1
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Lim K, Rawlins EL. Protocol for the derivation and alveolar type 2 differentiation of late-stage lung tip progenitors from the developing human lungs. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:103201. [PMID: 39028617 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103201] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of human lung alveolar development are poorly understood due to a lack of in vitro model systems. This protocol details the isolation, derivation, and genetic modification of lung tip epithelial progenitors from human fetal lungs. It includes steps for isolating distal lung epithelial cells, expanding tip progenitor organoids, culturing tip organoids in vitro, and differentiating them into alveolar type 2 cells. This will aid in understanding alveolar differentiation mechanisms and neonatal diseases. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lim et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungtae Lim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea.
| | - Emma L Rawlins
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; Wellcome Trust/MRC Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
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2
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Quach H, Farrell S, Wu MJM, Kanagarajah K, Leung JWH, Xu X, Kallurkar P, Turinsky AL, Bear CE, Ratjen F, Kalish B, Goyal S, Moraes TJ, Wong AP. Early human fetal lung atlas reveals the temporal dynamics of epithelial cell plasticity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5898. [PMID: 39003323 PMCID: PMC11246468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50281-5] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Studying human fetal lungs can inform how developmental defects and disease states alter the function of the lungs. Here, we sequenced >150,000 single cells from 19 healthy human pseudoglandular fetal lung tissues ranging between gestational weeks 10-19. We capture dynamic developmental trajectories from progenitor cells that express abundant levels of the cystic fibrosis conductance transmembrane regulator (CFTR). These cells give rise to multiple specialized epithelial cell types. Combined with spatial transcriptomics, we show temporal regulation of key signalling pathways that may drive the temporal and spatial emergence of specialized epithelial cells including ciliated and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. Finally, we show that human pluripotent stem cell-derived fetal lung models contain CFTR-expressing progenitor cells that capture similar lineage developmental trajectories as identified in the native tissue. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive single-cell atlas of the developing human lung, outlining the temporal and spatial complexities of cell lineage development and benchmarks fetal lung cultures from human pluripotent stem cell differentiations to similar developmental window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Quach
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Spencer Farrell
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ming Jia Michael Wu
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kayshani Kanagarajah
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph Wai-Hin Leung
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoqiao Xu
- Centre for Computational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Prajkta Kallurkar
- Centre for Computational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrei L Turinsky
- Centre for Computational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine E Bear
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Felix Ratjen
- Program in Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Kalish
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sidhartha Goyal
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Theo J Moraes
- Program in Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy P Wong
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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3
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Jiang J, Wang Y, Sun M, Luo X, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Li S, Hu D, Zhang J, Wu Z, Chen X, Zhang B, Xu X, Wang S, Xu S, Huang W, Xia L. SOX on tumors, a comfort or a constraint? Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:67. [PMID: 38331879 PMCID: PMC10853543 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01834-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (SOX) family, composed of 20 transcription factors, is a conserved family with a highly homologous HMG domain. Due to their crucial role in determining cell fate, the dysregulation of SOX family members is closely associated with tumorigenesis, including tumor invasion, metastasis, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and drug resistance. Despite considerable research to investigate the mechanisms and functions of the SOX family, confusion remains regarding aspects such as the role of the SOX family in tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and contradictory impacts the SOX family exerts on tumors. This review summarizes the physiological function of the SOX family and their multiple roles in tumors, with a focus on the relationship between the SOX family and TIME, aiming to propose their potential role in cancer and promising methods for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqing Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yufei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Mengyu Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiangyuan Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zerui Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yijun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Siwen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Dian Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jiaqian Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhangfan Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases; Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases; Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Westlake university school of medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Shengjun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases; Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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4
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Zhang K, Aung T, Yao E, Chuang PT. Lung patterning: Is a distal-to-proximal gradient of cell allocation and fate decision a general paradigm?: A gradient of distal-to-proximal distribution and differentiation of tip progenitors produces distinct compartments in the lung. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300083. [PMID: 38010492 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300083] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies support a model in which the progeny of SOX9+ epithelial progenitors at the distal tip of lung branches undergo cell allocation and differentiation sequentially along the distal-to-proximal axis. Concomitant with the elongation and ramification of lung branches, the descendants of the distal SOX9+ progenitors are distributed proximally, express SOX2, and differentiate into cell types in the conducting airways. Amid subsequent sacculation, the distal SOX9+ progenitors generate alveolar epithelial cells to form alveoli. Sequential cell allocation and differentiation are integrated with the branching process to generate a functional branching organ. This review focuses on the roles of SOX9+ cells as precursors for new branches, as the source of various cell types in the conducting airways, and as progenitors of the alveolar epithelium. All of these processes are controlled by multiple signaling pathways. Many mouse mutants with defective lung branching contain underlying defects in one or more steps of cell allocation and differentiation of SOX9+ progenitors. This model provides a framework to understand the molecular basis of lung phenotypes and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of lung patterning. It builds a foundation on which comparing and contrasting the mechanisms employed by different branching organs in diverse species can be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Zhang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Thin Aung
