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Santini L, Kowald S, Cerron-Alvan LM, Huth M, Fabing AP, Sestini G, Rivron N, Leeb M. FoxO transcription factors actuate the formative pluripotency specific gene expression programme. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7879. [PMID: 39251582 PMCID: PMC11384738 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51794-9] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Naïve pluripotency is sustained by a self-reinforcing gene regulatory network (GRN) comprising core and naïve pluripotency-specific transcription factors (TFs). Upon exiting naïve pluripotency, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) transition through a formative post-implantation-like pluripotent state, where they acquire competence for lineage choice. However, the mechanisms underlying disengagement from the naïve GRN and initiation of the formative GRN are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylated AKT acts as a gatekeeper that prevents nuclear localisation of FoxO TFs in naïve ESCs. PTEN-mediated reduction of AKT activity upon exit from naïve pluripotency allows nuclear entry of FoxO TFs, enforcing a cell fate transition by binding and activating formative pluripotency-specific enhancers. Indeed, FoxO TFs are necessary and sufficient for the activation of the formative pluripotency-specific GRN. Our work uncovers a pivotal role for FoxO TFs in establishing formative post-implantation pluripotency, a critical early embryonic cell fate transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Santini
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Saskia Kowald
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luis Miguel Cerron-Alvan
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michelle Huth
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Philina Fabing
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giovanni Sestini
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Leeb
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Unger Avila P, Padvitski T, Leote AC, Chen H, Saez-Rodriguez J, Kann M, Beyer A. Gene regulatory networks in disease and ageing. Nat Rev Nephrol 2024; 20:616-633. [PMID: 38867109 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-024-00849-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The precise control of gene expression is required for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and proper cellular function, and the declining control of gene expression with age is considered a major contributor to age-associated changes in cellular physiology and disease. The coordination of gene expression can be represented through models of the molecular interactions that govern gene expression levels, so-called gene regulatory networks. Gene regulatory networks can represent interactions that occur through signal transduction, those that involve regulatory transcription factors, or statistical models of gene-gene relationships based on the premise that certain sets of genes tend to be coexpressed across a range of conditions and cell types. Advances in experimental and computational technologies have enabled the inference of these networks on an unprecedented scale and at unprecedented precision. Here, we delineate different types of gene regulatory networks and their cell-biological interpretation. We describe methods for inferring such networks from large-scale, multi-omics datasets and present applications that have aided our understanding of cellular ageing and disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Unger Avila
- Cluster of Excellence on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tsimafei Padvitski
- Cluster of Excellence on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ana Carolina Leote
- Cluster of Excellence on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - He Chen
- Cluster of Excellence on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julio Saez-Rodriguez
- Faculty of Medicine and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Kann
- Department II of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cluster of Excellence on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Genetics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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3
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Niharika, Ureka L, Roy A, Patra SK. Dissecting SOX2 expression and function reveals an association with multiple signaling pathways during embryonic development and in cancer progression. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189136. [PMID: 38880162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189136] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
SRY (Sex Determining Region) box 2 (SOX2) is an essential transcription factor that plays crucial roles in activating genes involved in pre- and post-embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis, and lineage specifications. SOX2 maintains the self-renewal property of stem cells and is involved in the generation of induced pluripotency stem cells. SOX2 protein contains a particular high-mobility group domain that enables SOX2 to achieve the capacity to participate in a broad variety of functions. The information about the involvement of SOX2 with gene regulatory elements, signaling networks, and microRNA is gradually emerging, and the higher expression of SOX2 is functionally relevant to various cancer types. SOX2 facilitates the oncogenic phenotype via cellular proliferation and enhancement of invasive tumor properties. Evidence are accumulating in favor of three dimensional (higher order) folding of chromatin and epigenetic control of the SOX2 gene by chromatin modifications, which implies that the expression level of SOX2 can be modulated by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, specifically, via DNA methylation and histone H3 modification. In view of this, and to focus further insights into the roles SOX2 plays in physiological functions, involvement of SOX2 during development, precisely, the advances of our knowledge in pre- and post-embryonic development, and interactions of SOX2 in this scenario with various signaling pathways in tumor development and cancer progression, its potential as a therapeutic target against many cancers are summarized and discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lina Ureka
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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4
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Mellis IA, Melzer ME, Bodkin N, Goyal Y. Prevalence of and gene regulatory constraints on transcriptional adaptation in single cells. Genome Biol 2024; 25:217. [PMID: 39135102 PMCID: PMC11320884 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03351-2] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cells and tissues have a remarkable ability to adapt to genetic perturbations via a variety of molecular mechanisms. Nonsense-induced transcriptional compensation, a form of transcriptional adaptation, has recently emerged as one such mechanism, in which nonsense mutations in a gene trigger upregulation of related genes, possibly conferring robustness at cellular and organismal levels. However, beyond a handful of developmental contexts and curated sets of genes, no comprehensive genome-wide investigation of this behavior has been undertaken for mammalian cell types and conditions. How the regulatory-level effects of inherently stochastic compensatory gene networks contribute to phenotypic penetrance in single cells remains unclear. RESULTS We analyze existing bulk and single-cell transcriptomic datasets to uncover the prevalence of transcriptional adaptation in mammalian systems across diverse contexts and cell types. We perform regulon gene expression analyses of transcription factor target sets in both bulk and pooled single-cell genetic perturbation datasets. Our results reveal greater robustness in expression of regulons of transcription factors exhibiting transcriptional adaptation compared to those of transcription factors that do not. Stochastic mathematical modeling of minimal compensatory gene networks qualitatively recapitulates several aspects of transcriptional adaptation, including paralog upregulation and robustness to mutation. Combined with machine learning analysis of network features of interest, our framework offers potential explanations for which regulatory steps are most important for transcriptional adaptation. CONCLUSIONS Our integrative approach identifies several putative hits-genes demonstrating possible transcriptional adaptation-to follow-up on experimentally and provides a formal quantitative framework to test and refine models of transcriptional adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Mellis
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Madeline E Melzer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicholas Bodkin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- CZ Biohub Chicago, LLC, Chicago, IL, USA.
