1
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McGehee J, Stathopoulos A. Target gene responses differ when transcription factor levels are acutely decreased by nuclear export versus degradation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.20.595009. [PMID: 38826476 PMCID: PMC11142056 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.20.595009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Defining the time of action for morphogens requires tools capable of temporally controlled perturbations. To study how the transcription factor Dorsal affects patterning of the Drosophila embryonic dorsal-ventral axis, we used two light-inducible tags that result in either nuclear export or degradation of Dorsal when exposed to blue light. Nuclear export of Dorsal results in loss of expression for the high threshold, ventrally-expressed target gene snail (sna) but retention of the low threshold, laterally-expressed target gene short-gastrulation (sog). In contrast, degradation of Dorsal results in retention of sna, loss of sog, and lower nuclear levels than when Dorsal is exported from the nucleus. To elucidate how nuclear export results in loss of sna but degradation does not, we investigated Dorsal kinetics using photobleaching and found it reenters the nucleus even under conditions of blue-light when export is favored. The associated kinetics of being imported and exported continuously are likely responsible for loss of sna but, alternatively, can support sog. Collectively, our results show that this dynamic patterning process is influenced by both Dorsal concentration and nuclear retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- James McGehee
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Angelike Stathopoulos
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125
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2
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McNamara HM, Jia BZ, Guyer A, Parot VJ, Dobbs C, Schier AF, Cohen AE, Lord ND. Optogenetic control of Nodal signaling patterns. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.11.588875. [PMID: 38645239 PMCID: PMC11030342 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.11.588875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
A crucial step in early embryogenesis is the establishment of spatial patterns of signaling activity. Tools to perturb morphogen signals with high resolution in space and time can help reveal how embryonic cells decode these signals to make appropriate fate decisions. Here, we present new optogenetic reagents and an experimental pipeline for creaHng designer Nodal signaling patterns in live zebrafish embryos. Nodal receptors were fused to the light-sensitive heterodimerizing pair Cry2/CIB1N, and the Type II receptor was sequestered to the cytosol. The improved optoNodal2 reagents eliminate dark activity and improve response kinetics, without sacrificing dynamic range. We adapted an ultra-widefield microscopy platform for parallel light patterning in up to 36 embryos and demonstrated precise spatial control over Nodal signaling activity and downstream gene expression. Patterned Nodal activation drove precisely controlled internalization of endodermal precursors. Further, we used patterned illumination to generate synthetic signaling patterns in Nodal signaling mutants, rescuing several characteristic developmental defects. This study establishes an experimental toolkit for systematic exploration of Nodal signaling patterns in live embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bill Z. Jia
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alison Guyer
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vicente J. Parot
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Caleb Dobbs
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Adam E. Cohen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nathan D. Lord
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
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3
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Mörsdorf D, Knabl P, Genikhovich G. Highly conserved and extremely evolvable: BMP signalling in secondary axis patterning of Cnidaria and Bilateria. Dev Genes Evol 2024:10.1007/s00427-024-00714-4. [PMID: 38472535 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-024-00714-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Bilateria encompass the vast majority of the animal phyla. As the name states, they are bilaterally symmetric, that is with a morphologically clear main body axis connecting their anterior and posterior ends, a second axis running between their dorsal and ventral surfaces, and with a left side being roughly a mirror image of their right side. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling has widely conserved functions in the formation and patterning of the second, dorso-ventral (DV) body axis, albeit to different extents in different bilaterian species. Whilst initial findings in the fruit fly Drosophila and the frog Xenopus highlighted similarities amongst these evolutionarily very distant species, more recent analyses featuring other models revealed considerable diversity in the mechanisms underlying dorsoventral patterning. In fact, as phylogenetic sampling becomes broader, we find that this axis patterning system is so evolvable that even its core components can be deployed differently or lost in different model organisms. In this review, we will try to highlight the diversity of ways by which BMP signalling controls bilaterality in different animals, some of which do not belong to Bilateria. Future research combining functional analyses and modelling is bound to give us some understanding as to where the limits to the extent of the evolvability of BMP-dependent axial patterning may lie.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mörsdorf
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Knabl
