1
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Asai R, Sinha S, Prakash VN, Mikawa T. Bilateral cellular flows display asymmetry prior to left-right organizer formation in amniote gastrulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.21.590437. [PMID: 38712212 PMCID: PMC11071402 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.21.590437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
A bilateral body plan is predominant throughout the animal kingdom. Bilaterality of amniote embryos becomes recognizable as midline morphogenesis begins at gastrulation, bisecting an embryonic field into the left and right sides, and left-right asymmetry patterning follows. While a series of laterality genes expressed after the left-right compartmentalization has been extensively studied, the laterality patterning prior to and at the initiation of midline morphogenesis has remained unclear. Here, through a biophysical quantification in a high spatial and temporal resolution, applied to a chick model system, we show that a large-scale bilateral counter-rotating cellular flow, termed as 'polonaise movements', display left-right asymmetries in early gastrulation. This cell movement starts prior to the formation of the primitive streak, which is the earliest midline structure, and earlier than expression of laterality genes. The cellular flow speed and vorticity unravel the location and timing of the left-right asymmetries. The bilateral flows displayed a Right dominance after six hours since the start of cell movements. Mitotic arrest that diminishes primitive streak formation resulted in changes in the bilateral flow pattern, but the Right dominance persisted. Our data indicate that the left-right asymmetry in amniote gastrula becomes detectable prior to the point when the asymmetric regulation of the laterality signals at the node leads to the left-right patterning. More broadly, our results suggest that physical processes can play an unexpected but significant role in influencing left-right laterality during embryonic development. Significance Statement Bilaterians are defined by a bilaterally symmetrical body plan. Vertebrates exhibit external bilateral symmetry but display left-right (LR) asymmetry in their internal organs. In amniote embryos, the initiation of LR symmetry breaking is not well understood. Here, we study LR symmetry breaking in the chick embryo due to its easy accessibility and similarity to human development. Our biophysical approaches to quantify cellular flows inferred that LR symmetry breaking occurs prior to the formation of Hensen's node, a LR organizer, which serves as a signaling center for LR patterning programs. Our work demonstrates that quantitative biophysical parameters can help unravel the initiation of LR symmetry breaking, suggesting involvement of physical mechanisms in this critical biological patterning process.
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Serrano Nájera G, Plum AM, Steventon B, Weijer CJ, Serra M. Control of Modular Tissue Flows Shaping the Embryo in Avian Gastrulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.04.601785. [PMID: 39026830 PMCID: PMC11257462 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.04.601785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Avian gastrulation requires coordinated flows of thousands of cells to form the body plan. We quantified these flows using their fundamental kinematic units: one attractor and two repellers constituting its Dynamic Morphoskeleton (DM). We have also elucidated the mechanistic origin of the attractor, marking the primitive streak (PS), and controlled its shape, inducing gastrulation flows in the chick embryo that are typical of other vertebrates. However, the origins of repellers and dynamic embryo shape remain unclear. Here, we address these questions using active matter physics and experiments. Repeller 1, separating the embryo proper (EP) from extraembryonic (EE) tissues, arises from the tug-of-war between EE epiboly and EP isotropic myosin-induced active stress. Repeller 2, bisecting the anterior and posterior PS and associated with embryo shape change, arises from anisotropic myosin-induced active intercalation in the mesendoderm. Combining mechanical confinement with inhibition of mesendoderm induction, we eliminated either one or both repellers, as predicted by our model. Our results reveal a remarkable modularity of avian gastrulation flows delineated by the DM, uncovering the mechanistic roles of EE epiboly, EP active constriction, mesendoderm intercalation and ingression. These findings offer a new perspective for deconstructing morphogenetic flows, uncovering their modular origin, and aiding synthetic morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex M. Plum
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ben Steventon
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Cornelis J. Weijer
- Division of Molec. Cell and Dev. Biology, School of Life Sciences, Univ. of Dundee, UK
| | - Mattia Serra
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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3
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Wood TR, Kucinski I, Voiculescu O. Distinct molecular profile of the chick organizer as a stem zone during axial elongation. Open Biol 2024; 14:240139. [PMID: 38955223 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240139] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate organizer plays a crucial role in building the main (antero-posterior) axis of the embryo: it neuralizes the surrounding ectoderm, and is the site of emigration for cells making axial and paraxial mesendoderm during elongation. The chick organizer becomes a stem zone at the onset of elongation; it stops recruiting cells from the neighbouring ectoderm and generates all its derivatives from the small number of resident cells it contains at the end of gastrulation stages. Nothing is known about the molecular identity of this stem zone. Here, we specifically labelled long-term resident cells of the organizer and compared their RNA-seq profile to that of the neighbouring cell populations. Screening by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization identified four genes (WIF1, PTGDS, ThPO and UCKL1) that are upregulated only in the organizer region when it becomes a stem zone and remain expressed there during axial elongation. In experiments specifically labelling the resident cells of the mature organizer, we show that only these cells express these genes. These findings molecularly define the organizer as a stem zone and offer a key to understanding how this zone is set up, the molecular control of its cells' behaviour and the evolution of axial growth zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Wood
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Iwo Kucinski
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Octavian Voiculescu
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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4
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Asai R, Prakash VN, Sinha S, Prakash M, Mikawa T. Coupling and uncoupling of midline morphogenesis and cell flow in amniote gastrulation. eLife 2024; 12:RP89948. [PMID: 38727576 PMCID: PMC11087055 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89948] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Large-scale cell flow characterizes gastrulation in animal development. In amniote gastrulation, particularly in avian gastrula, a bilateral vortex-like counter-rotating cell flow, called 'polonaise movements', appears along the midline. Here, through experimental manipulations, we addressed relationships between the polonaise movements and morphogenesis of the primitive streak, the earliest midline structure in amniotes. Suppression of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway maintains the polonaise movements along a deformed primitive streak. Mitotic arrest leads to diminished extension and development of the primitive streak and maintains the early phase of the polonaise movements. Ectopically induced Vg1, an axis-inducing morphogen, generates the polonaise movements, aligned to the induced midline, but disturbs the stereotypical cell flow pattern at the authentic midline. Despite the altered cell flow, induction and extension of the primitive streak are preserved along both authentic and induced midlines. Finally, we show that ectopic axis-inducing morphogen, Vg1, is capable of initiating the polonaise movements without concomitant PS extension under mitotic arrest conditions. These results are consistent with a model wherein primitive streak morphogenesis is required for the maintenance of the polonaise movements, but the polonaise movements are not necessarily responsible for primitive streak morphogenesis. Our data describe a previously undefined relationship between the large-scale cell flow and midline morphogenesis in gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Asai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Vivek N Prakash
- Department of Physics, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Shubham Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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5
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Abstract
In avian and mammalian embryos the "organizer" property associated with neural induction of competent ectoderm into a neural plate and its subsequent patterning into rostro-caudal domains resides at the tip of the primitive streak before neurulation begins, and before a morphological Hensen's node is discernible. The same region and its later derivatives (like the notochord) also have the ability to "dorsalize" the adjacent mesoderm, for example by converting lateral plate mesoderm into paraxial (pre-somitic) mesoderm. Both neural induction and dorsalization of the mesoderm involve inhibition of BMP, and the former also requires other signals. This review surveys the key experiments done to elucidate the functions of the organizer and the mechanisms of neural induction in amniotes. We conclude that the mechanisms of neural induction in amniotes and anamniotes are likely to be largely the same; apparent differences are likely to be due to differences in experimental approaches dictated by embryo topology and other practical constraints. We also discuss the relationships between "neural induction" assessed by grafts of the organizer and normal neural plate development, as well as how neural induction relates to the generation of neuronal cells from embryonic and other stem cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio D Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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6
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Bardhan S, Bhargava N, Dighe S, Vats N, Naganathan SR. Emergence of a left-right symmetric body plan in vertebrate embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:310-342. [PMID: 38729680 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
