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Guan G, Chen Y, Wang H, Ouyang Q, Tang C. Characterizing Cellular Physiological States with Three-Dimensional Shape Descriptors for Cell Membranes. MEMBRANES 2024; 14:137. [PMID: 38921504 PMCID: PMC11205511 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14060137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The shape of a cell as defined by its membrane can be closely associated with its physiological state. For example, the irregular shapes of cancerous cells and elongated shapes of neuron cells often reflect specific functions, such as cell motility and cell communication. However, it remains unclear whether and which cell shape descriptors can characterize different cellular physiological states. In this study, 12 geometric shape descriptors for a three-dimensional (3D) object were collected from the previous literature and tested with a public dataset of ~400,000 independent 3D cell regions segmented based on fluorescent labeling of the cell membranes in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. It is revealed that those shape descriptors can faithfully characterize cellular physiological states, including (1) cell division (cytokinesis), along with an abrupt increase in the elongation ratio; (2) a negative correlation of cell migration speed with cell sphericity; (3) cell lineage specification with symmetrically patterned cell shape changes; and (4) cell fate specification with differential gene expression and differential cell shapes. The descriptors established may be used to identify and predict the diverse physiological states in numerous cells, which could be used for not only studying developmental morphogenesis but also diagnosing human disease (e.g., the rapid detection of abnormal cells).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoye Guan
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (G.G.); (Q.O.)
| | - Yixuan Chen
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| | - Hongli Wang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (G.G.); (Q.O.)
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| | - Qi Ouyang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (G.G.); (Q.O.)
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (G.G.); (Q.O.)
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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2
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Zhang L, Xue G, Zhou X, Huang J, Li Z. A mathematical framework for understanding the spontaneous emergence of complexity applicable to growing multicellular systems. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011882. [PMID: 38838038 PMCID: PMC11182560 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011882] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In embryonic development and organogenesis, cells sharing identical genetic codes acquire diverse gene expression states in a highly reproducible spatial distribution, crucial for multicellular formation and quantifiable through positional information. To understand the spontaneous growth of complexity, we constructed a one-dimensional division-decision model, simulating the growth of cells with identical genetic networks from a single cell. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of cell division in providing positional cues, escorting the system toward states rich in information. Moreover, we pinpointed lateral inhibition as a critical mechanism translating spatial contacts into gene expression. Our model demonstrates that the spatial arrangement resulting from cell division, combined with cell lineages, imparts positional information, specifying multiple cell states with increased complexity-illustrated through examples in C.elegans. This study constitutes a foundational step in comprehending developmental intricacies, paving the way for future quantitative formulations to construct synthetic multicellular patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Xue
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiandong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Guan G, Luo C, Tang LH, Tang C. Modulating cell proliferation by asymmetric division: A conserved pattern in the early embryogenesis of nematode species. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001006. [PMID: 38505394 PMCID: PMC10949086 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
In the early stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, the zygote divides asymmetrically into a symmetric fast lineage and an asymmetric slow lineage, producing 16 and 8 cells respectively almost at the same time, followed by the onset of gastrulation. It was recently reported that this cell division pattern is optimal for rapid cell proliferation. In this work, we compare the cell lineages of 9 nematode species, revealing that this pattern is conserved for >60 million years. It further suggests that such lineage design has an important functional role and it might speed up embryonic development in the nematode kingdom, not limited to C. elegans , and independent of the maternal-zygotic transition dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoye Guan
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University
- South Bay Interdisciplinary Science Center, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Current Address: Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School
- Current Address: Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
| | - Ce Luo
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University
| | - Lei-Han Tang
- South Bay Interdisciplinary Science Center, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University
- School of Physics, Peking University
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Kuang X, Guan G, Tang C, Zhang L. MorphoSim: an efficient and scalable phase-field framework for accurately simulating multicellular morphologies. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:6. [PMID: 36806172 PMCID: PMC9938209 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00265-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The phase field model can accurately simulate the evolution of microstructures with complex morphologies, and it has been widely used for cell modeling in the last two decades. However, compared to other cellular models such as the coarse-grained model and the vertex model, its high computational cost caused by three-dimensional spatial discretization hampered its application and scalability, especially for multicellular organisms. Recently, we built a phase field model coupled with in vivo imaging data to accurately reconstruct the embryonic morphogenesis of Caenorhabditis elegans from 1- to 8-cell stages. In this work, we propose an improved phase field model by using the stabilized numerical scheme and modified volume constriction. Then we present a scalable phase-field framework, MorphoSim, which is 100 times more efficient than the previous one and can simulate over 100 mechanically interacting cells. Finally, we demonstrate how MorphoSim can be successfully applied to reproduce the assembly, self-repairing, and dissociation of a synthetic artificial multicellular system - the synNotch system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Kuang
