1
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Fenelon JC. New insights into how to induce and maintain embryonic diapause in the blastocyst. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102192. [PMID: 38604005 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic diapause in mammals is a period of developmental pause of the embryo at the blastocyst stage. During diapause, the blastocyst has minimal cell proliferation, metabolic activity and gene expression. At reactivation, blastocyst development resumes, characterised by increases in cell number, biosynthesis and metabolism. Until recently, it has been unknown how diapause is maintained without any loss of blastocyst viability. This review focuses on recent progress in the identification of molecular pathways occurring in the blastocyst that can both cause and maintain the diapause state. A switch to lipid metabolism now appears essential to maintaining the diapause state and is induced by forkhead box protein O1. The forkhead box protein O transcription family is important for diapause in insects, nematodes and fish, but this is the first time a conclusive role has been established in mammals. Multiple epigenetic modifications are also essential to inducing and maintaining the diapause state, including both DNA and RNA methylation mechanisms. Finally, it now appears that diapause embryos, dormant stem cells and chemotherapeutic-resistant cancer cells may all share a universal system of quiescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane C Fenelon
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Colossal Biosciences, Dallas, Texas, United States.
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2
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Stötzel M, Cheng CY, IIik IA, Kumar AS, Omgba PA, van der Weijden VA, Zhang Y, Vingron M, Meissner A, Aktaş T, Kretzmer H, Bulut-Karslioğlu A. TET activity safeguards pluripotency throughout embryonic dormancy. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01313-7. [PMID: 38783076 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01313-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Dormancy is an essential biological process for the propagation of many life forms through generations and stressful conditions. Early embryos of many mammals are preservable for weeks to months within the uterus in a dormant state called diapause, which can be induced in vitro through mTOR inhibition. Cellular strategies that safeguard original cell identity within the silent genomic landscape of dormancy are not known. Here we show that the protection of cis-regulatory elements from silencing is key to maintaining pluripotency in the dormant state. We reveal a TET-transcription factor axis, in which TET-mediated DNA demethylation and recruitment of methylation-sensitive transcription factor TFE3 drive transcriptionally inert chromatin adaptations during dormancy transition. Perturbation of TET activity compromises pluripotency and survival of mouse embryos under dormancy, whereas its enhancement improves survival rates. Our results reveal an essential mechanism for propagating the cellular identity of dormant cells, with implications for regeneration and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Stötzel
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chieh-Yu Cheng
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ibrahim A IIik
- Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Abhishek Sampath Kumar
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Persia Akbari Omgba
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yufei Zhang
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tuğçe Aktaş
- Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Iyer DP, Moyon L, Wittler L, Cheng CY, Ringeling FR, Canzar S, Marsico A, Bulut-Karslioğlu A. Combinatorial microRNA activity is essential for the transition of pluripotent cells from proliferation into dormancy. Genome Res 2024; 34:572-589. [PMID: 38719471 PMCID: PMC11146600 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278662.123] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Dormancy is a key feature of stem cell function in adult tissues as well as in embryonic cells in the context of diapause. The establishment of dormancy is an active process that involves extensive transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic rewiring. How these processes are coordinated to successfully transition cells to the resting dormant state remains unclear. Here we show that microRNA activity, which is otherwise dispensable for preimplantation development, is essential for the adaptation of early mouse embryos to the dormant state of diapause. In particular, the pluripotent epiblast depends on miRNA activity, the absence of which results in the loss of pluripotent cells. Through the integration of high-sensitivity small RNA expression profiling of individual embryos and protein expression of miRNA targets with public data of protein-protein interactions, we constructed the miRNA-mediated regulatory network of mouse early embryos specific to diapause. We find that individual miRNAs contribute to the combinatorial regulation by the network, and the perturbation of the network compromises embryo survival in diapause. We further identified the nutrient-sensitive transcription factor TFE3 as an upstream regulator of diapause-specific miRNAs, linking cytoplasmic MTOR activity to nuclear miRNA biogenesis. Our results place miRNAs as a critical regulatory layer for the molecular rewiring of early embryos to establish dormancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanur P Iyer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lambert Moyon