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5
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Lando D, Ma X, Cao Y, Jartseva A, Stevens TJ, Boucher W, Reynolds N, Montibus B, Hall D, Lackner A, Ragheb R, Leeb M, Hendrich BD, Laue ED. Enhancer-promoter interactions are reconfigured through the formation of long-range multiway hubs as mouse ES cells exit pluripotency. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1406-1421.e8. [PMID: 38490199 PMCID: PMC7616059 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.02.015] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers bind transcription factors, chromatin regulators, and non-coding transcripts to modulate the expression of target genes. Here, we report 3D genome structures of single mouse ES cells as they are induced to exit pluripotency and transition through a formative stage prior to undergoing neuroectodermal differentiation. We find that there is a remarkable reorganization of 3D genome structure where inter-chromosomal intermingling increases dramatically in the formative state. This intermingling is associated with the formation of a large number of multiway hubs that bring together enhancers and promoters with similar chromatin states from typically 5-8 distant chromosomal sites that are often separated by many Mb from each other. In the formative state, genes important for pluripotency exit establish contacts with emerging enhancers within these multiway hubs, suggesting that the structural changes we have observed may play an important role in modulating transcription and establishing new cell identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lando
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Xiaoyan Ma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | | | - Tim J Stevens
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Wayne Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Nicola Reynolds
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Bertille Montibus
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Dominic Hall
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Andreas Lackner
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ramy Ragheb
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Martin Leeb
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brian D Hendrich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - Ernest D Laue
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
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6
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Carvalho S, Zea-Redondo L, Tang TCC, Stachel-Braum P, Miller D, Caldas P, Kukalev A, Diecke S, Grosswendt S, Grosso AR, Pombo A. SRRM2 splicing factor modulates cell fate in early development. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060415. [PMID: 38656788 PMCID: PMC11070786 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryo development is an orchestrated process that relies on tight regulation of gene expression to guide cell differentiation and fate decisions. The Srrm2 splicing factor has recently been implicated in developmental disorders and diseases, but its role in early mammalian development remains unexplored. Here, we show that Srrm2 dosage is critical for maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency and cell identity. Srrm2 heterozygosity promotes loss of stemness, characterised by the coexistence of cells expressing naive and formative pluripotency markers, together with extensive changes in gene expression, including genes regulated by serum-response transcription factor (SRF) and differentiation-related genes. Depletion of Srrm2 by RNA interference in embryonic stem cells shows that the earliest effects of Srrm2 heterozygosity are specific alternative splicing events on a small number of genes, followed by expression changes in metabolism and differentiation-related genes. Our findings unveil molecular and cellular roles of Srrm2 in stemness and lineage commitment, shedding light on the roles of splicing regulators in early embryogenesis, developmental diseases and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Carvalho
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology (GABBA), ICBAS, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luna Zea-Redondo
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tsz Ching Chloe Tang
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Stachel-Braum
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Exploratory Diagnostic Sciences (EDS) 10178 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), From Cell State to Function Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Duncan Miller
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Pluripotent Stem Cells Platform, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paulo Caldas
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Alexander Kukalev
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Diecke
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Pluripotent Stem Cells Platform, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Grosswendt
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Exploratory Diagnostic Sciences (EDS) 10178 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), From Cell State to Function Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ana Rita Grosso
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana Pombo
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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7
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Zhao H, Li D, Xiao X, Liu C, Chen G, Su X, Yan Z, Gu S, Wang Y, Li G, Feng J, Li W, Chen P, Yang J, Li Q. Pluripotency state transition of embryonic stem cells requires the turnover of histone chaperone FACT on chromatin. iScience 2024; 27:108537. [PMID: 38213626 PMCID: PMC10783625 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) begins with the transition from the naive to the primed state. The formative state was recently established as a critical intermediate between the two states. Here, we demonstrate the role of the histone chaperone FACT in regulating the naive-to-formative transition. We found that the Q265K mutation in the FACT subunit SSRP1 increased the binding of FACT to histone H3-H4, impaired nucleosome disassembly in vitro, and reduced the turnover of FACT on chromatin in vivo. Strikingly, mouse ESCs harboring this mutation showed elevated naive-to-formative transition. Mechanistically, the SSRP1-Q265K mutation enriched FACT at the enhancers of formative-specific genes to increase targeted gene expression. Together, these findings suggest that the turnover of FACT on chromatin is crucial for regulating the enhancers of formative-specific genes, thereby mediating the naive-to-formative transition. This study highlights the significance of FACT in fine-tuning cell fate transition during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Di Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xue Xiao
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Cuifang Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guifang Chen
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaoyu Su
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhenxin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shijia Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yizhou Wang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianxun Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wei Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jiayi Yang
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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8