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Teague S, Primavera G, Chen B, Liu ZY, Yao L, Freeburne E, Khan H, Jo K, Johnson C, Heemskerk I. Time-integrated BMP signaling determines fate in a stem cell model for early human development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1471. [PMID: 38368368 PMCID: PMC10874454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45719-9] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
How paracrine signals are interpreted to yield multiple cell fate decisions in a dynamic context during human development in vivo and in vitro remains poorly understood. Here we report an automated tracking method to follow signaling histories linked to cell fate in large numbers of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Using an unbiased statistical approach, we discover that measured BMP signaling history correlates strongly with fate in individual cells. We find that BMP response in hPSCs varies more strongly in the duration of signaling than the level. However, both the level and duration of signaling activity control cell fate choices only by changing the time integral. Therefore, signaling duration and level are interchangeable in this context. In a stem cell model for patterning of the human embryo, we show that signaling histories predict the fate pattern and that the integral model correctly predicts changes in cell fate domains when signaling is perturbed. Our data suggest that mechanistically, BMP signaling is integrated by SOX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gillian Primavera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bohan Chen
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zong-Yuan Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - LiAng Yao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily Freeburne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hina Khan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kyoung Jo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Craig Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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5
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Schauer A, Pranjic-Ferscha K, Hauschild R, Heisenberg CP. Robust axis elongation by Nodal-dependent restriction of BMP signaling. Development 2024; 151:dev202316. [PMID: 38372390 PMCID: PMC10911127 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Embryogenesis results from the coordinated activities of different signaling pathways controlling cell fate specification and morphogenesis. In vertebrate gastrulation, both Nodal and BMP signaling play key roles in germ layer specification and morphogenesis, yet their interplay to coordinate embryo patterning with morphogenesis is still insufficiently understood. Here, we took a reductionist approach using zebrafish embryonic explants to study the coordination of Nodal and BMP signaling for embryo patterning and morphogenesis. We show that Nodal signaling triggers explant elongation by inducing mesendodermal progenitors but also suppressing BMP signaling activity at the site of mesendoderm induction. Consistent with this, ectopic BMP signaling in the mesendoderm blocks cell alignment and oriented mesendoderm intercalations, key processes during explant elongation. Translating these ex vivo observations to the intact embryo showed that, similar to explants, Nodal signaling suppresses the effect of BMP signaling on cell intercalations in the dorsal domain, thus allowing robust embryonic axis elongation. These findings suggest a dual function of Nodal signaling in embryonic axis elongation by both inducing mesendoderm and suppressing BMP effects in the dorsal portion of the mesendoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schauer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | | | - Robert Hauschild
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
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6
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Emig AA, Hansen M, Grimm S, Coarfa C, Lord ND, Williams MK. Temporal dynamics of BMP/Nodal ratio drive tissue-specific gastrulation morphogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.579243. [PMID: 38370754 PMCID: PMC10871350 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.579243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Anteroposterior (AP) elongation of the vertebrate body plan is driven by convergence and extension (C&E) gastrulation movements in both the mesoderm and neuroectoderm, but how or whether molecular regulation of C&E differs between tissues remains an open question. Using a zebrafish explant model of AP axis extension, we show that C&E of the neuroectoderm and mesoderm can be uncoupled ex vivo, and that morphogenesis of individual tissues results from distinct morphogen signaling dynamics. Using precise temporal manipulation of BMP and Nodal signaling, we identify a critical developmental window during which high or low BMP/Nodal ratios induce neuroectoderm- or mesoderm-driven C&E, respectively. Increased BMP activity similarly enhances C&E specifically in the ectoderm of intact zebrafish gastrulae, highlighting the in vivo relevance of our findings. Together, these results demonstrate that temporal dynamics of BMP and Nodal morphogen signaling activate distinct morphogenetic programs governing C&E gastrulation movements within individual tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa A Emig
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Megan Hansen
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Sandra Grimm
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Nathan D Lord
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Margot Kossmann Williams
- Center for Precision Environmental Health and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Previous address: Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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7