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Erica Yao
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pao-Tien Chuang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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5
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Yeh YC, Chu PY, Lin SY, Wang SY, Ho HL, Wang YC. Comprehensive Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Sclerosing Pneumocytoma. Mod Pathol 2024; 37:100354. [PMID: 37844870 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100354] [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: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Sclerosing pneumocytoma is a rare and distinct lung neoplasm whose histogenesis and molecular alterations are the subject of ongoing research. Our recent study revealed that AKT1 internal tandem duplications (ITD), point mutations, and short indels were present in almost all tested sclerosing pneumocytomas, suggesting that AKT1 mutations are a major driving oncogenic event in this tumor. Although the pathogenic role of AKT1 point mutations is well established, the significance of AKT1 ITD in oncogenesis remains largely unexplored. We conducted comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analyses of sclerosing pneumocytoma to address this knowledge gap. RNA-sequencing data from 23 tumors and whole-exome sequencing data from 44 tumors were used to obtain insights into their genetic and transcriptomic profiles. Our analysis revealed a high degree of genetic and transcriptomic similarity between tumors carrying AKT1 ITD and those with AKT1 point mutations. Mutational signature analysis revealed COSMIC signatures 1 and 5 as the prevailing signatures of sclerosing pneumocytoma, associated with the spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine and an unknown etiology, respectively. RNA-sequencing data analysis revealed that the sclerosing pneumocytoma gene expression profile is characterized by activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which exhibits significant similarity between tumors harboring AKT1 ITD and those with AKT1 point mutations. Notably, an upregulation of SOX9, a transcription factor known for its involvement in fetal lung development, was observed in sclerosing pneumocytoma. Specifically, SOX9 expression was prominent in the round cell component, whereas it was relatively lower in the surface cell component of the tumor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive investigation of the genomic and transcriptomic characteristics of sclerosing pneumocytoma. Results of the present study provide insights into the molecular attributes of sclerosing pneumocytoma and a basis for future studies of this enigmatic tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chen Yeh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ping-Yuan Chu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Ying Lin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Ying Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Ling Ho
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chao Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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6
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He H, Bell SM, Davis AK, Zhao S, Sridharan A, Na CL, Guo M, Xu Y, Snowball J, Swarr DT, Zacharias WJ, Whitsett JA. PRDM3/16 Regulate Chromatin Accessibility Required for NKX2-1 Mediated Alveolar Epithelial Differentiation and Function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.570481. [PMID: 38187557 PMCID: PMC10769259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.570481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Differential chromatin accessibility accompanies and mediates transcriptional control of diverse cell fates and their differentiation during embryogenesis. While the critical role of NKX2-1 and its transcriptional targets in lung morphogenesis and pulmonary epithelial cell differentiation is increasingly known, mechanisms by which chromatin accessibility alters the epigenetic landscape and how NKX2-1 interacts with other co-activators required for alveolar epithelial cell differentiation and function are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that the paired domain zinc finger transcriptional regulators PRDM3 and PRDM16 regulate chromatin accessibility to mediate cell differentiation decisions during lung morphogenesis. Combined deletion of Prdm3 and Prdm16 in early lung endoderm caused perinatal lethality due to respiratory failure from loss of AT2 cell function. Prdm3/16 deletion led to the accumulation of partially differentiated AT1 cells and loss of AT2 cells. Combination of single cell RNA-seq, bulk ATAC-seq, and CUT&RUN demonstrated that PRDM3 and PRDM16 enhanced chromatin accessibility at NKX2-1 transcriptional targets in peripheral epithelial cells, all three factors binding together at a multitude of cell-type specific cis-active DNA elements. Network analysis demonstrated that PRDM3/16 regulated genes critical for perinatal AT2 cell differentiation, surfactant homeostasis, and innate host defense. Lineage specific deletion of PRDM3/16 in AT2 cells led to lineage infidelity, with PRDM3/16 null cells acquiring partial AT1 fate. Together, these data demonstrate that NKX2-1-dependent regulation of alveolar epithelial cell differentiation is mediated by epigenomic modulation via PRDM3/16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua He
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Disease of Women and Children of MOE, West China Second University Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Sheila M. Bell
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Ashley Kuenzi Davis
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Shuyang Zhao
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Anusha Sridharan
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Cheng-Lun Na
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Minzhe Guo
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Yan Xu
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - John Snowball
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Daniel T. Swarr
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - William J. Zacharias
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Jeffrey A. Whitsett
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
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7
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Wang J, Wan X, Le Q. Cross-regulation between SOX9 and the canonical Wnt signalling pathway in stem cells. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1250530. [PMID: 37664185 PMCID: PMC10469848 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1250530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SOX9, a member of the SRY-related HMG-box transcription factors, has been reported to critically regulate fetal development and stem cell homeostasis. Wnt signalling is a highly conserved signalling pathway that controls stem cell fate decision and stemness maintenance throughout embryonic development and adult life. Many studies have shown that the interactions between SOX9 and the canonical Wnt signalling pathway are involved in many of the physiological and pathological processes of stem cells, including organ development, the proliferation, differentiation and stemness maintenance of stem cells, and tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the already-known molecular mechanism of cross-interactions between SOX9 and the canonical Wnt signalling pathway, outline its regulatory effects on the maintenance of homeostasis in different types of stem cells, and explore its potential in translational stem cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichen Wan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihua Le