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Montibus B, Ragheb R, Diamanti E, Dunn SJ, Reynolds N, Hendrich B. The Nucleosome Remodelling and Deacetylation complex coordinates the transcriptional response to lineage commitment in pluripotent cells. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060101. [PMID: 38149716 PMCID: PMC10836651 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As cells exit the pluripotent state and begin to commit to a specific lineage they must activate genes appropriate for that lineage while silencing genes associated with pluripotency and preventing activation of lineage-inappropriate genes. The Nucleosome Remodelling and Deacetylation (NuRD) complex is essential for pluripotent cells to successfully undergo lineage commitment. NuRD controls nucleosome density at regulatory sequences to facilitate transcriptional responses, and also has been shown to prevent unscheduled transcription (transcriptional noise) in undifferentiated pluripotent cells. How these activities combine to ensure cells engage a gene expression program suitable for successful lineage commitment has not been determined. Here, we show that NuRD is not required to silence all genes. Rather, it restricts expression of genes primed for activation upon exit from the pluripotent state, but maintains them in a transcriptionally permissive state in self-renewing conditions, which facilitates their subsequent activation upon exit from naïve pluripotency. We further show that NuRD coordinates gene expression changes, which acts to maintain a barrier between different stable states. Thus NuRD-mediated chromatin remodelling serves multiple functions, including reducing transcriptional noise, priming genes for activation and coordinating the transcriptional response to facilitate lineage commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertille Montibus
- Wellcome – MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Ramy Ragheb
- Wellcome – MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Evangelia Diamanti
- Wellcome – MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Sara-Jane Dunn
- Microsoft Research, 21 Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2FB, UK
| | - Nicola Reynolds
- Wellcome – MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Hendrich
- Wellcome – MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
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9
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Zhang W, Sun S, Wang Q, Li X, Xu M, Li Q, Zhao Y, Peng K, Yao C, Wang Y, Chang Y, Liu Y, Wu X, Gao Q, Shuai L. Haploid-genetic screening of trophectoderm specification identifies Dyrk1a as a repressor of totipotent-like status. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi5683. [PMID: 38117886 PMCID: PMC10732524 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Trophectoderm (TE) and the inner cell mass are the first two lineages in murine embryogenesis and cannot naturally transit to each other. The barriers between them are unclear and fascinating. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) retain the identities of inner cell mass and TE, respectively, and, thus, are ideal platforms to investigate these lineages in vitro. Here, we develop a loss-of-function genetic screening in haploid ESCs and reveal many mutations involved in the conversion of TSCs. The disruption of either Catip or Dyrk1a (candidates) in ESCs facilitates the conversion of TSCs. According to transcriptome analysis, we find that the repression of Dyrk1a activates totipotency, which is a possible reason for TE specification. Dyrk1a-null ESCs can contribute to embryonic and extraembryonic tissues in chimeras and can efficiently form blastocyst-like structures, indicating their totipotent developmental abilities. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying cell fate alternation in embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Shengyi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yiding Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Keli Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Chunmeng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yuna Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ying Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Xudong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Qian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ling Shuai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
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10
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Benedum J, Franke V, Appel LM, Walch L, Bruno M, Schneeweiss R, Gruber J, Oberndorfer H, Frank E, Strobl X, Polyansky A, Zagrovic B, Akalin A, Slade D. The SPOC proteins DIDO3 and PHF3 co-regulate gene expression and neuronal differentiation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7912. [PMID: 38036524 PMCID: PMC10689479 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43724-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription is regulated by a multitude of activators and repressors, which bind to the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) machinery and modulate its progression. Death-inducer obliterator 3 (DIDO3) and PHD finger protein 3 (PHF3) are paralogue proteins that regulate transcription elongation by docking onto phosphorylated serine-2 in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of Pol II through their SPOC domains. Here, we show that DIDO3 and PHF3 form a complex that bridges the Pol II elongation machinery with chromatin and RNA processing factors and tethers Pol II in a phase-separated microenvironment. Their SPOC domains and C-terminal intrinsically disordered regions are critical for transcription regulation. PHF3 and DIDO exert cooperative and antagonistic effects on the expression of neuronal genes and are both essential for neuronal differentiation. In the absence of PHF3, DIDO3 is upregulated as a compensatory mechanism. In addition to shared gene targets, DIDO specifically regulates genes required for lipid metabolism. Collectively, our work reveals multiple layers of gene expression regulation by the DIDO3 and PHF3 paralogues, which have specific, co-regulatory and redundant functions in transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Benedum
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vedran Franke
- The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa-Marie Appel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lena Walch
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Melania Bruno
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rebecca Schneeweiss
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juliane Gruber
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helena Oberndorfer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emma Frank
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Xué Strobl
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anton Polyansky
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bojan Zagrovic
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Altuna Akalin
- The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dea Slade
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Mellis IA, Bodkin N, Melzer ME, Goyal Y. Prevalence of and gene regulatory constraints on transcriptional adaptation in single cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.553318. [PMID: 37645989 PMCID: PMC10462021 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Cells and tissues have a remarkable ability to adapt to genetic perturbations via a variety of molecular mechanisms. Nonsense-induced transcriptional compensation, a form of transcriptional adaptation, has recently emerged as one such mechanism, in which nonsense mutations in a gene can trigger upregulation of related genes, possibly conferring robustness at cellular and organismal levels. However, beyond a handful of developmental contexts and curated sets of genes, to date, no comprehensive genome-wide investigation of this behavior has been undertaken for mammalian cell types and contexts. Moreover, how the regulatory-level effects of inherently stochastic compensatory gene networks contribute to phenotypic penetrance in single cells remains unclear. Here we combine computational analysis of existing datasets with stochastic mathematical modeling and machine learning to uncover the widespread prevalence of transcriptional adaptation in mammalian systems and the diverse single-cell manifestations of minimal compensatory gene networks. Regulon gene expression analysis of a pooled single-cell genetic perturbation dataset recapitulates important model predictions. Our integrative approach uncovers several putative hits-genes demonstrating possible transcriptional adaptation-to follow up on experimentally, and provides a formal quantitative framework to test and refine models of transcriptional adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A. Mellis