External bilateral symmetry is a prevalent feature in vertebrates, which emerges during early embryonic development. To begin with, vertebrate embryos are largely radially symmetric before transitioning to bilaterally symmetry, after which, morphogenesis of various bilateral tissues (e.g somites, otic vesicle, limb bud), and structures (e.g palate, jaw) ensue. While a significant amount of work has probed the mechanisms behind symmetry breaking in the left-right axis leading to asymmetric positioning of internal organs, little is known about how bilateral tissues emerge at the same time with the same shape and size and at the same position on the two sides of the embryo. By discussing emergence of symmetry in many bilateral tissues and structures across vertebrate model systems, we highlight that understanding symmetry establishment is largely an open field, which will provide deep insights into fundamental problems in developmental biology for decades to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Bardhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Nandini Bhargava
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Swarali Dighe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Neha Vats
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Sundar Ram Naganathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
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7
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Asai R, Prakash VN, Sinha S, Prakash M, Mikawa T. Coupling and uncoupling of midline morphogenesis and cell flow in amniote gastrulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.26.542486. [PMID: 37293063 PMCID: PMC10245986 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.542486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale cell flow characterizes gastrulation in animal development. In amniote gastrulation, particularly in avian gastrula, a bilateral vortex-like counter-rotating cell flow, called 'polonaise movements', appears along the midline. Here, through experimental manipulations, we addressed relationships between the polonaise movements and morphogenesis of the primitive streak, the earliest midline structure in amniotes. Suppression of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway maintains the polonaise movements along a deformed primitive streak. Mitotic arrest leads to diminished extension and development of the primitive streak and maintains the early phase of the polonaise movements. Ectopically induced Vg1, an axis-inducing morphogen, generates the polonaise movements, aligned to the induced midline, but disturbs the stereotypical cell flow pattern at the authentic midline. Despite the altered cell flow, induction and extension of the primitive streak are preserved along both authentic and induced midlines. Finally, we show that ectopic axis-inducing morphogen, Vg1, is capable of initiating the polonaise movements without concomitant PS extension under mitotic arrest conditions. These results are consistent with a model wherein primitive streak morphogenesis is required for the maintenance of the polonaise movements, but the polonaise movements are not necessarily responsible for primitive streak morphogenesis. Our data describe a previously undefined relationship between the large-scale cell flow and midline morphogenesis in gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Asai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Vivek N. Prakash
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Shubham Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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8
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Serra M, Serrano Nájera G, Chuai M, Plum AM, Santhosh S, Spandan V, Weijer CJ, Mahadevan L. A mechanochemical model recapitulates distinct vertebrate gastrulation modes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh8152. [PMID: 38055823 PMCID: PMC10699781 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh8152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
During vertebrate gastrulation, an embryo transforms from a layer of epithelial cells into a multilayered gastrula. This process requires the coordinated movements of hundreds to tens of thousands of cells, depending on the organism. In the chick embryo, patterns of actomyosin cables spanning several cells drive coordinated tissue flows. Here, we derive a minimal theoretical framework that couples actomyosin activity to global tissue flows. Our model predicts the onset and development of gastrulation flows in normal and experimentally perturbed chick embryos, mimicking different gastrulation modes as an active stress instability. Varying initial conditions and a parameter associated with active cell ingression, our model recapitulates distinct vertebrate gastrulation morphologies, consistent with recently published experiments in the chick embryo. Altogether, our results show how changes in the patterning of critical cell behaviors associated with different force-generating mechanisms contribute to distinct vertebrate gastrulation modes via a self-organizing mechanochemical process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Serra
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Guillermo Serrano Nájera
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Manli Chuai
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Alex M. Plum
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sreejith Santhosh
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Vamsi Spandan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Cornelis J. Weijer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - L. Mahadevan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Departments of Physics, and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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9
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Francou A, Anderson KV, Hadjantonakis AK. A ratchet-like apical constriction drives cell ingression during the mouse gastrulation EMT. eLife 2023; 12:84019. [PMID: 37162187 PMCID: PMC10171865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process whereby epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal phenotypes and the ability to migrate. EMT is the hallmark of gastrulation, an evolutionarily conserved developmental process. In mammals, epiblast cells ingress at the primitive streak to form mesoderm. Cells ingress and exit the epiblast epithelial layer and the associated EMT is dynamically regulated and involves a stereotypical sequence of cell behaviors. 3D time-lapse imaging of gastrulating mouse embryos combined with cell and tissue scale data analyses revealed the asynchronous ingression of epiblast cells at the primitive streak. Ingressing cells constrict their apical surfaces in a pulsed ratchet-like fashion through asynchronous shrinkage of apical junctions. A quantitative analysis of the distribution of apical proteins revealed the anisotropic and reciprocal enrichment of members of the actomyosin network and Crumbs2 complexes, potential regulators of asynchronous shrinkage of cell junctions. Loss of function analyses demonstrated a requirement for Crumbs2 in myosin II localization and activity at apical junctions, and as a candidate regulator of actomyosin anisotropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Francou
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Kathryn V Anderson
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
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10
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Abstract
During gastrulation, early embryos specify and reorganise the topology of their germ layers. Surprisingly, this fundamental and early process does not appear to be rigidly constrained by evolutionary pressures; instead, the morphology of gastrulation is highly variable throughout the animal kingdom. Recent experimental results demonstrate that it is possible to generate different alternative gastrulation modes in single organisms, such as in early cnidarian, arthropod and vertebrate embryos. Here, we review the mechanisms that underlie the plasticity of vertebrate gastrulation both when experimentally manipulated and during evolution. Using the insights obtained from these experiments we discuss the effects of the increase in yolk volume on the morphology of gastrulation and provide new insights into two crucial innovations during amniote gastrulation: the transition from a ring-shaped mesoderm domain in anamniotes to a crescent-shaped domain in amniotes, and the evolution of the reptilian blastoporal plate/canal into the avian primitive streak.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cornelis J. Weijer
- School of Life Sciences Research Complex, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
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11
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Chuai M, Serrano Nájera G, Serra M, Mahadevan L, Weijer CJ. Reconstruction of distinct vertebrate gastrulation modes via modulation of key cell behaviors in the chick embryo. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabn5429. [PMID: 36598979 PMCID: PMC9812380 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The morphology of gastrulation driving the internalization of the mesoderm and endoderm differs markedly among vertebrate species. It ranges from involution of epithelial sheets of cells through a circular blastopore in amphibians to ingression of mesenchymal cells through a primitive streak in amniotes. By targeting signaling pathways controlling critical cell behaviors in the chick embryo, we generated crescent- and ring-shaped mesendoderm territories in which cells can or cannot ingress. These alterations subvert the formation of the chick primitive streak into the gastrulation modes seen in amphibians, reptiles, and teleost fish. Our experimental manipulations are supported by a theoretical framework linking cellular behaviors to self-organized multicellular flows outlined in detail in the accompanying paper. Together, this suggests that the evolution of gastrulation movements is largely determined by changes in a few critical cell behaviors in the mesendoderm territory across different species and controlled by a relatively small number of signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Chuai
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Guillermo Serrano Nájera
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Mattia Serra
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02134, USA
- Departments of Physics and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Cornelis J. Weijer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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12
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Tahir Z, Craven C. Gastrulation and Split Cord Malformation. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg 2023; 47:1-23. [PMID: 37640870 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34981-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Split cord malformation (SCM) is a rare form of closed spinal dysraphism, in which two hemi-cords are present, instead of a single spinal cord. SCM is categorised into type 1 and type 2. Type 1 SCM is defined by the presence of a bony or osseocartilaginous spur between the hemi-cords, whereas type 2 SCM has no bony spur, and the two hemi-cords are contained within a single dura. In this chapter, we present the putative mechanisms by which SCM arises, including gastrulation defects and Pang's unified theory. The typical and rare clinical presentations and variations are described. Finally, we outline the step-by-step surgical approach to both SCM 1 and 2 and the overall prognosis of both conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zubair Tahir
- Great Ormond Street Children Hospital, London, UK.