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Guoye Guan
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Lei Zhang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Center for Machine Learning Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Torres-Sánchez A, Kerr Winter M, Salbreux G. Interacting active surfaces: A model for three-dimensional cell aggregates. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010762. [PMID: 36525467 PMCID: PMC9803321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a modelling and simulation framework for cell aggregates in three dimensions based on interacting active surfaces. Cell mechanics is captured by a physical description of the acto-myosin cortex that includes cortical flows, viscous forces, active tensions, and bending moments. Cells interact with each other via short-range forces capturing the effect of adhesion molecules. We discretise the model equations using a finite element method, and provide a parallel implementation in C++. We discuss examples of application of this framework to small and medium-sized aggregates: we consider the shape and dynamics of a cell doublet, a planar cell sheet, and a growing cell aggregate. This framework opens the door to the systematic exploration of the cell to tissue-scale mechanics of cell aggregates, which plays a key role in the morphogenesis of embryos and organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Max Kerr Winter
- Theoretical Physics of Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guillaume Salbreux
- Theoretical Physics of Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Fuji K, Tanida S, Sano M, Nonomura M, Riveline D, Honda H, Hiraiwa T. Computational approaches for simulating luminogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:173-185. [PMID: 35773151 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Lumens, liquid-filled cavities surrounded by polarized tissue cells, are elementary units involved in the morphogenesis of organs. Theoretical modeling and computations, which can integrate various factors involved in biophysics of morphogenesis of cell assembly and lumens, may play significant roles to elucidate the mechanisms in formation of such complex tissue with lumens. However, up to present, it has not been documented well what computational approaches or frameworks can be applied for this purpose and how we can choose the appropriate approach for each problem. In this review, we report some typical lumen morphologies and basic mechanisms for the development of lumens, focusing on three keywords - mechanics, hydraulics and geometry - while outlining pros and cons of the current main computational strategies. We also describe brief guidance of readouts, i.e., what we should measure in experiments to make the comparison with the model's assumptions and predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Fuji
- Universal Biology Institute, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Sakurako Tanida
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Sano
- Institute of Natural Sciences, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Makiko Nonomura
- Department of Mathematical Information Engineering, College of Industrial Technology, Nihon University, 1-2-1 Izumicho, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-8575, Japan
| | - Daniel Riveline
- Laboratory of Cell Physics IGBMC, CNRS, INSERM and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hisao Honda
- Division of Cell Physiology, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hiraiwa
- Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117411, Singapore.
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Guan G, Zhao Z, Tang C. Delineating mechanisms and design principles of Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis using in toto high-resolution imaging data and computational modeling. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5500-5515. [PMID: 36284714 PMCID: PMC9562942 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode (roundworm) Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most popular animal models for the study of developmental biology, as its invariant development and transparent body enable in toto cellular-resolution fluorescence microscopy imaging of developmental processes at 1-min intervals. This has led to the development of various computational tools for the systematic and automated analysis of imaging data to delineate the molecular and cellular processes throughout the embryogenesis of C. elegans, such as those associated with cell lineage, cell migration, cell morphology, and gene activity. In this review, we first introduce C. elegans embryogenesis and the development of techniques for tracking cell lineage and reconstructing cell morphology during this process. We then contrast the developmental modes of C. elegans and the customized technologies used for studying them with the ones of other animal models, highlighting its advantage for studying embryogenesis with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution. This is followed by an examination of the physical models that have been devised—based on accurate determinations of developmental processes afforded by analyses of imaging data—to interpret the early embryonic development of C. elegans from subcellular to intercellular levels of multiple cells, which focus on two key processes: cell polarization and morphogenesis. We subsequently discuss how quantitative data-based theoretical modeling has improved our understanding of the mechanisms of C. elegans embryogenesis. We conclude by summarizing the challenges associated with the acquisition of C. elegans embryogenesis data, the construction of algorithms to analyze them, and the theoretical interpretation.
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