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Bodkin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Madeline E. Melzer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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12
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Zhang H, Yang T, Wu H, Yi W, Dai C, Chen X, Zhang W, Ye Y. MPP8 Governs the Activity of the LIF/STAT3 Pathway and Plays a Crucial Role in the Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Cells 2023; 12:2023. [PMID: 37626833 PMCID: PMC10453500 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162023] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) possess the remarkable characteristics of unlimited self-renewal and pluripotency, which render them highly valuable for both fundamental research and clinical applications. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying mESC function is of the utmost importance. The Human Silence Hub (HUSH) complex, comprising FAM208A, MPP8, and periphilin, constitutes an epigenetic silencing complex involved in suppressing retroviruses and transposons during early embryonic development. However, its precise role in regulating mESC pluripotency and differentiation remains elusive. In this study, we generated homogenous miniIAA7-tagged Mpp8 mouse ES cell lines. Upon induction of MPP8 protein degradation, we observed the impaired proliferation and reduced colony formation ability of mESCs. Furthermore, this study unveils the involvement of MPP8 in regulating the activity of the LIF/STAT3 signaling pathway and Nanog expression in mESCs. Finally, we provide compelling evidence that degradation of the MPP8 protein impairs the differentiation of mESC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyao Zhang
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Tenghui Yang
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wen Yi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China (X.C.)
| | - Chunhong Dai
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China (X.C.)
| | - Wensheng Zhang
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Zhejiang Stem and Ageing Research (Z-StAR) Institute, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
| | - Ying Ye
- Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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13
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Lackner A, Müller M, Gamperl M, Stoeva D, Langmann O, Papuchova H, Roitinger E, Dürnberger G, Imre R, Mechtler K, Latos PA. The Fgf/Erf/NCoR1/2 repressive axis controls trophoblast cell fate. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2559. [PMID: 37137875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38101-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental development relies on coordinated cell fate decisions governed by signalling inputs. However, little is known about how signalling cues are transformed into repressive mechanisms triggering lineage-specific transcriptional signatures. Here, we demonstrate that upon inhibition of the Fgf/Erk pathway in mouse trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), the Ets2 repressor factor (Erf) interacts with the Nuclear Receptor Co-Repressor Complex 1 and 2 (NCoR1/2) and recruits it to key trophoblast genes. Genetic ablation of Erf or Tbl1x (a component of the NCoR1/2 complex) abrogates the Erf/NCoR1/2 interaction. This leads to mis-expression of Erf/NCoR1/2 target genes, resulting in a TSC differentiation defect. Mechanistically, Erf regulates expression of these genes by recruiting the NCoR1/2 complex and decommissioning their H3K27ac-dependent enhancers. Our findings uncover how the Fgf/Erf/NCoR1/2 repressive axis governs cell fate and placental development, providing a paradigm for Fgf-mediated transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lackner
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Müller
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Gamperl
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Delyana Stoeva
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olivia Langmann
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Henrieta Papuchova
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Richard Imre
- Institute of Molecular Pathology, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl Mechtler
- Institute of Molecular Pathology, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paulina A Latos
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Carbognin E, Carlini V, Panariello F, Chieregato M, Guerzoni E, Benvegnù D, Perrera V, Malucelli C, Cesana M, Grimaldi A, Mutarelli M, Carissimo A, Tannenbaum E, Kugler H, Hackett JA, Cacchiarelli D, Martello G. Esrrb guides naive pluripotent cells through the formative transcriptional programme. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:643-657. [PMID: 37106060 PMCID: PMC7614557 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01131-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, naive pluripotent epiblast cells transit to a formative state. The formative epiblast cells form a polarized epithelium, exhibit distinct transcriptional and epigenetic profiles and acquire competence to differentiate into all somatic and germline lineages. However, we have limited understanding of how the transition to a formative state is molecularly controlled. Here we used murine embryonic stem cell models to show that ESRRB is both required and sufficient to activate formative genes. Genetic inactivation of Esrrb leads to illegitimate expression of mesendoderm and extra-embryonic markers, impaired formative expression and failure to self-organize in 3D. Functionally, this results in impaired ability to generate formative stem cells and primordial germ cells in the absence of Esrrb. Computational modelling and genomic analyses revealed that ESRRB occupies key formative genes in naive cells and throughout the formative state. In so doing, ESRRB kickstarts the formative transition, leading to timely and unbiased capacity for multi-lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Carbognin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Valentina Carlini
- Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)-Rome, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Rome, Italy
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francesco Panariello
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | | | - Elena Guerzoni
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Perrera
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Cristina Malucelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Marcella Cesana
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Grimaldi
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Margherita Mutarelli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti 'Eduardo Caianiello', Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Annamaria Carissimo
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo 'Mauro Picone,' Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, Italy
| | - Eitan Tannenbaum
- The Faculty of Engineering, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hillel Kugler
- The Faculty of Engineering, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Jamie A Hackett
- Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)-Rome, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Rome, Italy.