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Center, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Myopia Key Laboratory of Ministry of Health, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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8
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El Agha E, Thannickal VJ. The lung mesenchyme in development, regeneration, and fibrosis. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e170498. [PMID: 37463440 DOI: 10.1172/jci170498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal cells are uniquely located at the interface between the epithelial lining and the stroma, allowing them to act as a signaling hub among diverse cellular compartments of the lung. During embryonic and postnatal lung development, mesenchyme-derived signals instruct epithelial budding, branching morphogenesis, and subsequent structural and functional maturation. Later during adult life, the mesenchyme plays divergent roles wherein its balanced activation promotes epithelial repair after injury while its aberrant activation can lead to pathological remodeling and fibrosis that are associated with multiple chronic pulmonary diseases, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this Review, we discuss the involvement of the lung mesenchyme in various morphogenic, neomorphogenic, and dysmorphogenic aspects of lung biology and health, with special emphasis on lung fibroblast subsets and smooth muscle cells, intercellular communication, and intrinsic mesenchymal mechanisms that drive such physiological and pathophysiological events throughout development, homeostasis, injury repair, regeneration, and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elie El Agha
- Department of Medicine V, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Giessen, Germany
| | - Victor J Thannickal
- John W. Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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9
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Liu S, Sun D, Butler R, Rawlins EL. RTK signalling promotes epithelial columnar cell shape and apical junction maintenance in human lung progenitor cells. Development 2023; 150:dev201284. [PMID: 37260147 PMCID: PMC10281517 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Multipotent epithelial progenitor cells can be expanded from human embryonic lungs as organoids and maintained in a self-renewing state using a defined medium. The organoid cells are columnar, resembling the cell morphology of the developing lung tip epithelium in vivo. Cell shape dynamics and fate are tightly coordinated during development. We therefore used the organoid system to identify signalling pathways that maintain the columnar shape of human lung tip progenitors. We found that EGF, FGF7 and FGF10 have distinct functions in lung tip progenitors. FGF7 activates MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signalling, and is sufficient to promote columnar cell shape in primary tip progenitors. Inhibitor experiments show that MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signalling are key downstream pathways, regulating cell proliferation, columnar cell shape and cell junctions. We identified integrin signalling as a key pathway downstream of MAPK/ERK in the tip progenitors; disrupting integrin alters polarity, cell adhesion and tight junction assembly. By contrast, stimulation with FGF10 or EGF alone is not sufficient to maintain organoid columnar cell shape. This study employs organoids to provide insight into the cellular mechanisms regulating human lung development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Liu
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Dawei Sun
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Richard Butler
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Emma L. Rawlins
- Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
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10
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Chong L, Ahmadvand N, Noori A, Lv Y, Chen C, Bellusci S, Zhang JS. Injury activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs): the underdog of lung repair. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:145. [PMID: 37166489 PMCID: PMC10173924 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04789-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Alveolar epithelial type II cells (AT2s) together with AT1s constitute the epithelial lining of lung alveoli. In contrast to the large flat AT1s, AT2s are cuboidal and smaller. In addition to surfactant production, AT2s also serve as prime alveolar progenitors in homeostasis and play an important role during regeneration/repair. Based on different lineage tracing strategies in mice and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, recent reports highlight the heterogeneous nature of AT2s. These studies present compelling evidence for the presence of stable or transitory AT2 subpopulations with distinct marker expression, signaling pathway activation and functional properties. Despite demonstrated progenitor potentials of AT2s in maintaining homeostasis, through self-renewal and differentiation to AT1s, the exact identity, full progenitor potential and regulation of these progenitor cells, especially in the context of human diseases remain unclear. We recently identified a novel subset of AT2 progenitors named "Injury-Activated Alveolar Progenitors" (IAAPs), which express low levels of Sftpc, Sftpb, Sftpa1, Fgfr2b and Etv5, but are highly enriched for the expression of the surface receptor programmed cell death-ligand 1 (Pd-l1). IAAPs are quiescent during lung homeostasis but activated upon injury with the potential to proliferate and differentiate into AT2s. Significantly, a similar population of PD-L1 positive cells expressing intermediate levels of SFTPC are found to be expanded in human IPF lungs. We summarize here the current understanding of this newly discovered AT2 progenitor subpopulation and also try to reconcile the relationship between different AT2 stem cell subpopulations regarding their progenitor potential, regulation, and relevance to disease pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chong
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Institute of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Negah Ahmadvand
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC27710, USA
| | - Afshin Noori
- Cardio Pulmonary Institute, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Yuqing Lv
- Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, 324000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chengshui Chen
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, 324000, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology and Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Saverio Bellusci
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, 324000, Zhejiang, China.
- Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Cardio Pulmonary Institute, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Member of the German Lung Center, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jin-San Zhang
- Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, 324000, Zhejiang, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology and Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
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