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Knabl P, Schauer A, Pomreinke AP, Zimmermann B, Rogers KW, Čapek D, Müller P, Genikhovich G. Analysis of SMAD1/5 target genes in a sea anemone reveals ZSWIM4-6 as a novel BMP signaling modulator. eLife 2024; 13:e80803. [PMID: 38323609 PMCID: PMC10849676 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BMP signaling has a conserved function in patterning the dorsal-ventral body axis in Bilateria and the directive axis in anthozoan cnidarians. So far, cnidarian studies have focused on the role of different BMP signaling network components in regulating pSMAD1/5 gradient formation. Much less is known about the target genes downstream of BMP signaling. To address this, we generated a genome-wide list of direct pSMAD1/5 target genes in the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis, several of which were conserved in Drosophila and Xenopus. Our ChIP-seq analysis revealed that many of the regulatory molecules with documented bilaterally symmetric expression in Nematostella are directly controlled by BMP signaling. We identified several so far uncharacterized BMP-dependent transcription factors and signaling molecules, whose bilaterally symmetric expression may be indicative of their involvement in secondary axis patterning. One of these molecules is zswim4-6, which encodes a novel nuclear protein that can modulate the pSMAD1/5 gradient and potentially promote BMP-dependent gene repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Knabl
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexandra Schauer
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | | | - Patrick Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck SocietyTübingenGermany
- University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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8
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Richardson L, Wilcockson SG, Guglielmi L, Hill CS. Context-dependent TGFβ family signalling in cell fate regulation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:876-894. [PMID: 37596501 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family are a large group of evolutionarily conserved cytokines whose signalling modulates cell fate decision-making across varying cellular contexts at different stages of life. Here we discuss new findings in early embryos that reveal how, in contrast to our original understanding of morphogen interpretation, robust cell fate specification can originate from a noisy combination of signalling inputs and a broad range of signalling levels. We compare this evidence with novel findings on the roles of TGFβ family signalling in tissue maintenance and homeostasis during juvenile and adult life, spanning the skeletal, haemopoietic and immune systems. From these comparisons, it emerges that in contrast to robust developing systems, relatively small perturbations in TGFβ family signalling have detrimental effects at later stages in life, leading to aberrant cell fate specification and disease, for example in cancer or congenital disorders. Finally, we highlight novel strategies to target and amend dysfunction in signalling and discuss how gleaning knowledge from different fields of biology can help in the development of therapeutics for aberrant TGFβ family signalling in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Richardson
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Scott G Wilcockson
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Luca Guglielmi
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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9
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Legnini I, Emmenegger L, Zappulo A, Rybak-Wolf A, Wurmus R, Martinez AO, Jara CC, Boltengagen A, Hessler T, Mastrobuoni G, Kempa S, Zinzen R, Woehler A, Rajewsky N. Spatiotemporal, optogenetic control of gene expression in organoids. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1544-1552. [PMID: 37735569 PMCID: PMC10555836 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01986-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Organoids derived from stem cells have become an increasingly important tool for studying human development and modeling disease. However, methods are still needed to control and study spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression in organoids. Here we combined optogenetics and gene perturbation technologies to activate or knock-down RNA of target genes in programmable spatiotemporal patterns. To illustrate the usefulness of our approach, we locally activated Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling in an organoid model for human neurodevelopment. Spatial and single-cell transcriptomic analyses showed that this local induction was sufficient to generate stereotypically patterned organoids and revealed new insights into SHH's contribution to gene regulation in neurodevelopment. With this study, we propose optogenetic perturbations in combination with spatial transcriptomics as a powerful technology to reprogram and study cell fates and tissue patterning in organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy.
| | - Lisa Emmenegger
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandra Zappulo
- Systems Biology of Neural Tissue Differentiation, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricardo Wurmus
- Bioinformatics and Omics Data Science, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Oliveras Martinez
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cledi Cerda Jara
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anastasiya Boltengagen
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Talé Hessler
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guido Mastrobuoni
- Proteomic and Metabolomics Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Kempa
- Proteomic and Metabolomics Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Zinzen
- Systems Biology of Neural Tissue Differentiation, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew Woehler
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany.
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany.
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Berlin, Germany.