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lars Wittler
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chieh-Yu Cheng
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Francisca R Ringeling
- Faculty of Informatics and Data Science, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Canzar
- Faculty of Informatics and Data Science, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Annalisa Marsico
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
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4
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Amstislavsky S, Brusentsev E, Lebedeva D, Rozhkova I, Rakhmanova T, Okotrub S, Kozeneva V, Igonina T, Babochkina T. Effect of cryopreservation on Odc1 and RhoA genes expression in diapausing mouse blastocysts. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14576. [PMID: 38712681 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14576] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The possibility of embryo cryopreservation is important for applying the genome resource banking (GRB) concept to those mammalian species that exhibit embryonal diapause in their early development. Odc1 encodes ODC1, which is a key enzyme in polyamine synthesis. RhoA is an essential part of Rho/ROCK system. Both Odc1 and RhoA play an important role in preimplantation embryo development. Studying these systems in mammalian species with obligate or experimentally designed embryonic diapause may provide insight into the molecular machinery underlying embryo dormancy and re-activation. The effect of cryopreservation procedures on the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA in diapausing embryos has not been properly studied yet. The purpose of this work is to address the possibility of cryopreservation diapausing embryos and to estimate the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in diapausing and non-diapausing embryos before and after freeze-thaw procedures using ovariectomized progesterone treated mice as a model. Both diapausing and non-diapausing in vivo-derived embryos continued their development in vitro after freezing-thawing as evidenced by blastocoel re-expansion. Although cryopreservation dramatically decreased the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in non-diapausing embryos, no such effects have been observed in diapausing embryos where these genes were already at the low level before freeze-thaw procedures. Future studies may attempt to facilitate the re-activation of diapausing embryos, for example frozen-thawed ones, specifically targeting Odc1 or Rho/ROCK system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Amstislavsky
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Eugeny Brusentsev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Daria Lebedeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Rozhkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tamara Rakhmanova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana Okotrub
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Varvara Kozeneva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatyana Igonina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatyana Babochkina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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5
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Ye J, Xu Y, Ren Q, Liu L, Sun Q. Nutrient deprivation induces mouse embryonic diapause mediated by Gator1 and Tsc2. Development 2024; 151:dev202091. [PMID: 38603796 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202091] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic diapause is a special reproductive phenomenon in mammals that helps embryos to survive various harsh stresses. However, the mechanisms of embryonic diapause induced by the maternal environment is still unclear. Here, we uncovered that nutrient deficiency in uterine fluid was essential for the induction of mouse embryonic diapause, shown by a decreased concentration of arginine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, glucose and lactate in the uterine fluid of mice suffering from maternal starvation or ovariectomy. Moreover, mouse blastocysts cultured in a medium with reduced levels of these six components could mimic diapaused blastocysts. Our mechanistic study indicated that amino acid starvation-dependent Gator1 activation and carbohydrate starvation-dependent Tsc2 activation inhibited mTORC1, leading to induction of embryonic diapause. Our study elucidates the essential environmental factors in diapause induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Ye
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuting Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qi Ren
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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6
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Jackson BT, Finley LWS. Metabolic regulation of the hallmarks of stem cell biology. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:161-180. [PMID: 38306993 PMCID: PMC10842269 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.01.003] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Stem cells perform many different functions, each of which requires specific metabolic adaptations. Over the past decades, studies of pluripotent and tissue stem cells have uncovered a range of metabolic preferences and strategies that correlate with or exert control over specific cell states. This review aims to describe the common themes that emerge from the study of stem cell metabolism: (1) metabolic pathways supporting stem cell proliferation, (2) metabolic pathways maintaining stem cell quiescence, (3) metabolic control of cellular stress responses and cell death, (4) metabolic regulation of stem cell identity, and (5) metabolic requirements of the stem cell niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Jackson