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13
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Lee HC, Fadaili Y, Stern CD. Molecular characteristics of the edge cells responsible for expansion of the chick embryo on the vitelline membrane. Open Biol 2022; 12:220147. [PMID: 36128719 PMCID: PMC9490332 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During early avian development, only a narrow band of cells (the edge cells, also called 'margin of overgrowth') at the rim of the embryo is responsible for blastoderm expansion by crawling over the vitelline membrane (VM) to cover the whole egg yolk in just 4 days (a process called epiboly). Surprisingly, this has not yet been studied in detail. Here we explore the edge cells of the chick embryo using in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and live imaging. Morphological and molecular properties reveal that the edge has a distinctive structure, being subdivided into sub-regions, including at least four distinct zones (which we name as leading, trailing, deep and stalk zones). This allows us to study reorganization of the edge region that accompanies reattachment of an explanted blastoderm to the VM. Immunohistochemistry uncovers distinct polarized cellular features resembling the process of collective cell migration described in other systems. Live imaging reveals dynamic lamellipodial and filopodial activity at the leading edge of the outermost cells. Our data provide evidence that edge cells are a distinct tissue. We propose that edge cells may be a useful model system for the study of wound healing and other closure events in epithelial cell sheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Chul Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yara Fadaili
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Claudio D. Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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14
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Lee HC, Hastings C, Oliveira NMM, Pérez-Carrasco R, Page KM, Wolpert L, Stern CD. 'Neighbourhood watch' model: embryonic epiblast cells assess positional information in relation to their neighbours. Development 2022; 149:275390. [PMID: 35438131 PMCID: PMC9188750 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In many developing and regenerating systems, tissue pattern is established through gradients of informative morphogens, but we know little about how cells interpret these. Using experimental manipulation of early chick embryos, including misexpression of an inducer (VG1 or ACTIVIN) and an inhibitor (BMP4), we test two alternative models for their ability to explain how the site of primitive streak formation is positioned relative to the rest of the embryo. In one model, cells read morphogen concentrations cell-autonomously. In the other, cells sense changes in morphogen status relative to their neighbourhood. We find that only the latter model can account for the experimental results, including some counter-intuitive predictions. This mechanism (which we name the ‘neighbourhood watch’ model) illuminates the classic ‘French Flag Problem’ and how positional information is interpreted by a sheet of cells in a large developing system. Summary: In a large developing system, the chick embryo before gastrulation, cells may interpret gradients of positional signals relative to their neighbours to position the primitive streak, establishing bilateral symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Chul Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Cato Hastings
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nidia M M Oliveira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rubén Pérez-Carrasco
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Karen M Page
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lewis Wolpert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Claudio D Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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15
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Mechanical Regulation of Limb Bud Formation. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030420. [PMID: 35159230 PMCID: PMC8834596 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Early limb bud development has been of considerable interest for the study of embryological development and especially morphogenesis. The focus has long been on biochemical signalling and less on cell biomechanics and mechanobiology. However, their importance cannot be understated since tissue shape changes are ultimately controlled by active forces and bulk tissue rheological properties that in turn depend on cell-cell interactions as well as extracellular matrix composition. Moreover, the feedback between gene regulation and the biomechanical environment is still poorly understood. In recent years, novel experimental techniques and computational models have reinvigorated research on this biomechanical and mechanobiological side of embryological development. In this review, we consider three stages of early limb development, namely: outgrowth, elongation, and condensation. For each of these stages, we summarize basic biological regulation and examine the role of cellular and tissue mechanics in the morphogenetic process.
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16
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Lee HC, Oliveira NMM, Stern CD. Exploring the roles of FGF/MAPK and cVG1/GDF signalling on mesendoderm induction and convergent extension during chick primitive streak formation. Dev Genes Evol 2022; 232:115-123. [PMID: 36149507 PMCID: PMC9691481 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-022-00696-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
During primitive streak formation in the chick embryo, cells undergo mesendoderm specification and convergent extension at the same time and in the same cells. Previous work has implicated cVG1 (GDF3) as a key factor for induction of primitive streak identity and positioning the primitive streak, whereas FGF signalling was implicated in regulating cell intercalation via regulation of components of the WNT-planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. FGF has also been reported to be able to induce a primitive streak (but lacking the most axial derivatives such as notochord/prechordal mesendoderm). These signals emanate from different cell populations in the embryo, so how do they interact to ensure that the same cells undergo both cell intercalation and acquire primitive streak identity? Here we begin to address this question by examining in more detail the ability of the two classes of signals in regulating the two developmental events. Using misexpression of inducers and/or exposure to inhibitors and in situ hybridisation, we study how these two signals regulate expression of Brachyury (TBXT) and PRICKLE1 as markers for the primitive streak and the PCP, respectively. We find that both signals can induce both properties, but while FGF seems to be required for induction of the streak by cVG1, it is not necessary for induction of PRICKLE1. The results are consistent with cVG1 being a common regulator for both primitive streak identity and the initiation of convergent extension that leads to streak elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Chul Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Nidia M. M. Oliveira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Claudio D. Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
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17
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Abstract
Micropatterning encompasses a set of methods aimed at precisely controlling the spatial distribution of molecules onto the surface of materials. Biologists have borrowed the idea and adapted these methods, originally developed for electronics, to impose physical constraints on biological systems with the aim of addressing fundamental questions across biological scales from molecules to multicellular systems. Here, I approach this topic from a developmental biologist's perspective focusing specifically on how and why micropatterning has gained in popularity within the developmental biology community in recent years. Overall, this Primer provides a concise overview of how micropatterns are used to study developmental processes and emphasises how micropatterns are a useful addition to the developmental biologist's toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Blin
- Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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18
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Gorfinkiel N, Martinez Arias A. The cell in the age of the genomic revolution: Cell Regulatory Networks. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203720. [PMID: 34252599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few years an intense activity in the areas of advanced microscopy and quantitative cell biology has put the focus on the morphogenetic events that shape embryos. The interest in these processes is taking place against the backdrop of genomic studies, particularly of global patterns of gene expression at the level of single cells, which cannot fully account for the way cells build tissues and organs. Here we discuss the need to integrate the activity of genes with that of cells and propose the need to develop a framework, based on cellular processes and cell interactions, that parallels that which has been created for gene activity in the form of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs). We begin to do this by suggesting elements for building Cell Regulatory Networks (CRNs). In the same manner that GRNs create schedules of gene expression that result in the emergence of cell fates over time, CRNs create tissues and organs i.e. space. We also suggest how GRNs and CRNs might interact in the building of embryos through feedback loops involving mechanics and tissue tectonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Gorfinkiel
- Departamento de Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología, Facultad de CC Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, José Antonio Nováis 12, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Doctor Aiguader 88, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
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19
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Font-Noguera M, Montemurro M, Benassayag C, Monier B, Suzanne M. Getting started for migration: A focus on EMT cellular dynamics and mechanics in developmental models. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203717. [PMID: 34245942 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of epithelial cells into mesenchymal ones, through a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (or EMT) is a reversible process involved in critical steps of animal development as early as gastrulation and throughout organogenesis. In pathological conditions such as aggressive cancers, EMT is often associated with increased drug resistance, motility and invasiveness. The characterisation of the upstream signals and main decision takers, such as the EMT-transcription factors, has led to the identification of a core molecular machinery controlling the specification towards EMT. However, the cellular execution steps of this fundamental shift are poorly described, especially in cancerous cells. Here we review our current knowledge regarding the stepwise nature of EMT in model organisms as diverse as sea urchin, Drosophila, zebrafish, mouse or chicken. We focus on the cellular dynamics and mechanics of the transitional stages by which epithelial cells progressively become mesenchymal and leave the epithelium. We gather the currently available pieces of the puzzle, including the overlooked property of EMT cells to produce mechanical forces along their apico-basal axis before detaching from their neighbours. We discuss the interplay between EMT and the surrounding tissue. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework of EMT cell dynamics from the very first hint of epithelial cell reorganisation to the successful exit from the epithelial sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Font-Noguera
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Marianne Montemurro
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Corinne Benassayag
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Bruno Monier
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Magali Suzanne
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France.