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10
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Mim MS, Knight C, Zartman JJ. Quantitative insights in tissue growth and morphogenesis with optogenetics. Phys Biol 2023; 20:061001. [PMID: 37678266 PMCID: PMC10594237 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/acf7a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Cells communicate with each other to jointly regulate cellular processes during cellular differentiation and tissue morphogenesis. This multiscale coordination arises through the spatiotemporal activity of morphogens to pattern cell signaling and transcriptional factor activity. This coded information controls cell mechanics, proliferation, and differentiation to shape the growth and morphogenesis of organs. While many of the molecular components and physical interactions have been identified in key model developmental systems, there are still many unresolved questions related to the dynamics involved due to challenges in precisely perturbing and quantitatively measuring signaling dynamics. Recently, a broad range of synthetic optogenetic tools have been developed and employed to quantitatively define relationships between signal transduction and downstream cellular responses. These optogenetic tools can control intracellular activities at the single cell or whole tissue scale to direct subsequent biological processes. In this brief review, we highlight a selected set of studies that develop and implement optogenetic tools to unravel quantitative biophysical mechanisms for tissue growth and morphogenesis across a broad range of biological systems through the manipulation of morphogens, signal transduction cascades, and cell mechanics. More generally, we discuss how optogenetic tools have emerged as a powerful platform for probing and controlling multicellular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayesha Sahir Mim
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Caroline Knight
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Jeremiah J Zartman
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
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11
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McNamara HM, Ramm B, Toettcher JE. Synthetic developmental biology: New tools to deconstruct and rebuild developmental systems. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:33-42. [PMID: 35484026 PMCID: PMC10332110 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Technological advances have driven many recent advances in developmental biology. Light sheet imaging can reveal single-cell dynamics in living three-dimensional tissues, whereas single-cell genomic methods open the door to a complete catalogue of cell types and gene expression states. An equally powerful but complementary set of approaches are also becoming available to define development processes from the bottom up. These synthetic approaches aim to reconstruct the minimal developmental patterns, signaling processes, and gene networks that produce the basic set of developmental operations: spatial polarization, morphogen interpretation, tissue movement, and cellular memory. In this review we discuss recent approaches at the intersection of synthetic biology and development, including synthetic circuits to deliver and record signaling stimuli and synthetic reconstitution of pattern formation on multicellular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold M McNamara
- Lewis Sigler Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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12
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Qian W, Good MC. Peeking under the hood of early embryogenesis: Using tools and synthetic biology to understand native control systems and sculpt tissues. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:43-49. [PMID: 35525819 PMCID: PMC9633583 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Early embryogenesis requires rapid division of pluripotent blastomeres, regulated genome activation, precise spatiotemporal signaling to pattern cell fate, and morphogenesis to shape primitive tissue architectures. The complexity of this process has inspired researchers to move beyond simple genetic perturbation into engineered devices and synthetic biology tools to permit temporal and spatial manipulation of the control systems guiding development. By precise alteration of embryo organization, it is now possible to advance beyond basic analytical strategies and directly test the sufficiency of models for developmental regulation. Separately, advances in micropatterning and embryoid culture have facilitated the bottom-up construction of complex embryo tissues allowing ex vivo systems to recapitulate even later stages of development. Embryos fertilized and grown ex vivo offer an excellent opportunity to exogenously perturb fundamental pathways governing embryogenesis. Here we review the technologies developed to thermally modulate the embryo cell cycle, and optically regulate morphogen and signaling pathways in space and time, specifically in the blastula embryo. Additionally, we highlight recent advances in cell patterning in two and three dimensions that have helped reveal the self-organizing properties and gene regulatory networks guiding early embryo organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Qian
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew C. Good
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Lead Contact,Correspondence: (M.C.G), Address: 421 Curie Blvd, 1151 Biomedical Research Building, Philadelphia PA 19104
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13
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Peskin B, Norman J, Bagwell J, Lin A, Adhyapok P, Di Talia S, Bagnat M. Dynamic BMP signaling mediates notochord segmentation in zebrafish. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00671-1. [PMID: 37285843 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate spine is a metameric structure composed of alternating vertebral bodies (centra) and intervertebral discs.1 Recent studies in zebrafish have shown that the epithelial sheath surrounding the notochord differentiates into alternating cartilage-like (col2a1/col9a2+) and mineralizing (entpd5a+) segments which serve as a blueprint for centra formation.2,3,4,5 This process also defines the trajectories of migrating sclerotomal cells that form the mature vertebral bodies.4 Previous work demonstrated that notochord segmentation is typically sequential and involves the segmented activation of Notch signaling.2 However, it is unclear how Notch is activated in an alternating and sequential fashion. Furthermore, the molecular components that define segment size, regulate segment growth, and produce sharp segment boundaries have not been identified. In this study, we uncover that a BMP signaling wave acts upstream of Notch during zebrafish notochord segmentation. Using genetically encoded reporters of BMP activity and signaling pathway components, we show that BMP signaling is dynamic as axial patterning progresses, leading to the sequential formation of mineralizing domains in the notochord sheath. Genetic manipulations reveal that type I BMP receptor activation is sufficient to ectopically trigger Notch signaling. Moreover, loss of Bmpr1ba and Bmpr1aa or Bmp3 function disrupts ordered segment formation and growth, which is recapitulated by notochord-specific overexpression of the BMP antagonist, Noggin3. Our data suggest that BMP signaling in the notochord sheath precedes Notch activation and instructs segment growth, facilitating proper spine morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Peskin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - James Norman
