessandro Rava
- Department of Psychology, Division of Neuroscience and "Daniel Bovet" Neurobiology Research Center, Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
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49
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Zheng Y, Xue X, Shao Y, Wang S, Esfahani SN, Li Z, Muncie JM, Lakins JN, Weaver VM, Gumucio DL, Fu J. Controlled modelling of human epiblast and amnion development using stem cells. Nature 2019; 573:421-425. [PMID: 31511693 PMCID: PMC8106232 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1535-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Early human embryonic development involves extensive lineage diversification, cell-fate specification and tissue patterning1. Despite its basic and clinical importance, early human embryonic development remains relatively unexplained owing to interspecies divergence2,3 and limited accessibility to human embryo samples. Here we report that human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in a microfluidic device recapitulate, in a highly controllable and scalable fashion, landmarks of the development of the epiblast and amniotic ectoderm parts of the conceptus, including lumenogenesis of the epiblast and the resultant pro-amniotic cavity, formation of a bipolar embryonic sac, and specification of primordial germ cells and primitive streak cells. We further show that amniotic ectoderm-like cells function as a signalling centre to trigger the onset of gastrulation-like events in hPSCs. Given its controllability and scalability, the microfluidic model provides a powerful experimental system to advance knowledge of human embryology and reproduction. This model could assist in the rational design of differentiation protocols of hPSCs for disease modelling and cell therapy, and in high-throughput drug and toxicity screens to prevent pregnancy failure and birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yue Shao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sicong Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Zida Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jonathon M Muncie
- Department of Surgery, Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Johnathon N Lakins
- Department of Surgery, Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Department of Surgery, Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Deborah L Gumucio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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50
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Wang Y, Guo B, Xiao Z, Lin H, Zhang X, Song Y, Li Y, Gao X, Yu J, Shao Z, Li X, Luo Y, Li S. Long noncoding RNA CCDC144NL-AS1 knockdown induces naïve-like state conversion of human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:220. [PMID: 31358062 PMCID: PMC6664583 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1323-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human naïve pluripotency state cells can be derived from direct isolation of inner cell mass or primed-to-naïve resetting of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) through different combinations of transcription factors, small molecular inhibitors, and growth factors. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be crucial in diverse biological processes, including pluripotency regulatory circuit of mouse pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), but few are involved in human PSCs' regulation of pluripotency and naïve pluripotency derivation. This study initially planned to discover more lncRNAs possibly playing significant roles in the regulation of human PSCs' pluripotency, but accidently identified a lncRNA whose knockdown in human PSCs induced naïve-like pluripotency conversion. METHODS Candidate lncRNAs tightly correlated with human pluripotency were screened from 55 RNA-seq data containing human ESC, human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), and somatic tissue samples. Then loss-of-function experiments in human PSCs were performed to investigate the function of these candidate lncRNAs. The naïve-like pluripotency conversion caused by CCDC144NL-AS1 knockdown (KD) was characterized by quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence staining, western blotting, differentiation of hESCs in vitro and in vivo, RNA-seq, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Finally, the signaling pathways in CCDC144NL-AS1-KD human PSCs were examined through western blotting and analysis of RNA-seq data. RESULTS The results indicated that knockdown of CCDC144NL-AS1 induces naïve-like state conversion of human PSCs in the absence of additional transcription factors or small molecular inhibitors. CCDC144NL-AS1-KD human PSCs reveal naïve-like pluripotency features, such as elevated expression of naïve pluripotency-associated genes, increased developmental capacity, analogous transcriptional profiles to human naïve PSCs, and global reduction of repressive chromatin modification marks. Furthermore, CCDC144NL-AS1-KD human PSCs display inhibition of MAPK (ERK), accumulation of active β-catenin, and upregulation of some LIF/STAT3 target genes, and all of these are concordant with previously reported traits of human naïve PSCs. CONCLUSIONS Our study unveils an unexpected role of a lncRNA, CCDC144NL-AS1, in the naïve-like state conversion of human PSCs, providing a new perspective to further understand the regulation process of human early pluripotency states conversion. It is suggested that CCDC144NL-AS1 can be potentially valuable for future research on deriving higher quality naïve state human PSCs and promoting their therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wang
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Baosen Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Zengrong Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Haijun Lin
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Yueqiang Song
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Yalei Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xuehu Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Jinjun Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Zhihua Shao
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Xuekun Li
- The Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Yuping Luo
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China. .,Human Aging Research Institute and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Siguang Li
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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