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20
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Wang JX, White MD. Mechanical forces in avian embryo development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:133-146. [PMID: 34147339 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Research using avian embryos has led to major conceptual advances in developmental biology, virology, immunology, genetics and cell biology. The avian embryo has several significant advantages, including ready availability and ease of accessibility, rapid development with marked similarities to mammals and a high amenability to manipulation. As mechanical forces are increasingly recognised as key drivers of morphogenesis, this powerful model system is shedding new light on the mechanobiology of embryonic development. Here, we highlight progress in understanding how mechanical forces direct key morphogenetic processes in the early avian embryo. Recent advances in quantitative live imaging and modelling are elaborating upon traditional work using physical models and embryo manipulations to reveal cell dynamics and tissue forces in ever greater detail. The recent application of transgenic technologies further increases the strength of the avian model and is providing important insights about previously intractable developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xiong Wang
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Melanie D White
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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21
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Lenne PF, Munro E, Heemskerk I, Warmflash A, Bocanegra-Moreno L, Kishi K, Kicheva A, Long Y, Fruleux A, Boudaoud A, Saunders TE, Caldarelli P, Michaut A, Gros J, Maroudas-Sacks Y, Keren K, Hannezo E, Gartner ZJ, Stormo B, Gladfelter A, Rodrigues A, Shyer A, Minc N, Maître JL, Di Talia S, Khamaisi B, Sprinzak D, Tlili S. Roadmap for the multiscale coupling of biochemical and mechanical signals during development. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 33276350 PMCID: PMC8380410 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abd0db] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The way in which interactions between mechanics and biochemistry lead to the emergence of complex cell and tissue organization is an old question that has recently attracted renewed interest from biologists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. Rapid advances in optical physics, microscopy and computational image analysis have greatly enhanced our ability to observe and quantify spatiotemporal patterns of signalling, force generation, deformation, and flow in living cells and tissues. Powerful new tools for genetic, biophysical and optogenetic manipulation are allowing us to perturb the underlying machinery that generates these patterns in increasingly sophisticated ways. Rapid advances in theory and computing have made it possible to construct predictive models that describe how cell and tissue organization and dynamics emerge from the local coupling of biochemistry and mechanics. Together, these advances have opened up a wealth of new opportunities to explore how mechanochemical patterning shapes organismal development. In this roadmap, we present a series of forward-looking case studies on mechanochemical patterning in development, written by scientists working at the interface between the physical and biological sciences, and covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, organisms, and modes of development. Together, these contributions highlight the many ways in which the dynamic coupling of mechanics and biochemistry shapes biological dynamics: from mechanoenzymes that sense force to tune their activity and motor output, to collectives of cells in tissues that flow and redistribute biochemical signals during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Edwin Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, United States of America
| | | | - Kasumi Kishi
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna Kicheva
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Yuchen Long
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Antoine Fruleux
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Arezki Boudaoud
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Paolo Caldarelli
- Cellule Pasteur UPMC, Sorbonne Université, rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.,Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Arthur Michaut
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jerome Gros
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Yonit Maroudas-Sacks
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Kinneret Keren
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Network Biology Research Laboratories and The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Edouard Hannezo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Zev J Gartner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th St. Box 2280, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Stormo
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 United States of America
| | - Amy Gladfelter
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 United States of America
| | - Alan Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Amy Shyer
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR7592, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710, United States of America
| | - Bassma Khamaisi
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - David Sprinzak
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Sham Tlili
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
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22
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Schwarz C, Hadjantonakis AK. Cells under Tension Drive Gastrulation. Dev Cell 2021; 55:669-670. [PMID: 33352138 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Developmental Cell, Muncie et al. describe the generation of gastrulation-like foci of cells within micropatterned colonies of pluripotent stem cells. This demonstration of mechanosensitive β-catenin/Wnt-dependent specification of cell fate during gastrulation illustrates the insights gleaned by placing stem cells in embryo-like mechanical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton Schwarz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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23
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Muncie JM, Ayad NME, Lakins JN, Xue X, Fu J, Weaver VM. Mechanical Tension Promotes Formation of Gastrulation-like Nodes and Patterns Mesoderm Specification in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Dev Cell 2020; 55:679-694.e11. [PMID: 33207224 PMCID: PMC7755684 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions and is modulated by cell tension and tissue-level forces. Whether cell tension regulates development by modifying morphogen signaling is less clear. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit an intrinsic capacity for self-organization, which motivates their use as a tractable model of early human embryogenesis. We engineered patterned substrates that recapitulate the biophysical properties of the early embryo and mediate the self-organization of "gastrulation-like" nodes in cultured hESCs. Tissue geometries that generated local nodes of high cell-adhesion tension directed the spatial patterning of the BMP4-dependent "gastrulation-like" phenotype by enhancing phosphorylation and junctional release of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling and mesoderm specification. Furthermore, direct force application via mechanical stretching promoted BMP-dependent mesoderm specification, confirming that tissue-level forces can directly regulate cell fate specification in early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon M Muncie
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nadia M E Ayad
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Johnathon N Lakins
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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24
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Mathiah N, Despin-Guitard E, Stower M, Nahaboo W, Eski ES, Singh SP, Srinivas S, Migeotte I. Asymmetry in the frequency and position of mitosis in the mouse embryo epiblast at gastrulation. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e50944. [PMID: 33016470 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
At gastrulation, a subpopulation of epiblast cells constitutes a transient posteriorly located structure called the primitive streak, where cells that undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition make up the mesoderm and endoderm lineages. Mouse embryo epiblast cells were labelled ubiquitously or in a mosaic fashion. Cell shape, packing, organization and division were recorded through live imaging during primitive streak formation. Posterior epiblast displays a higher frequency of rosettes, some of which associate with a central cell undergoing mitosis. Cells at the primitive streak, in particular delaminating cells, undergo mitosis more frequently than other epiblast cells. In pseudostratified epithelia, mitosis takes place at the apical side of the epithelium. However, mitosis is not restricted to the apical side of the epiblast, particularly on its posterior side. Non-apical mitosis occurs specifically in the streak even when ectopically located. Posterior non-apical mitosis results in one or two daughter cells leaving the epiblast layer. Cell rearrangement associated with mitotic cell rounding in posterior epiblast, in particular when non-apical, might thus facilitate cell ingression and transition to a mesenchymal phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew Stower
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wallis Nahaboo
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, IRIBHM, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elif Sema Eski
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, IRIBHM, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Shankar Srinivas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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25