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jennifer Bagwell
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Adam Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Priyom Adhyapok
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michel Bagnat
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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14
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Čapek D, Safroshkin M, Morales-Navarrete H, Toulany N, Arutyunov G, Kurzbach A, Bihler J, Hagauer J, Kick S, Jones F, Jordan B, Müller P. EmbryoNet: using deep learning to link embryonic phenotypes to signaling pathways. Nat Methods 2023:10.1038/s41592-023-01873-4. [PMID: 37156842 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01873-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways are essential for early embryogenesis, and reducing or abolishing their activity leads to characteristic developmental defects. Classification of phenotypic defects can identify the underlying signaling mechanisms, but this requires expert knowledge and the classification schemes have not been standardized. Here we use a machine learning approach for automated phenotyping to train a deep convolutional neural network, EmbryoNet, to accurately identify zebrafish signaling mutants in an unbiased manner. Combined with a model of time-dependent developmental trajectories, this approach identifies and classifies with high precision phenotypic defects caused by loss of function of the seven major signaling pathways relevant for vertebrate development. Our classification algorithms have wide applications in developmental biology and robustly identify signaling defects in evolutionarily distant species. Furthermore, using automated phenotyping in high-throughput drug screens, we show that EmbryoNet can resolve the mechanism of action of pharmaceutical substances. As part of this work, we freely provide more than 2 million images that were used to train and test EmbryoNet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Čapek
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Hernán Morales-Navarrete
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nikan Toulany
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Anica Kurzbach
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Johanna Bihler
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Hagauer
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kick
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Felicity Jones
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ben Jordan
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Patrick Müller
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany.
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15
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Teague S, Primavera G, Chen B, Freeburne E, Khan H, Jo K, Johnson C, Heemskerk I. The time integral of BMP signaling determines fate in a stem cell model for early human development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.10.536068. [PMID: 37090515 PMCID: PMC10120633 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.10.536068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
How paracrine signals are interpreted to yield multiple cell fate decisions in a dynamic context during human development in vivo and in vitro remains poorly understood. Here we report an automated tracking method to follow signaling histories linked to cell fate in large numbers of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Using an unbiased statistical approach, we discovered that measured BMP signaling history correlates strongly with fate in individual cells. We found that BMP response in hPSCs varies more strongly in the duration of signaling than the level. However, we discovered that both the level and duration of signaling activity control cell fate choices only by changing the time integral of signaling and that duration and level are therefore interchangeable in this context. In a stem cell model for patterning of the human embryo, we showed that signaling histories predict the fate pattern and that the integral model correctly predicts changes in cell fate domains when signaling is perturbed. Using an RNA-seq screen we then found that mechanistically, BMP signaling is integrated by SOX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gillian Primavera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Bohan Chen
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Emily Freeburne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hina Khan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kyoung Jo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Craig Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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16
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Trentesaux C, Yamada T, Klein OD, Lim WA. Harnessing synthetic biology to engineer organoids and tissues. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:10-19. [PMID: 36608674 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of an organism depends on intrinsic genetic programs of progenitor cells and their spatiotemporally complex extrinsic environment. Ex vivo generation of organoids from progenitor cells provides a platform for recapitulating and exploring development. Current approaches rely largely on soluble morphogens or engineered biomaterials to manipulate the physical environment, but the emerging field of synthetic biology provides a powerful toolbox to genetically manipulate cell communication, adhesion, and even cell fate. Applying these modular tools to organoids should lead to a deeper understanding of developmental principles, improved organoid models, and an enhanced capability to design tissues for regenerative purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Trentesaux