| | - Davide Cacchiarelli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Pozzuoli, Italy.
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy.
- School for Advanced Studies, Genomics and Experimental Medicine Program, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy.
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15
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Furlan G, Huyghe A, Combémorel N, Lavial F. Molecular versatility during pluripotency progression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:68. [PMID: 36604434 PMCID: PMC9814743 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35775-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A challenge during development is to ensure lineage segregation while preserving plasticity. Using pluripotency progression as a paradigm, we review how developmental transitions are coordinated by redeployments, rather than global resettings, of cellular components. We highlight how changes in response to extrinsic cues (FGF, WNT, Activin/Nodal, Netrin-1), context- and stoichiometry-dependent action of transcription factors (Oct4, Nanog) and reconfigurations of epigenetic regulators (enhancers, promoters, TrxG, PRC) may confer robustness to naïve to primed pluripotency transition. We propose the notion of Molecular Versatility to regroup mechanisms by which molecules are repurposed to exert different, sometimes opposite, functions in close stem cell configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Furlan
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aurélia Huyghe
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Noémie Combémorel
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France
| | - Fabrice Lavial
- Cellular reprogramming, stem cells and oncogenesis laboratory - Equipe labellisée La Ligue Contre le Cancer - LabEx Dev2Can - Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, 69008, France.
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16
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Deng M, Wang X, Xiong Z, Tang P. Control of RNA degradation in cell fate decision. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1164546. [PMID: 37025171 PMCID: PMC10070868 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1164546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell fate is shaped by a unique gene expression program, which reflects the concerted action of multilayered precise regulation. Substantial research attention has been paid to the contribution of RNA biogenesis to cell fate decisions. However, increasing evidence shows that RNA degradation, well known for its function in RNA processing and the surveillance of aberrant transcripts, is broadly engaged in cell fate decisions, such as maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), stem cell differentiation, or somatic cell reprogramming. In this review, we first look at the diverse RNA degradation pathways in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Then, we summarize how selective transcript clearance is regulated and integrated into the gene expression regulation network for the establishment, maintenance, and exit from a special cellular state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqiang Deng
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiwei Wang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhi Xiong
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Tang
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Tang,
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17
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Yang J, Xu H, Li C, Li Z, Hu Z. An explorative study for leveraging transcriptomic data of embryonic stem cells in mining cancer stemness genes, regulators, and networks. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2022; 19:13949-13966. [PMID: 36654075 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2022650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Due to the exquisite ability of cancer stemness to facilitate tumor initiation, metastasis, and cancer therapy resistance, targeting cancer stemness is expected to have clinical implications for cancer treatment. Genes are fundamental for forming and maintaining stemness. Considering shared genetic programs and pathways between embryonic stem cells and cancer stem cells, we conducted a study analyzing transcriptomic data of embryonic stem cells for mining potential cancer stemness genes. Firstly, we integrated co-expression and regression models and predicted 820 stemness genes. Results of gene enrichment analysis confirmed the good prediction performance for enriched signatures in cancer stem cells. Secondly, we provided an application case using the predicted stemness genes to construct a breast cancer stemness network. Mining on the network identified CD44, SOX2, TWIST1, and DLG4 as potential regulators of breast cancer stemness. Thirdly, using the signature of 31,028 chemical perturbations and their correlation with stemness marker genes, we predicted 67 stemness inhibitors with reasonable accuracy of 78%. Two drugs, namely Rigosertib and Proscillaridin A, were first identified as potential stemness inhibitors for melanoma and colon cancer, respectively. Overall, mining embryonic stem cell data provides a valuable way to identify cancer stemness regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Yang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- BoYu Intelligent Health Innovation Laboratory, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong 524001, China
| | - Congshu Li
- BoYu Intelligent Health Innovation Laboratory, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhenhao Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- BoYu Intelligent Health Innovation Laboratory, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhe Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong 524001, China
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18
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Romeike M, Spach S, Huber M, Feng S, Vainorius G, Elling U, Versteeg GA, Buecker C. Transient upregulation of IRF1 during exit from naive pluripotency confers viral protection. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e55375. [PMID: 35852463 PMCID: PMC9442322 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255375] [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: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells intrinsically express a subset of genes which are normally associated with interferon stimulation and the innate immune response. However, the expression of these interferon‐stimulated genes (ISG) in stem cells is independent from external stimuli such as viral infection. Here, we show that the interferon regulatory factor 1, Irf1, is directly controlled by the murine formative pluripotency gene regulatory network and transiently upregulated during the transition from naive to formative pluripotency. IRF1 binds to regulatory regions of a conserved set of ISGs and is required for their faithful expression upon exit from naive pluripotency. We show that in the absence of IRF1, cells exiting the naive pluripotent stem cell state are more susceptible to viral infection. Irf1 therefore acts as a link between the formative pluripotency network, regulation of innate immunity genes, and defense against viral infections during formative pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merrit Romeike