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Ishishita S, Tatsumoto S, Kinoshita K, Nunome M, Suzuki T, Go Y, Matsuda Y. Transcriptome analysis revealed misregulated gene expression in blastoderms of interspecific chicken and Japanese quail F1 hybrids. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240183. [PMID: 33044996 PMCID: PMC7549780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid incompatibility, such as sterility and inviability, prevents gene flow between closely-related populations as a reproductive isolation barrier. F1 hybrids between chickens and Japanese quail (hereafter, referred to as quail), exhibit a high frequency of developmental arrest at the preprimitive streak stage. To investigate the molecular basis of the developmental arrest at the preprimitive streak stage in chicken–quail F1 hybrid embryos, we investigated chromosomal abnormalities in the hybrid embryos using molecular cytogenetic analysis. In addition, we quantified gene expression in parental species and chicken- and quail-derived allele-specific expression in the hybrids at the early blastoderm and preprimitive streak stages by mRNA sequencing. Subsequently, we compared the directions of change in gene expression, including upregulation, downregulation, or no change, from the early blastoderm stage to the preprimitive streak stage between parental species and their hybrids. Chromosome analysis revealed that the cells of the hybrid embryos contained a fifty-fifty mixture of parental chromosomes, and numerical chromosomal abnormalities were hardly observed in the hybrid cells. Gene expression analysis revealed that a part of the genes that were upregulated from the early blastoderm stage to the preprimitive streak stage in both parental species exhibited no upregulation of both chicken- and quail-derived alleles in the hybrids. GO term enrichment analysis revealed that these misregulated genes are involved in various biological processes, including ribosome-mediated protein synthesis and cell proliferation. Furthermore, the misregulated genes included genes involved in early embryonic development, such as primitive streak formation and gastrulation. These results suggest that numerical chromosomal abnormalities due to a segregation failure does not cause the lethality of chicken–quail hybrid embryos, and that the downregulated expression of the genes that are involved in various biological processes, including translation and primitive streak formation, mainly causes the developmental arrest at the preprimitive streak stage in the hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ishishita
- Avian Bioscience Research Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shoji Tatsumoto
- Cognitive Genomics Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLs), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Keiji Kinoshita
- Avian Bioscience Research Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Nunome
- Avian Bioscience Research Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takayuki Suzuki
- Avian Bioscience Research Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Laboratory of Avian Bioscience, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Cognitive Genomics Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLs), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yoichi Matsuda
- Avian Bioscience Research Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Laboratory of Avian Bioscience, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- * E-mail:
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26
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Predicting pattern formation in embryonic stem cells using a minimalist, agent-based probabilistic model. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16209. [PMID: 33004880 PMCID: PMC7529768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73228-4] [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: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of pattern formation during embryonic development remain poorly understood. Embryonic stem cells in culture self-organise to form spatial patterns of gene expression upon geometrical confinement indicating that patterning is an emergent phenomenon that results from the many interactions between the cells. Here, we applied an agent-based modelling approach in order to identify plausible biological rules acting at the meso-scale within stem cell collectives that may explain spontaneous patterning. We tested different models involving differential motile behaviours with or without biases due to neighbour interactions. We introduced a new metric, termed stem cell aggregate pattern distance (SCAPD) to probabilistically assess the fitness of our models with empirical data. The best of our models improves fitness by 70% and 77% over the random models for a discoidal or an ellipsoidal stem cell confinement respectively. Collectively, our findings show that a parsimonious mechanism that involves differential motility is sufficient to explain the spontaneous patterning of the cells upon confinement. Our work also defines a region of the parameter space that is compatible with patterning. We hope that our approach will be applicable to many biological systems and will contribute towards facilitating progress by reducing the need for extensive and costly experiments.
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27
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Dias A, Lozovska A, Wymeersch FJ, Nóvoa A, Binagui-Casas A, Sobral D, Martins GG, Wilson V, Mallo M. A Tgfbr1/Snai1-dependent developmental module at the core of vertebrate axial elongation. eLife 2020; 9:56615. [PMID: 32597756 PMCID: PMC7324159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of the vertebrate postcranial body axis follows two sequential but distinct phases. The first phase generates pre-sacral structures (the so-called primary body) through the activity of the primitive streak on axial progenitors within the epiblast. The embryo then switches to generate the secondary body (post-sacral structures), which depends on axial progenitors in the tail bud. Here we show that the mammalian tail bud is generated through an independent functional developmental module, concurrent but functionally different from that generating the primary body. This module is triggered by convergent Tgfbr1 and Snai1 activities that promote an incomplete epithelial to mesenchymal transition on a subset of epiblast axial progenitors. This EMT is functionally different from that coordinated by the primitive streak, as it does not lead to mesodermal differentiation but brings axial progenitors into a transitory state, keeping their progenitor activity to drive further axial body extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Dias
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Filip J Wymeersch
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Nóvoa
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anahi Binagui-Casas
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gabriel G Martins
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.,Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Valerie Wilson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Moises Mallo
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
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28
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Serrano Nájera G, Weijer CJ. Cellular processes driving gastrulation in the avian embryo. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103624. [PMID: 32562871 PMCID: PMC7511600 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation consists in the dramatic reorganisation of the epiblast, a one-cell thick epithelial sheet, into a multilayered embryo. In chick, the formation of the internal layers requires the generation of a macroscopic convection-like flow, which involves up to 50,000 epithelial cells in the epiblast. These cell movements locate the mesendoderm precursors into the midline of the epiblast to form the primitive streak. There they acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, ingress into the embryo and migrate outward to populate the inner embryonic layers. This review covers what is currently understood about how cell behaviours ultimately cause these morphogenetic events and how they are regulated. We discuss 1) how the biochemical patterning of the embryo before gastrulation creates compartments of differential cell behaviours, 2) how the global epithelial flows arise from the coordinated actions of individual cells, 3) how the cells delaminate individually from the epiblast during the ingression, and 4) how cells move after the ingression following stereotypical migration routes. We conclude by exploring new technical advances that will facilitate future research in the chick model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Serrano Nájera
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Cornelis J Weijer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
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29
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Saadaoui M, Rocancourt D, Roussel J, Corson F, Gros J. A tensile ring drives tissue flows to shape the gastrulating amniote embryo. Science 2020; 367:453-458. [PMID: 31974255 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw1965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tissue morphogenesis is driven by local cellular deformations that are powered by contractile actomyosin networks. How localized forces are transmitted across tissues to shape them at a mesoscopic scale is still unclear. Analyzing gastrulation in entire avian embryos, we show that it is driven by the graded contraction of a large-scale supracellular actomyosin ring at the margin between the embryonic and extraembryonic territories. The propagation of these forces is enabled by a fluid-like response of the epithelial embryonic disk, which depends on cell division. A simple model of fluid motion entrained by a tensile ring quantitatively captures the vortex-like "polonaise" movements that accompany the formation of the primitive streak. The geometry of the early embryo thus arises from the transmission of active forces generated along its boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Saadaoui
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Didier Rocancourt
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Julian Roussel
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Francis Corson
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Jerome Gros
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France. .,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
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30
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Simulations of sea urchin early development delineate the role of oriented cell division in the morula-to-blastula transition. Mech Dev 2020; 162:103606. [PMID: 32165284 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The sea urchin morula to blastula transition has long been thought to require oriented cell divisions and blastomere adherence to the enveloping hyaline layer. In a computer simulation model, cell divisions constrained by a surface plane division rule are adequate to effect morphological transition. The hyaline membrane acts as an enhancer but is not essential. The model is consistent with the orientation of micromere divisions and the open blastulae of direct developing species. The surface plane division rule precedes overt epithelization of surface cells and acts to organize the developing epithelium. It is a universal feature of early metazoan development and simulations of non-echinoid cleavage patterns support its role throughout Metazoa. The surface plane division rule requires only local cues and cells need not reference global positional information or embryonic axes.