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Toshimichi Yamada
- Cell Design Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
| | - Wendell A Lim
- Cell Design Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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17
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Economou AD, Guglielmi L, East P, Hill CS. Nodal signaling establishes a competency window for stochastic cell fate switching. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2604-2622.e5. [PMID: 36473458 PMCID: PMC7615190 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Specification of the germ layers by Nodal signaling has long been regarded as an archetype of how graded morphogens induce different cell fates. However, this deterministic model cannot explain why only a subset of cells at the early zebrafish embryo margin adopt the endodermal fate, whereas their immediate neighbours, experiencing a similar signaling environment, become mesoderm. Combining pharmacology, quantitative imaging and single cell transcriptomics, we demonstrate that sustained Nodal signaling establishes a bipotential progenitor state from which cells can switch to an endodermal fate or differentiate into mesoderm. Switching is a random event, the likelihood of which is modulated by Fgf signaling. This inherently imprecise mechanism nevertheless leads to robust endoderm formation because of buffering at later stages. Thus, in contrast to previous deterministic models of morphogen action, Nodal signaling establishes a temporal window when cells are competent to undergo a stochastic cell fate switch, rather than determining fate itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Economou
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Luca Guglielmi
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Philip East
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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18
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Abstract
Metazoan embryos develop from a single cell into three-dimensional structured organisms while groups of genetically identical cells attain specialized identities. Cells of the developing embryo both create and accurately interpret morphogen gradients to determine their positions and make specific decisions in response. Here, we first cover intellectual roots of morphogen and positional information concepts. Focusing on animal embryos, we then provide a review of current understanding on how morphogen gradients are established and how their spans are controlled. Lastly, we cover how gradients evolve in time and space during development, and how they encode information to control patterning. In sum, we provide a list of patterning principles for morphogen gradients and review recent advances in quantitative methodologies elucidating information provided by morphogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Fethullah Simsek
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ertuğrul M. Özbudak
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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19
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Ferreira MJS, Mancini FE, Humphreys PA, Ogene L, Buckley M, Domingos MAN, Kimber SJ. Pluripotent stem cells for skeletal tissue engineering. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2022; 42:774-793. [PMID: 34488516 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1968785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Here, we review the use of human pluripotent stem cells for skeletal tissue engineering. A number of approaches have been used for generating cartilage and bone from both human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. These range from protocols relying on intrinsic cell interactions and signals from co-cultured cells to those attempting to recapitulate the series of steps occurring during mammalian skeletal development. The importance of generating authentic tissues rather than just differentiated cells is emphasized and enabling technologies for doing this are reported. We also review the different methods for characterization of skeletal cells and constructs at the tissue and single-cell level, and indicate newer resources not yet fully utilized in this field. There have been many challenges in this research area but the technologies to overcome these are beginning to appear, often adopted from related fields. This makes it more likely that cost-effective and efficacious human pluripotent stem cell-engineered constructs may become available for skeletal repair in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel J S Ferreira
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering & Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Fabrizio E Mancini
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Paul A Humphreys
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering & Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Leona Ogene
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael Buckley
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Marco A N Domingos
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering & Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Susan J Kimber
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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20
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Iber D, Vetter R. Relationship between epithelial organization and morphogen interpretation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 75:101916. [PMID: 35605527 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite molecular noise and genetic differences between individuals, developmental outcomes are remarkably constant. Decades of research has focused on the underlying mechanisms that ensure this precision and robustness. Recent quantifications of chemical gradients and epithelial cell shapes provide novel insights into the basis of precise development. In this review, we argue that these two aspects may be linked in epithelial morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Iber
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Roman Vetter
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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21