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program A Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Stephanie Spach
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Marie Huber
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Songjie Feng
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program A Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Gintautas Vainorius
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program A Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA) Vienna Biocenter (VBC) Vienna Austria
| | - Ulrich Elling
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA) Vienna Biocenter (VBC) Vienna Austria
| | - Gjis A Versteeg
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Christa Buecker
- Max Perutz Labs Vienna Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna Vienna Austria
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19
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Gao C, Qi X, Gao X, Li J, Qin Y, Yin Y, Gao F, Feng T, Wu S, Du X. A Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen Identifies Factors Regulating Pluripotency Exit in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152289. [PMID: 35892587 PMCID: PMC9331787 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotency maintenance and exit in embryonic stem cells is a focal topic in stem cell biology. However, the effects of screening under very stringent culture conditions (e.g., differentiation medium, no leukemia inhibitory factor, no chemical inhibitors such as PD0325901 and CHIR99021, and no feeder cells) and of prolonging culture for key factors that regulate pluripotency exit, have not yet been reported. Here, we used a genome-wide CRISPR library to perform such a screen in mouse embryonic stem cells. Naïve NANOG-GFP mESCs were first transfected with a mouse genome-wide CRISPR knockout library to obtain a mutant mESCs library, followed by screening for two months in a strict N2B27 differentiation medium. The clones that survived our stringent screening were analyzed to identify the inserted sgRNAs. In addition to identifying the enriched genes that were reported in previous studies (Socs3, Tsc1, Trp53, Nf2, Tcf7l1, Csnk1a1, and Dhx30), we found 17 unreported genes, among which Zfp771 and Olfr769 appeared to be involved in pluripotency exit. Furthermore, Zfp771 knockout ESCs showed a differentiation delay in embryonic chimera experiments, indicating Zfp771 played an important role in pluripotency exit. Our results show that stringent screening with the CRISPR library can reveal key regulators of pluripotency exit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Xiaolan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China;
| | - Xin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Yumin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Yunjun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
| | - Tao Feng
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China;
| | - Sen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China;
- Correspondence: (S.W.); (X.D.); Tel.: +86-10-62733075 (S.W.)
| | - Xuguang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (C.G.); (X.G.); (J.L.); (Y.Q.); (Y.Y.); (F.G.)
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China;
- Correspondence: (S.W.); (X.D.); Tel.: +86-10-62733075 (S.W.)
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20
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Minchiotti G, D’Aniello C, Fico A, De Cesare D, Patriarca EJ. Capturing Transitional Pluripotency through Proline Metabolism. Cells 2022; 11:cells11142125. [PMID: 35883568 PMCID: PMC9323356 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of proline metabolism in the control of the identity of Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). An imbalance in proline metabolism shifts mouse ESCs toward a stable naïve-to-primed intermediate state of pluripotency. Proline-induced cells (PiCs), also named primitive ectoderm-like cells (EPLs), are phenotypically metastable, a trait linked to a rapid and reversible relocalization of E-cadherin from the plasma membrane to intracellular membrane compartments. The ESC-to-PiC transition relies on the activation of Erk and Tgfβ/Activin signaling pathways and is associated with extensive remodeling of the transcriptome, metabolome and epigenome. PiCs maintain several properties of naïve pluripotency (teratoma formation, blastocyst colonization and 3D gastruloid development) and acquire a few traits of primed cells (flat-shaped colony morphology, aerobic glycolysis metabolism and competence for primordial germ cell fate). Overall, the molecular and phenotypic features of PiCs resemble those of an early-primed state of pluripotency, providing a robust model to study the role of metabolic perturbations in pluripotency and cell fate decisions.
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21
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Transcription factor networks in trophoblast development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:337. [PMID: 35657505 PMCID: PMC9166831 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04363-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The placenta sustains embryonic development and is critical for a successful pregnancy outcome. It provides the site of exchange between the mother and the embryo, has immunological functions and is a vital endocrine organ. To perform these diverse roles, the placenta comprises highly specialized trophoblast cell types, including syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast. The coordinated actions of transcription factors (TFs) regulate their emergence during development, subsequent specialization, and identity. These TFs integrate diverse signaling cues, form TF networks, associate with chromatin remodeling and modifying factors, and collectively determine the cell type-specific characteristics. Here, we summarize the general properties of TFs, provide an overview of TFs involved in the development and function of the human trophoblast, and address similarities and differences to their murine orthologs. In addition, we discuss how the recent establishment of human in vitro models combined with -omics approaches propel our knowledge and transform the human trophoblast field.