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31
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Hadjantonakis AK, Siggia ED, Simunovic M. In vitro modeling of early mammalian embryogenesis. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 13:134-143. [PMID: 32440574 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic embryology endeavors to use stem cells to recapitulate the first steps of mammalian development that define the body axes and first stages of fate assignment. Well-engineered synthetic systems provide an unparalleled assay to disentangle and quantify the contributions of individual tissues as well as the molecular components driving embryogenesis. Experiments using a mixture of mouse embryonic and extra-embryonic stem cell lines show a surprising degree of self-organization akin to certain milestones in the development of intact mouse embryos. To further advance the field and extend the mouse results to human, it is crucial to develop a better control of the assembly process as well as to establish a deeper understanding of the developmental state and potency of cells used in experiments at each step of the process. We review recent advances in the derivation of embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells, and we highlight recent efforts in reconstructing the structural and signaling aspects of embryogenesis in three-dimensional tissue cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mijo Simunovic
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia Univerisity, 116 and Broadway, New York, NY 10025
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32
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Ferro V, Chuai M, McGloin D, Weijer CJ. Measurement of junctional tension in epithelial cells at the onset of primitive streak formation in the chick embryo via non-destructive optical manipulation. Development 2020; 147:dev.175109. [PMID: 31964776 PMCID: PMC7033729 DOI: 10.1242/dev.175109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Directional cell intercalations of epithelial cells during gastrulation has, in several organisms, been shown to be associated with a planar cell polarity in the organisation of the actin-myosin cytoskeleton and is postulated to reflect directional tension that drives oriented cell intercalations. We have characterised and applied a recently introduced non-destructive optical manipulation technique to measure the tension in individual epithelial cell junctions of cells in various locations and orientations in the epiblast of chick embryos in the early stages of primitive streak formation. Junctional tension of mesendoderm precursors in the epiblast is higher in junctions oriented in the direction of intercalation than in junctions oriented perpendicular to the direction of intercalation and higher than in junctions of other cells in the epiblast. The kinetic data fit best with a simple viscoelastic Maxwell model, and we find that junctional tension, and to a lesser extent viscoelastic relaxation time, are dependent on myosin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Ferro
- Department of Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Manli Chuai
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - David McGloin
- Department of Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
- School of Electrical and Data Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
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33
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Lee HC, Lu HC, Turmaine M, Oliveira NMM, Yang Y, De Almeida I, Stern CD. Molecular anatomy of the pre-primitive-streak chick embryo. Open Biol 2020; 10:190299. [PMID: 32102607 PMCID: PMC7058932 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.190299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The early stages of development of the chick embryo, leading to primitive streak formation (the start of gastrulation), have received renewed attention recently, especially for studies of the mechanisms of large-scale cell movements and those that position the primitive streak in the radial blastodisc. Over the long history of chick embryology, the terminology used to define different regions has been changing, making it difficult to relate studies to each other. To resolve this objectively requires precise definitions of the regions based on anatomical and functional criteria, along with a systematic molecular map that can be compared directly to the functional anatomy. Here, we undertake these tasks. We describe the characteristic cell morphologies (using scanning electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry for cell polarity markers) in different regions and at successive stages. RNAseq was performed for 12 regions of the blastodisc, from which a set of putative regional markers was selected. These were studied in detail by in situ hybridization. Together this provides a comprehensive resource allowing the community to define the regions unambiguously and objectively. In addition to helping with future experimental design and interpretation, this resource will also be useful for evolutionary comparisons between different vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Claudio D. Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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34
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Abstract
In birds as in all amniotes, the site of gastrulation is a midline structure, the primitive streak. This appears as cells in the one cell-thick epiblast undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to ingress and form definitive mesoderm and endoderm. Global movements involving tens of thousands of cells in the embryonic epiblast precede gastrulation. They position the primitive streak precursors from a marginal position (equivalent to the situation in anamniotes) along the future antero-posterior axis (typical for amniotes). These epithelial movements continue in modified form during gastrulation, when they are accompanied by collective movements of different class in the forming mesoderm and endoderm. Here I discuss the nature of these collective cell movements shaping the embryo, their interplay with signaling events controlling fate specification and significance in an evolutionary perspective.
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35
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Nowotschin S, Hadjantonakis AK. Guts and gastrulation: Emergence and convergence of endoderm in the mouse embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 136:429-454. [PMID: 31959298 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is a central process in mammalian development in which a spatiotemporally coordinated series of events driven by cross-talk between adjacent embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues results in stereotypical morphogenetic cell behaviors, massive cell proliferation and the acquisition of distinct cell identities. Gastrulation provides the blueprint of the body plan of the embryo, as well as generating extra-embryonic cell types of the embryo to make a connection with its mother. Gastrulation involves the specification of mesoderm and definitive endoderm from pluripotent epiblast, concomitant with a highly ordered elongation of tissue along the anterior-posterior (AP) axis. Interestingly, cells with an endoderm identity arise twice during mouse development. Cells with a primitive endoderm identity are specified in the preimplantation blastocyst, and which at gastrulation intercalate with the emergent definitive endoderm to form a mosaic tissue, referred to as the gut endoderm. The gut endoderm gives rise to the gut tube, which will subsequently become patterned along its AP axis into domains possessing unique visceral organ identities, such as thyroid, lung, liver and pancreas. In this way, proper endoderm development is essential for vital organismal functions, including the absorption of nutrients, gas exchange, detoxification and glucose homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Nowotschin
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
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36
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Francou A, Anderson KV. The Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Development and Cancer. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2019; 4:197-220. [PMID: 34113749 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-030518-055425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) are complex cellular processes where cells undergo dramatic changes in signaling, transcriptional programming, and cell shape, while directing the exit of cells from the epithelium and promoting migratory properties of the resulting mesenchyme. EMTs are essential for morphogenesis during development and are also a critical step in cancer progression and metastasis formation. Here we provide an overview of the molecular regulation of the EMT process during embryo development, focusing on chick and mouse gastrulation and neural crest development. We go on to describe how EMT regulators participate in the progression of pancreatic and breast cancer in mouse models, and discuss the parallels with developmental EMTs and how these help to understand cancer EMTs. We also highlight the differences between EMTs in tumor and in development to arrive at a broader view of cancer EMT. We conclude by discussing how further advances in the field will rely on in vivo dynamic imaging of the cellular events of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Francou
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Kathryn V Anderson
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY 10065 USA
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37
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Raffaelli A, Stern CD. Signaling events regulating embryonic polarity and formation of the primitive streak in the chick embryo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 136:85-111. [PMID: 31959299 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The avian embryo is a key experimental model system for early development of amniotes. One key difference with invertebrates and "lower" vertebrates like fish and amphibians is that amniotes do not rely so heavily on maternal messages because the zygotic genome is activated very early. Early development also involves considerable growth in volume and mass of the embryo, with cell cycles that include G1 and G2 phases from very early cleavage. The very early maternal to zygotic transition also allows the embryo to establish its own polarity without relying heavily on maternal determinants. In many amniotes including avians and non-rodent mammals, this enables an ability of the embryo to "regulate": a single multicellular embryo can give rise to more than one individual-monozygotic twins. Here we discuss the embryological, cellular, molecular and evolutionary underpinnings of gastrulation in avian embryos as a model amniote embryo. Many of these properties are shared by human embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raffaelli
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudio D Stern
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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38
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Tewary M, Dziedzicka D, Ostblom J, Prochazka L, Shakiba N, Heydari T, Aguilar-Hidalgo D, Woodford C, Piccinini E, Becerra-Alonso D, Vickers A, Louis B, Rahman N, Danovi D, Geens M, Watt FM, Zandstra PW. High-throughput micropatterning platform reveals Nodal-dependent bisection of peri-gastrulation-associated versus preneurulation-associated fate patterning. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000081. [PMID: 31634368 PMCID: PMC6822778 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro models of postimplantation human development are valuable to the fields of regenerative medicine and developmental biology. Here, we report characterization of a robust in vitro platform that enabled high-content screening of multiple human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines for their ability to undergo peri-gastrulation-like fate patterning upon bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) treatment of geometrically confined colonies and observed significant heterogeneity in their differentiation propensities along a gastrulation associable and neuralization associable axis. This cell line-associated heterogeneity was found to be attributable to endogenous Nodal expression, with up-regulation of Nodal correlated with expression of a gastrulation-associated gene profile, and Nodal down-regulation correlated with a preneurulation-associated gene profile expression. We harness this knowledge to establish a platform of preneurulation-like fate patterning in geometrically confined hPSC colonies in which fates arise because of a BMPs signalling gradient conveying positional information. Our work identifies a Nodal signalling-dependent switch in peri-gastrulation versus preneurulation-associated fate patterning in hPSC cells, provides a technology to robustly assay hPSC differentiation outcomes, and suggests conserved mechanisms of organized fate specification in differentiating epiblast and ectodermal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul Tewary
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Collaborative Program in Developmental Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dominika Dziedzicka
- Research Group Reproduction and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joel Ostblom
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Prochazka
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nika Shakiba
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tiam Heydari
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel Aguilar-Hidalgo