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Jo K, Teague S, Chen B, Khan HA, Freeburne E, Li H, Li B, Ran R, Spence JR, Heemskerk I. Efficient differentiation of human primordial germ cells through geometric control reveals a key role for Nodal signaling. eLife 2022; 11:72811. [PMID: 35394424 PMCID: PMC9106331 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human primordial germ cells (hPGCs) form around the time of implantation and are the precursors of eggs and sperm. Many aspects of hPGC specification remain poorly understood because of the inaccessibility of the early postimplantation human embryo for study. Here, we show that micropatterned human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) treated with BMP4 give rise to hPGC-like cells (hPGCLC) and use these as a quantitatively reproducible and simple in vitro model to interrogate this important developmental event. We characterize micropatterned hPSCs up to 96 hr and show that hPGCLC populations are stable and continue to mature. By perturbing signaling during hPGCLC differentiation, we identify a previously unappreciated role for Nodal signaling and find that the relative timing and duration of BMP and Nodal signaling are critical parameters controlling the number of hPGCLCs. We formulate a mathematical model for a network of cross-repressive fates driven by Nodal and BMP signaling, which predicts the measured fate patterns after signaling perturbations. Finally, we show that hPSC colony size dictates the efficiency of hPGCLC specification, which led us to dramatically improve the efficiency of hPGCLC differentiation. In humans and other animals, eggs and sperm are unique cells that pass on genetic material to the next generation. They originate from a small group of cells called primordial germ cells that form early in life in the developing embryo. Several different signal molecules including ones known as BMP4, Wnt, and Nodal, instruct certain cells in the embryo to become primordial germ cells. The process by which primordial germ cells are made in humans is very different to how primordial germ cells are made in mice and other so-called model animals that are commonly used in research. This has made it more challenging to uncover the details of the process in humans. Fortunately, new methods have recently been created that mimic aspects of how human embryos develop using human stem cells in a laboratory dish, providing an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how human germ cells form. Jo et al. used a technique called micropatterning to control the shape and size of groups of human stem cells growing in a laboratory dish. Treating these cells with a signal known as BMP4 gave rise to cells that resembled primordial germ cells. The team then used this system as a model to study how primordial germ cells form in humans. The experiments found that reducing Wnt signals in stem cells stopped primordial germ cells from forming in response to BMP4, confirming that Wnt signals made by the cells in response to BMP4 are essential. However, this block was overcome by providing the stem cells with another signal called Nodal. This suggests that the role of Wnt signaling in primordial germ cell formation is in part indirect by switching on Nodal in stem cells. Defects in eggs and sperm may lead to infertility, therefore, the findings of Jo et al. have the potential to help researchers develop new fertility treatments that use eggs or sperm grown in a laboratory from the patients’ own stem cells. Such research would benefit from first developing a better understanding of how to make primordial germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Jo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Bohan Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Hina Aftab Khan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Emily Freeburne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Hunter Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Bolin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Ran Ran
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Jason R Spence
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States
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22
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Hill CS. Establishment and interpretation of NODAL and BMP signaling gradients in early vertebrate development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 149:311-340. [PMID: 35606059 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family ligands play crucial roles in orchestrating early embryonic development. Most significantly, two family members, NODAL and BMP form signaling gradients and indeed in fish, frogs and sea urchins these two opposing gradients are sufficient to organize a complete embryonic axis. This review focuses on how these gradients are established and interpreted during early vertebrate development. The review highlights key principles that are emerging, in particular the importance of signaling duration as well as ligand concentration in both gradient generation and their interpretation. Feedforward and feedback loops involving other signaling pathways are also essential for providing spatial and temporal information downstream of the NODAL and BMP signaling pathways. Finally, new data suggest the existence of buffering mechanisms, whereby early signaling defects can be readily corrected downstream later in development, suggesting that signaling gradients do not have to be as precise as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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23
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Yan Y, Wang Q. BMP Signaling: Lighting up the Way for Embryonic Dorsoventral Patterning. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:799772. [PMID: 35036406 PMCID: PMC8753366 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.799772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most significant events during early embryonic development is the establishment of a basic embryonic body plan, which is defined by anteroposterior, dorsoventral (DV), and left-right axes. It is well-known that the morphogen gradient created by BMP signaling activity is crucial for DV axis patterning across a diverse set of vertebrates. The regulation of BMP signaling during DV patterning has been strongly conserved across evolution. This is a remarkable regulatory and evolutionary feat, as the BMP gradient has been maintained despite the tremendous variation in embryonic size and shape across species. Interestingly, the embryonic DV axis exhibits robust stability, even in face of variations in BMP signaling. Multiple lines of genetic, molecular, and embryological evidence have suggested that numerous BMP signaling components and their attendant regulators act in concert to shape the developing DV axis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the function and regulation of BMP signaling in DV patterning. Throughout, we focus specifically on popular model animals, such as Xenopus and zebrafish, highlighting the similarities and differences of the regulatory networks between species. We also review recent advances regarding the molecular nature of DV patterning, including the initiation of the DV axis, the formation of the BMP gradient, and the regulatory molecular mechanisms behind BMP signaling during the establishment of the DV axis. Collectively, this review will help clarify our current understanding of the molecular nature of DV axis formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifang Yan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology (Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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24