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22
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Xu M, Zhao Y, Zhang W, Geng M, Liu Q, Gao Q, Shuai L. Genome-scale screening in a rat haploid system identifies Thop1 as a modulator of pluripotency exit. Cell Prolif 2022; 55:e13209. [PMID: 35274380 PMCID: PMC9055895 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The rats are crucial animal models for the basic medical researches. Rat embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are widely studied, can self-renew and exhibit pluripotency in long-term culture, but the mechanism underlying how they exit pluripotency remains obscure. To investigate the key modulators on pluripotency exiting in rat ESCs, we perform genome-wide screening using a unique rat haploid system. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rat haploid ESCs (haESCs) enable advances in the discovery of unknown functional genes owing to their homozygous and pluripotent characteristics. REX1 is a sensitive marker for the naïve pluripotency that is often utilized to monitor pluripotency exit, thus rat haESCs carrying a Rex1-GFP reporter are used for genetic screening. Genome-wide mutations are introduced into the genomes of rat Rex1-GFP haESCs via piggyBac transposon, and differentiation-retarded mutants are obtained after random differentiation selection. The exact mutations are elucidated by high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The role of candidate mutation is validated in rat ESCs by knockout and overexpression experiments, and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) is determined by western blotting. RESULTS High-throughput sequencing analysis reveals numerous insertions related to various pathways affecting random differentiation. Thereafter, deletion of Thop1 (one candidate gene in the screened list) arrests the differentiation of rat ESCs by inhibiting the p-ERK1/2, whereas overexpression of Thop1 promotes rat ESCs to exit from pluripotency. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide an ideal tool to study functional genomics in rats: a homozygous haploid system carrying a pluripotency reporter that facilitates robust discovery of the mechanisms involved in the self-renewal or pluripotency of rat ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yiding Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengyang Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling Shuai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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23
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NMD is required for timely cell fate transitions by fine-tuning gene expression and regulating translation. Genes Dev 2022; 36:348-367. [PMID: 35241478 PMCID: PMC8973849 DOI: 10.1101/gad.347690.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here, Huth et al. investigated the role of components of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway in regulating embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation, and show that NMD controls expression levels of the translation initiation factor Eif4a2 and its premature termination codon-encoding isoform (Eif4a2PTC). Their findings expose an intricate link between mRNA homeostasis and mTORC1 activity that must be maintained for normal dynamics of cell state transitions. Cell fate transitions depend on balanced rewiring of transcription and translation programs to mediate ordered developmental progression. Components of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway have been implicated in regulating embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation, but the exact mechanism is unclear. Here we show that NMD controls expression levels of the translation initiation factor Eif4a2 and its premature termination codon-encoding isoform (Eif4a2PTC). NMD deficiency leads to translation of the truncated eIF4A2PTC protein. eIF4A2PTC elicits increased mTORC1 activity and translation rates and causes differentiation delays. This establishes a previously unknown feedback loop between NMD and translation initiation. Furthermore, our results show a clear hierarchy in the severity of target deregulation and differentiation phenotypes between NMD effector KOs (Smg5 KO > Smg6 KO > Smg7 KO), which highlights heterodimer-independent functions for SMG5 and SMG7. Together, our findings expose an intricate link between mRNA homeostasis and mTORC1 activity that must be maintained for normal dynamics of cell state transitions.
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24
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β-catenin links cell seeding density to global gene expression during mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation. iScience 2022; 25:103541. [PMID: 34977504 PMCID: PMC8689156 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cell density is known to affect numerous biological processes including gene expression and cell fate specification, mechanistic understanding of what factors link cell density to global gene regulation is lacking. Here, we reveal that the expression of thousands of genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is affected by cell seeding density and that low cell density enhances the efficiency of differentiation. Mechanistically, β-catenin is localized primarily to adherens junctions during both self-renewal and differentiation at high density. However, when mESCs differentiate at low density, β-catenin translocates to the nucleus and associates with Tcf7l1, inducing co-occupied lineage markers. Meanwhile, Esrrb sustains the expression of pluripotency-associated genes while repressing lineage markers at high density, and its association with DNA decreases at low density. Our results provide new insights into the previously neglected but pervasive phenomenon of density-dependent gene regulation.