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Curtis Woodford
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elia Piccinini
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Becerra-Alonso
- Department of Quantitative Methods, Universidad Loyola Andalucia, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alice Vickers
- Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Blaise Louis
- Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nafees Rahman
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Davide Danovi
- Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mieke Geens
- Research Group Reproduction and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fiona M. Watt
- Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter W. Zandstra
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Collaborative Program in Developmental Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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39
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Martyn I, Siggia ED, Brivanlou AH. Mapping cell migrations and fates in a gastruloid model to the human primitive streak. Development 2019; 146:dev.179564. [PMID: 31427289 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although fate maps of early embryos exist for nearly all model organisms, a fate map of the gastrulating human embryo remains elusive. Here, we use human gastruloids to piece together a rudimentary fate map for the human primitive streak (PS). This is possible because differing levels of BMP, WNT and NODAL lead to self-organization of gastruloids into homogenous subpopulations of endoderm and mesoderm, and comparative analysis of these gastruloids, together with the fate map of the mouse embryo, allows the organization of these subpopulations along an anterior-posterior axis. We also developed a novel cell tracking technique that detected robust fate-dependent cell migrations in our gastruloids comparable with those found in the mouse embryo. Taken together, our fate map and recording of cell migrations provides a first coarse view of what the human PS may resemble in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Martyn
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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40
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Gracia M, Theis S, Proag A, Gay G, Benassayag C, Suzanne M. Mechanical impact of epithelial-mesenchymal transition on epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2951. [PMID: 31273212 PMCID: PMC6609679 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10720-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential process both in physiological and pathological contexts. Intriguingly, EMT is often associated with tissue invagination during development; however, the impact of EMT on tissue remodeling remain unexplored. Here, we show that at the initiation of the EMT process, cells produce an apico-basal force, orthogonal to the surface of the epithelium, that constitutes an important driving force for tissue invagination in Drosophila. When EMT is ectopically induced, cells starting their delamination generate an orthogonal force and induce ectopic folding. Similarly, during mesoderm invagination, cells undergoing EMT generate an apico-basal force through the formation of apico-basal structures of myosin II. Using both laser microdissection and in silico physical modelling, we show that mesoderm invagination does not proceed if apico-basal forces are impaired, indicating that they constitute driving forces in the folding process. Altogether, these data reveal the mechanical impact of EMT on morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Gracia
- LBCMCP, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Sophie Theis
- LBCMCP, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France.,Morphogénie Logiciels, 32110, St Martin d'Armagnac, France
| | - Amsha Proag
- LBCMCP, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Guillaume Gay
- Morphogénie Logiciels, 32110, St Martin d'Armagnac, France.
| | - Corinne Benassayag
- LBCMCP, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France.
| | - Magali Suzanne
- LBCMCP, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France.
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41
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Nowotschin S, Hadjantonakis AK, Campbell K. The endoderm: a divergent cell lineage with many commonalities. Development 2019; 146:146/11/dev150920. [PMID: 31160415 PMCID: PMC6589075 DOI: 10.1242/dev.150920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The endoderm is a progenitor tissue that, in humans, gives rise to the majority of internal organs. Over the past few decades, genetic studies have identified many of the upstream signals specifying endoderm identity in different model systems, revealing them to be divergent from invertebrates to vertebrates. However, more recent studies of the cell behaviours driving endodermal morphogenesis have revealed a surprising number of shared features, including cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), collective cell migration, and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transitions (METs). In this Review, we highlight how cross-organismal studies of endoderm morphogenesis provide a useful perspective that can move our understanding of this fascinating tissue forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Nowotschin
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kyra Campbell
- Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK .,Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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42
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Hamidi S, Nakaya Y, Nagai H, Alev C, Shibata T, Sheng G. Biomechanical regulation of EMT and epithelial morphogenesis in amniote epiblast. Phys Biol 2019; 16:041002. [PMID: 30875695 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ab1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epiblast is composed of pluripotent cells which will give rise to all cell lineages in a human body. It forms a single-cell layered epithelium conserved among all amniotic vertebrates (birds, reptiles and mammals) and undergoes complex morphogenesis both before and during gastrulation. Our knowledge of the amniote epiblast is based on data acquired through cellular and molecular analyses of early chick and mouse embryos in vivo and mammalian pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in vitro. Very few studies have been published on biomechanical characteristics of the amniote epiblast, largely due to lack of experimental tools for measuring and perturbing biomechanical properties. Also missing is a conceptual framework that can integrate both biomechanical and molecular parameters of the epiblast. This review is aimed at providing a background based on which epiblast morphogenesis, including its transition between the epithelial and mesenchymal states, can be understood from a biomechanical perspective. This simple developmental biology system is suitable for testing a multitude of theoretical models in biomechanics, leading to a better understanding of biomechanical logics and constraints governing multicellular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofiane Hamidi
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. These authors contributed equally
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Martyn I, Brivanlou AH, Siggia ED. A wave of WNT signaling balanced by secreted inhibitors controls primitive streak formation in micropattern colonies of human embryonic stem cells. Development 2019; 146:dev172791. [PMID: 30814117 PMCID: PMC6451321 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Long-range signaling by morphogens and their inhibitors define embryonic patterning yet quantitative data and models are rare, especially in humans. Here, we use a human embryonic stem cell micropattern system to model formation of the primitive streak (PS) by WNT. In the pluripotent state, E-cadherin (E-CAD) transduces boundary forces to focus WNT signaling to the colony border. Following application of WNT ligand, E-CAD mediates a front or wave of epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) conversion analogous to PS extension in an embryo. By knocking out the secreted WNT inhibitors active in our system, we show that DKK1 alone controls the extent and duration of patterning. The NODAL inhibitor cerberus 1 acts downstream of WNT to refine the endoderm versus mesoderm fate choice. Our EMT wave is a generic property of a bistable system with diffusion and we present a single quantitative model that describes both the wave and our knockout data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Martyn
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Blin G, Wisniewski D, Picart C, Thery M, Puceat M, Lowell S. Geometrical confinement controls the asymmetric patterning of brachyury in cultures of pluripotent cells. Development 2018; 145:dev166025. [PMID: 30115626 PMCID: PMC6176930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.166025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Diffusible signals are known to orchestrate patterning during embryogenesis, yet diffusion is sensitive to noise. The fact that embryogenesis is remarkably robust suggests that additional layers of regulation reinforce patterning. Here, we demonstrate that geometrical confinement orchestrates the spatial organisation of initially randomly positioned subpopulations of spontaneously differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells. We use micropatterning in combination with pharmacological manipulations and quantitative imaging to dissociate the multiple effects of geometry. We show that the positioning of a pre-streak-like population marked by brachyury (T) is decoupled from the size of its population, and that breaking radial symmetry of patterns imposes polarised patterning. We provide evidence for a model in which the overall level of diffusible signals together with the history of the cell culture define the number of T+ cells, whereas geometrical constraints guide patterning in a multi-step process involving a differential response of the cells to multicellular spatial organisation. Our work provides a framework for investigating robustness of patterning and provides insights into how to guide symmetry-breaking events in aggregates of pluripotent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Blin
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Darren Wisniewski
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Catherine Picart
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Manuel Thery
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire and Végétale, UMR5168, CytoMorpho Lab, 38054 Grenoble, France
- Univ. Paris Diderot, CEA, INSERM, Hôpital Saint Louis, Institut Universitaire d'Hematologie, UMRS1160, CytoMorpho Lab, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Michel Puceat
- INSERM U1251, Université Aix-Marseille, MMG, 13885 Marseille, France
| | - Sally Lowell
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
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Liu Z, Woo S, Weiner OD. Nodal signaling has dual roles in fate specification and directed migration during germ layer segregation in zebrafish. Development 2018; 145:dev.163535. [PMID: 30111654 DOI: 10.1242/dev.163535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
During gastrulation, endodermal cells actively migrate to the interior of the embryo, but the signals that initiate and coordinate this migration are poorly understood. By transplanting ectopically induced endodermal cells far from the normal location of endoderm specification, we identified the inputs that drive internalization without the confounding influences of fate specification and global morphogenic movements. We find that Nodal signaling triggers an autocrine circuit for initiating endodermal internalization. Activation of the Nodal receptor directs endodermal specification through sox32 and also induces expression of more Nodal ligands. These ligands act in an autocrine fashion to initiate endodermal cell sorting. Our work defines an 'AND' gate consisting of sox32-dependent endodermal specification and Nodal ligand reception controlling endodermal cell sorting to the inner layer of the embryo at the onset of gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zairan Liu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stephanie Woo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Orion D Weiner
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Live Imaging Reveals that the First Division of Differentiating Human Embryonic Stem Cells Often Yields Asymmetric Fates. Cell Rep 2018; 21:301-307. [PMID: 29020617 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
How do stem cells respond to signals to initiate differentiation? Here, we show that, despite uniform exposure to differentiation-inducing extracellular signals, individual human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) respond heterogeneously. To track how hESCs incipiently exit pluripotency, we established a system to differentiate hESCs as single cells and conducted live imaging to track their very first cell division. We followed the fate of their earliest daughters as they remained undifferentiated or differentiated toward the primitive streak (the earliest descendants of pluripotent cells). About 30%-50% of the time, hESCs divided to yield one primitive streak and one undifferentiated daughter. The undifferentiated daughter cell was innately resistant to WNT signaling and could not respond to this primitive-streak-specifying differentiation signal. Hence, the first division of differentiating hESCs sometimes yields daughters with diverging fates, with implications for the efficiency of directed differentiation protocols and the underlying rules of lineage commitment.