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Jones WD, Mullins MC. Cell signaling pathways controlling an axis organizing center in the zebrafish. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:149-209. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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25
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Orlov EE, Nesterenko AM, Korotkova DD, Parshina EA, Martynova NY, Zaraisky AG. Targeted search for scaling genes reveals matrixmetalloproteinase 3 as a scaler of the dorsal-ventral pattern in Xenopus laevis embryos. Dev Cell 2021; 57:95-111.e12. [PMID: 34919801 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
How embryos scale patterning according to size is still not fully understood. Through in silico screening and analysis of reaction-diffusion systems that could be responsible for scaling, we predicted the existence of genes whose expression is sensitive to embryo size and which regulate the scaling of embryonic patterning. To find these scalers, we identified genes with strongly altered expression in half-size Xenopus laevis embryos compared with full-size siblings at the gastrula stage. Among found genes, we investigated the role of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (mmp3), which was most strongly downregulated in half-size embryos. We show that Mmp3 scales dorsal-ventral patterning by degrading the slowly diffusing embryonic inducers Noggin1 and Noggin2 but preventing cleavage of the more rapidly diffusing inducer Chordin via degradation of a Tolloid-type proteinase. In addition to unraveling the mechanism underlying the scaling of dorsal-ventral patterning, this work provides proof of principal for scalers identification in embryos of other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugeny E Orlov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey M Nesterenko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria D Korotkova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elena A Parshina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Yu Martynova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey G Zaraisky
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
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26
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Guglielmi L, Heliot C, Kumar S, Alexandrov Y, Gori I, Papaleonidopoulou F, Barrington C, East P, Economou AD, French PMW, McGinty J, Hill CS. Smad4 controls signaling robustness and morphogenesis by differentially contributing to the Nodal and BMP pathways. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6374. [PMID: 34737283 PMCID: PMC8569018 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26486-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional effector SMAD4 is a core component of the TGF-β family signaling pathways. However, its role in vertebrate embryo development remains unresolved. To address this, we deleted Smad4 in zebrafish and investigated the consequences of this on signaling by the TGF-β family morphogens, BMPs and Nodal. We demonstrate that in the absence of Smad4, dorsal/ventral embryo patterning is disrupted due to the loss of BMP signaling. However, unexpectedly, Nodal signaling is maintained, but lacks robustness. This Smad4-independent Nodal signaling is sufficient for mesoderm specification, but not for optimal endoderm specification. Furthermore, using Optical Projection Tomography in combination with 3D embryo morphometry, we have generated a BMP morphospace and demonstrate that Smad4 mutants are morphologically indistinguishable from embryos in which BMP signaling has been genetically/pharmacologically perturbed. Smad4 is thus differentially required for signaling by different TGF-β family ligands, which has implications for diseases where Smad4 is mutated or deleted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Guglielmi
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Claire Heliot
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Advanced Light Microscopy, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Yuriy Alexandrov
- Advanced Light Microscopy, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ilaria Gori
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Christopher Barrington
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Philip East
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Andrew D Economou
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paul M W French
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - James McGinty
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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Song Y, Hyeon C. Cost-precision trade-off relation determines the optimal morphogen gradient for accurate biological pattern formation. eLife 2021; 10:70034. [PMID: 34402427 PMCID: PMC8457829 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial boundaries formed during animal development originate from the pre-patterning of tissues by signaling molecules, called morphogens. The accuracy of boundary location is limited by the fluctuations of morphogen concentration that thresholds the expression level of target gene. Producing more morphogen molecules, which gives rise to smaller relative fluctuations, would better serve to shape more precise target boundaries; however, it incurs more thermodynamic cost. In the classical diffusion-depletion model of morphogen profile formation, the morphogen molecules synthesized from a local source display an exponentially decaying concentration profile with a characteristic length λ. Our theory suggests that in order to attain a precise profile with the minimal cost, λ should be roughly half the distance to the target boundary position from the source. Remarkably, we find that the profiles of morphogens that pattern the Drosophila embryo and wing imaginal disk are formed with nearly optimal λ. Our finding underscores the cost-effectiveness of precise morphogen profile formation in Drosophila development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghyun Song
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changbong Hyeon
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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