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lydia W S Finley
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Lázaro J, Sochacki J, Ebisuya M. The stem cell zoo for comparative studies of developmental tempo. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 84:102149. [PMID: 38199063 PMCID: PMC10882223 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The rate of development is highly variable across animal species. However, the mechanisms regulating developmental tempo have remained elusive due to difficulties in performing direct interspecies comparisons. Here, we discuss how pluripotent stem cell-based models of development can be used to investigate cell- and tissue-autonomous temporal processes. These systems enable quantitative comparisons of different animal species under similar experimental conditions. Moreover, the constantly growing stem cell zoo collection allows the extension of developmental studies to a great number of unconventional species. We argue that the stem cell zoo constitutes a powerful platform to perform comparative studies of developmental tempo, as well as to study other forms of biological time control such as species-specific lifespan, heart rate, and circadian clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Lázaro
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany. https://twitter.com/@JorgeLazaroF
| | - Jaroslaw Sochacki
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miki Ebisuya
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Arnoldstraße 18, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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8
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Hashimshony T, Levin L, Fröbius AC, Dahan N, Chalifa-Caspi V, Hamo R, Gabai-Almog O, Blais I, Assaraf YG, Lubzens E. A transcriptomic examination of encased rotifer embryos reveals the developmental trajectory leading to long-term dormancy; are they "animal seeds"? BMC Genomics 2024; 25:119. [PMID: 38281016 PMCID: PMC10821554 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-09961-1] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organisms from many distinct evolutionary lineages acquired the capacity to enter a dormant state in response to environmental conditions incompatible with maintaining normal life activities. Most studied organisms exhibit seasonal or annual episodes of dormancy, but numerous less studied organisms enter long-term dormancy, lasting decades or even centuries. Intriguingly, many planktonic animals produce encased embryos known as resting eggs or cysts that, like plant seeds, may remain dormant for decades. Herein, we studied a rotifer Brachionus plicatilis as a model planktonic species that forms encased dormant embryos via sexual reproduction and non-dormant embryos via asexual reproduction and raised the following questions: Which genes are expressed at which time points during embryogenesis? How do temporal transcript abundance profiles differ between the two types of embryos? When does the cell cycle arrest? How do dormant embryos manage energy? RESULTS As the molecular developmental kinetics of encased embryos remain unknown, we employed single embryo RNA sequencing (CEL-seq) of samples collected during dormant and non-dormant embryogenesis. We identified comprehensive and temporal transcript abundance patterns of genes and their associated enriched functional pathways. Striking differences were uncovered between dormant and non-dormant embryos. In early development, the cell cycle-associated pathways were enriched in both embryo types but terminated with fewer nuclei in dormant embryos. As development progressed, the gene transcript abundance profiles became increasingly divergent between dormant and non-dormant embryos. Organogenesis was suspended in dormant embryos, concomitant with low transcript abundance of homeobox genes, and was replaced with an ATP-poor preparatory phase characterized by very high transcript abundance of genes encoding for hallmark dormancy proteins (e.g., LEA proteins, sHSP, and anti-ROS proteins, also found in plant seeds) and proteins involved in dormancy exit. Surprisingly, this period appeared analogous to the late maturation phase of plant seeds. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights novel divergent temporal transcript abundance patterns between dormant and non-dormant embryos. Remarkably, several convergent functional solutions appear during the development of resting eggs and plant seeds, suggesting a similar preparatory phase for long-term dormancy. This study accentuated the broad novel molecular features of long-term dormancy in encased animal embryos that behave like "animal seeds".
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Hashimshony
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Liron Levin
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Andreas C Fröbius
- Molecular Andrology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany.
| | - Nitsan Dahan
- Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Vered Chalifa-Caspi
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Reini Hamo
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Oshri Gabai-Almog
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Idit Blais
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and IVF, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yehuda G Assaraf
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Esther Lubzens
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
- (Retired) Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Haifa, Israel.