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Kremnyov S, Henningfeld K, Viebahn C, Tsikolia N. Divergent axial morphogenesis and early shh expression in vertebrate prospective floor plate. EvoDevo 2018; 9:4. [PMID: 29423139 PMCID: PMC5791209 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-017-0090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The notochord has organizer properties and is required for floor plate induction and dorsoventral patterning of the neural tube. This activity has been attributed to sonic hedgehog (shh) signaling, which originates in the notochord, forms a gradient, and autoinduces shh expression in the floor plate. However, reported data are inconsistent and the spatiotemporal development of the relevant shh expression domains has not been studied in detail. We therefore studied the expression dynamics of shh in rabbit, chicken and Xenopus laevis embryos (as well as indian hedgehog and desert hedgehog as possible alternative functional candidates in the chicken). Results Our analysis reveals a markedly divergent pattern within these vertebrates: whereas in the rabbit shh is first expressed in the notochord and its floor plate domain is then induced during subsequent somitogenesis stages, in the chick embryo shh is expressed in the prospective neuroectoderm prior to the notochord formation and, interestingly, prior to mesoderm immigration. Neither indian hedgehog nor desert hedgehog are expressed in these midline structures although mRNA of both genes was detected in other structures of the early chick embryo. In X. laevis, shh is expressed at the beginning of gastrulation in a distinct area dorsal to the dorsal blastopore lip and adjacent to the prospective neuroectoderm, whereas the floor plate expresses shh at the end of gastrulation. Conclusions While shh expression patterns in rabbit and X. laevis embryos are roughly compatible with the classical view of "ventral to dorsal induction" of the floor plate, the early shh expression in the chick floor plate challenges this model. Intriguingly, this alternative sequence of domain induction is related to the asymmetrical morphogenesis of the primitive node and other axial organs in the chick. Our results indicate that the floor plate in X. laevis and chick embryos may be initially induced by planar interaction within the ectoderm or epiblast. Furthermore, we propose that the mode of the floor plate induction adapts to the variant topography of interacting tissues during gastrulation and notochord formation and thereby reveals evolutionary plasticity of early embryonic induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Kremnyov
- 1Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov State University Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1, Builung 12, Moscow, Russia 119234.,2Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str., 26, Moscow, Russia 119991
| | - Kristine Henningfeld
- 3Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Institute of Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Viebahn
- 4Institute of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 36, 37085 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nikoloz Tsikolia
- 4Institute of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 36, 37085 Göttingen, Germany
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Giger FA, David NB. Endodermal germ-layer formation through active actin-driven migration triggered by N-cadherin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:10143-10148. [PMID: 28874564 PMCID: PMC5617292 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708116114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ-layer formation during gastrulation is both a fundamental step of development and a paradigm for tissue formation and remodeling. However, the cellular and molecular basis of germ-layer segregation is poorly understood, mostly because of the lack of direct in vivo observations. We used mosaic zebrafish embryos to investigate the formation of the endoderm. High-resolution live imaging and functional analyses revealed that endodermal cells reach their characteristic innermost position through an active, oriented, and actin-based migration dependent on Rac1, which contrasts with the previously proposed differential adhesion cell sorting. Rather than being attracted to their destination, the yolk syncytial layer, cells appear to migrate away from their neighbors. This migration depends on N-cadherin that, when imposed in ectodermal cells, is sufficient to trigger their internalization without affecting their fate. Overall, these results lead to a model of germ-layer formation in which, upon N-cadherin expression, endodermal cells actively migrate away from their epiblastic neighbors to reach their internal position, revealing cell-contact avoidance as an unexplored mechanism driving germ-layer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence A Giger
- CNRS UMR8197, F-75005 Paris, France
- INSERM U1024, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas B David
- CNRS UMR8197, F-75005 Paris, France;
- INSERM U1024, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, F-75005 Paris, France
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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Smutny M, Ákos Z, Grigolon S, Shamipour S, Ruprecht V, Čapek D, Behrndt M, Papusheva E, Tada M, Hof B, Vicsek T, Salbreux G, Heisenberg CP. Friction forces position the neural anlage. Nat Cell Biol 2017; 19:306-317. [PMID: 28346437 PMCID: PMC5635970 DOI: 10.1038/ncb3492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic development, mechanical forces are essential for cellular rearrangements driving tissue morphogenesis. Here, we show that in the early zebrafish embryo, friction forces are generated at the interface between anterior axial mesoderm (prechordal plate, ppl) progenitors migrating towards the animal pole and neurectoderm progenitors moving in the opposite direction towards the vegetal pole of the embryo. These friction forces lead to global rearrangement of cells within the neurectoderm and determine the position of the neural anlage. Using a combination of experiments and simulations, we show that this process depends on hydrodynamic coupling between neurectoderm and ppl as a result of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion between those tissues. Our data thus establish the emergence of friction forces at the interface between moving tissues as a critical force-generating process shaping the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Smutny
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Zsuzsa Ákos
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös
University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, Budapest
H-1117, Hungary
| | - Silvia Grigolon
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1
1AT, UK
| | - Shayan Shamipour
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Verena Ruprecht
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona
Institute for Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003, Barcelona,
Spain
| | - Daniel Čapek
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Martin Behrndt
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ekaterina Papusheva
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Masazumi Tada
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University
College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Björn Hof
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1,
A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Tamás Vicsek
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös
University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, Budapest
H-1117, Hungary
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50
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Stower MJ, Bertocchini F. The evolution of amniote gastrulation: the blastopore-primitive streak transition. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 6. [DOI: 10.1002/wdev.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Stower
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - Federica Bertocchini
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Signaling; Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnologia de Cantabria, CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria-Sodercan; Santander Spain
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