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25
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Covelo-Molares H, Souto Y, Fidalgo M, Guallar D. A Simple, Rapid, and Cost-Effective Method for Loss-of-Function Assays in Pluripotent Cells. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2021; 2520:199-213. [PMID: 34611821 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2021_434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from the inner cell mass of the preimplantation blastocyst and can be maintained indefinitely in vitro without losing their properties. Given their self-renewal and pluripotency, ESCs not only represent a key tool to study early embryonic development in a dish, but also an unlimited source of material for tissue replacement in regenerative medicine. Loss-of-function assays using RNA interference are a powerful tool to understand the roles of specific genes and are facilitated by lentiviral-mediated delivery of vector-encoded shRNAs which allows long-term silencing of single or multiple genes. Here, we describe the steps for rapid and cost-effective production and testing of lentiviral particles with vector-encoded shRNAs for gene silencing in ESCs. This protocol can be easily adapted for loss-of-function assays in other pluripotent cells or culture conditions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Covelo-Molares
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Yara Souto
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Fidalgo
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Diana Guallar
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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26
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Ávila-González D, Portillo W, García-López G, Molina-Hernández A, Díaz-Martínez NE, Díaz NF. Unraveling the Spatiotemporal Human Pluripotency in Embryonic Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:676998. [PMID: 34249929 PMCID: PMC8262797 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.676998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There have been significant advances in understanding human embryogenesis using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in conventional monolayer and 3D self-organized cultures. Thus, in vitro models have contributed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for specification and differentiation during development. However, the molecular and functional spectrum of human pluripotency (i.e., intermediate states, pluripotency subtypes and regionalization) is still not fully understood. This review describes the mechanisms that establish and maintain pluripotency in human embryos and their differences with mouse embryos. Further, it describes a new pluripotent state representing a transition between naïve and primed pluripotency. This review also presents the data that divide pluripotency into substates expressing epiblast regionalization and amnion specification as well as primordial germ cells in primates. Finally, this work analyzes the amnion's relevance as an "signaling center" for regionalization before the onset of gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ávila-González
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Mexico
| | | | | | - Néstor E. Díaz-Martínez
- Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Néstor F. Díaz
- Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Mexico City, Mexico
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27
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Santini L, Halbritter F, Titz-Teixeira F, Suzuki T, Asami M, Ma X, Ramesmayer J, Lackner A, Warr N, Pauler F, Hippenmeyer S, Laue E, Farlik M, Bock C, Beyer A, Perry ACF, Leeb M. Genomic imprinting in mouse blastocysts is predominantly associated with H3K27me3. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3804. [PMID: 34155196 PMCID: PMC8217501 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23510-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammalian genomes, differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and histone marks including trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) at imprinted genes are asymmetrically inherited to control parentally-biased gene expression. However, neither parent-of-origin-specific transcription nor imprints have been comprehensively mapped at the blastocyst stage of preimplantation development. Here, we address this by integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic approaches in mouse preimplantation embryos. We find that seventy-one genes exhibit previously unreported parent-of-origin-specific expression in blastocysts (nBiX: novel blastocyst-imprinted expressed). Uniparental expression of nBiX genes disappears soon after implantation. Micro-whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (µWGBS) of individual uniparental blastocysts detects 859 DMRs. We further find that 16% of nBiX genes are associated with a DMR, whereas most are associated with parentally-biased H3K27me3, suggesting a role for Polycomb-mediated imprinting in blastocysts. nBiX genes are clustered: five clusters contained at least one published imprinted gene, and five clusters exclusively contained nBiX genes. These data suggest that early development undergoes a complex program of stage-specific imprinting involving different tiers of regulation. In most mammals, imprinted genes contain epigenetic marks that differ in each parental genome and control their parent-of-origin-specific expression. Here, the authors map imprinted genes in mouse preimplantation embryos and find that imprinted gene expression in blastocysts is mainly dependent on Polycomb-mediated H3K27me3-associated gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Santini
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Halbritter
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Titz-Teixeira
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Toru Suzuki
- Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Maki Asami
- Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Xiaoyan Ma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julia Ramesmayer
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Lackner
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nick Warr
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell, UK
| | - Florian Pauler
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ernest Laue
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthias Farlik
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anthony C F Perry
- Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
| | - Martin Leeb
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Lackner A, Sehlke R, Garmhausen M, Giuseppe Stirparo G, Huth M, Titz-Teixeira F, van der Lelij P, Ramesmayer J, Thomas HF, Ralser M, Santini L, Galimberti E, Sarov M, Stewart AF, Smith A, Beyer A, Leeb M. Cooperative genetic networks drive embryonic stem cell transition from naïve to formative pluripotency. EMBO J 2021; 40:e105776. [PMID: 33687089 PMCID: PMC8047444 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian embryo, epiblast cells must exit the naïve state and acquire formative pluripotency. This cell state transition is recapitulated by mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which undergo pluripotency progression in defined conditions in vitro. However, our understanding of the molecular cascades and gene networks involved in the exit from naïve pluripotency remains fragmentary. Here, we employed a combination of genetic screens in haploid ESCs, CRISPR/Cas9 gene disruption, large‐scale transcriptomics and computational systems biology to delineate the regulatory circuits governing naïve state exit. Transcriptome profiles for 73 ESC lines deficient for regulators of the exit from naïve pluripotency predominantly manifest delays on the trajectory from naïve to formative epiblast. We find that gene networks operative in ESCs are also active during transition from pre‐ to post‐implantation epiblast in utero. We identified 496 naïve state‐associated genes tightly connected to the in vivo epiblast state transition and largely conserved in primate embryos. Integrated analysis of mutant transcriptomes revealed funnelling of multiple gene activities into discrete regulatory modules. Finally, we delineate how intersections with signalling pathways direct this pivotal mammalian cell state transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lackner
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Sehlke
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marius Garmhausen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Giuliano Giuseppe Stirparo
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michelle Huth
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Titz-Teixeira
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra van der Lelij
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Ramesmayer
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Henry F Thomas
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meryem Ralser
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Santini
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Galimberti
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mihail Sarov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Francis Stewart
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Austin Smith
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Leeb
- Max Perutz Laboratories Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
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