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9
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Tippetts TS, Sieber MH, Solmonson A. Beyond energy and growth: the role of metabolism in developmental signaling, cell behavior and diapause. Development 2023; 150:dev201610. [PMID: 37883062 PMCID: PMC10652041 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Metabolism is crucial for development through supporting cell growth, energy production, establishing cell identity, developmental signaling and pattern formation. In many model systems, development occurs alongside metabolic transitions as cells differentiate and specialize in metabolism that supports new functions. Some cells exhibit metabolic flexibility to circumvent mutations or aberrant signaling, whereas other cell types require specific nutrients for developmental progress. Metabolic gradients and protein modifications enable pattern formation and cell communication. On an organism level, inadequate nutrients or stress can limit germ cell maturation, implantation and maturity through diapause, which slows metabolic activities until embryonic activation under improved environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor S. Tippetts
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Matthew H. Sieber
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashley Solmonson
- Laboratory of Developmental Metabolism and Placental Biology, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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10
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Collignon E, Cho B, Furlan G, Fothergill-Robinson J, Martin SB, McClymont SA, Ross RL, Limbach PA, Ramalho-Santos M. m 6A RNA methylation orchestrates transcriptional dormancy during paused pluripotency. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:1279-1289. [PMID: 37696947 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Embryos across metazoan lineages can enter reversible states of developmental pausing, or diapause, in response to adverse environmental conditions. The molecular mechanisms that underlie this remarkable dormant state remain largely unknown. Here we show that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation by Mettl3 is required for developmental pausing in mouse blastocysts and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Mettl3 enforces transcriptional dormancy through two interconnected mechanisms: (1) it promotes global mRNA destabilization and (2) it suppresses global nascent transcription by destabilizing the mRNA of the transcriptional amplifier and oncogene N-Myc, which we identify as a crucial anti-pausing factor. Knockdown of N-Myc rescues pausing in Mettl3-/- ES cells, and forced demethylation and stabilization of Mycn mRNA in paused wild-type ES cells largely recapitulates the transcriptional defects of Mettl3-/- ES cells. These findings uncover Mettl3 as a key orchestrator of the crosstalk between transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic regulation during developmental pausing, with implications for dormancy in adult stem cells and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Collignon
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine, ULB-Cancer Research Centre (U-CRC) and Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Brandon Cho
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Giacomo Furlan
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julie Fothergill-Robinson
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sylvia-Bryn Martin
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah A McClymont
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Patrick A Limbach
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Miguel Ramalho-Santos
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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11
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Zhao HG, Deininger M. Always stressed but never exhausted: how stem cells in myeloid neoplasms avoid extinction in inflammatory conditions. Blood 2023; 141:2797-2812. [PMID: 36947811 PMCID: PMC10315634 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022017152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic or recurrent episodes of acute inflammation cause attrition of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that can lead to hematopoietic failure but they drive progression in myeloid malignancies and their precursor clonal hematopoiesis. Mechanistic parallels exist between hematopoiesis in chronic inflammation and the continuously increased proliferation of myeloid malignancies, particularly myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The ability to enter dormancy, a state of deep quiescence characterized by low oxidative phosphorylation, low glycolysis, reduced protein synthesis, and increased autophagy is central to the preservation of long-term HSCs and likely MPN SCs. The metabolic features of dormancy resemble those of diapause, a state of arrested embryonic development triggered by adverse environmental conditions. To outcompete their normal counterparts in the inflammatory MPN environment, MPN SCs co-opt mechanisms used by HSCs to avoid exhaustion, including signal attenuation by negative regulators, insulation from activating cytokine signals, anti-inflammatory signaling, and epigenetic reprogramming. We propose that new therapeutic strategies may be derived from conceptualizing myeloid malignancies as an ecosystem out of balance, in which residual normal and malignant hematopoietic cells interact in multiple ways, only few of which have been characterized in detail. Disrupting MPN SC insulation to overcome dormancy, interfering with aberrant cytokine circuits that favor MPN cells, and directly boosting residual normal HSCs are potential strategies to tip the balance in favor of normal hematopoiesis. Although eradicating the malignant cell clones remains the goal of therapy, rebalancing the ecosystem may be a more attainable objective in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helong Gary Zhao
- Versiti Blood Research Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Michael Deininger
- Versiti Blood Research Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
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12
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Collignon E, Cho B, Fothergill-Robinson J, Furlan G, Ross RL, Limbach PA, Ramalho-Santos M. m 6 A RNA methylation orchestrates transcriptional dormancy during developmental pausing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.30.526234. [PMID: 36778216 PMCID: PMC9915470 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.30.526234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Embryos across metazoan lineages can enter reversible states of developmental pausing, or diapause, in response to adverse environmental conditions. The molecular mechanisms that underlie this remarkable dormant state remain largely unknown. Here we show that m 6 A RNA methylation by Mettl3 is required for developmental pausing in mice by maintaining dormancy of paused embryonic stem cells and blastocysts. Mettl3 enforces transcriptional dormancy via two interconnected mechanisms: i) it promotes global mRNA destabilization and ii) suppresses global nascent transcription by specifically destabilizing the mRNA of the transcriptional amplifier and oncogene N-Myc, which we identify as a critical anti-pausing factor. Our findings reveal Mettl3 as a key orchestrator of the crosstalk between transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic regulation during pausing, with implications for dormancy in stem cells and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Collignon
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Brandon Cho
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Julie Fothergill-Robinson
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Giacomo Furlan
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | | | - Patrick A. Limbach
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Miguel Ramalho-Santos
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
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Van Winkle LJ. Perspective: Might Maternal Dietary Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Consumption Impact Pre- and Peri-Implantation Embryos and Their Subsequent Development? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13611. [PMID: 36294193 PMCID: PMC9602898 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
MSG alters metabolism, especially in the brain, when administered to experimental animals via gavage or similar means. Such administration is, however, not applicable to humans. More recently, though, MSG was shown to have these effects even when added to the food of mammals. Moreover, the levels of MSG in food needed to cause these metabolic changes are the same as those needed for optimum flavor enhancement. Near physiological concentrations of glutamate also cause mammalian blastocysts to develop with fewer cells, especially in their inner cell masses, when these embryos are cultured with this amino acid. We propose that consumption of MSG in food may overwhelm the otherwise well-regulated glutamate signaling needed for optimal development by pre- and peri-implantation mammalian embryos. In addition to immediate changes in cellular proliferation and differentiation as embryos develop, MSG ingestion during early pregnancy might result in undesirable conditions, including metabolic syndrome, in adults. Since these conditions are often the result of epigenetic changes, they could become transgenerational. In light of these possibilities, we suggest several studies to test the merit of our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lon J. Van Winkle
- Department of Biochemistry, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA;
- Department of Medical Humanities, Rocky Vista University, 8401 S. Chambers Road, Parker, CO 80112, USA
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Amino Acid Transport and Metabolism Regulate Early Embryo Development: Species Differences, Clinical Significance, and Evolutionary Implications. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113154. [PMID: 34831375 PMCID: PMC8618253 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review we discuss the beneficial effects of amino acid transport and metabolism on pre- and peri-implantation embryo development, and we consider how disturbances in these processes lead to undesirable health outcomes in adults. Proline, glutamine, glycine, and methionine transport each foster cleavage-stage development, whereas leucine uptake by blastocysts via transport system B0,+ promotes the development of trophoblast motility and the penetration of the uterine epithelium in mammalian species exhibiting invasive implantation. (Amino acid transport systems and transporters, such as B0,+, are often oddly named. The reader is urged to focus on the transporters’ functions, not their names.) B0,+ also accumulates leucine and other amino acids in oocytes of species with noninvasive implantation, thus helping them to produce proteins to support later development. This difference in the timing of the expression of system B0,+ is termed heterochrony—a process employed in evolution. Disturbances in leucine uptake via system B0,+ in blastocysts appear to alter the subsequent development of embryos, fetuses, and placentae, with undesirable consequences for offspring. These consequences may include greater adiposity, cardiovascular dysfunction, hypertension, neural abnormalities, and altered bone growth in adults. Similarly, alterations in amino acid transport and metabolism in pluripotent cells in the blastocyst inner cell mass likely lead to epigenetic DNA and histone modifications that produce unwanted transgenerational health outcomes. Such outcomes might be avoided if we learn more about the mechanisms of these effects.
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