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Ventriglia S, Kalcheim C. From neural tube to spinal cord: The dynamic journey of the dorsal neuroepithelium. Dev Biol 2024; 511:26-38. [PMID: 38580174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
In a developing embryo, formation of tissues and organs is remarkably precise in both time and space. Through cell-cell interactions, neighboring progenitors coordinate their activities, sequentially generating distinct types of cells. At present, we only have limited knowledge, rather than a systematic understanding, of the underlying logic and mechanisms responsible for cell fate transitions. The formation of the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord is an outstanding model to tackle these dynamics, as it first generates the peripheral nervous system and is later responsible for transmitting sensory information from the periphery to the brain and for coordinating local reflexes. This is reflected first by the ontogeny of neural crest cells, progenitors of the peripheral nervous system, followed by formation of the definitive roof plate of the central nervous system and specification of adjacent interneurons, then a transformation of roof plate into dorsal radial glia and ependyma lining the forming central canal. How do these peripheral and central neural branches segregate from common progenitors? How are dorsal radial glia established concomitant with transformation of the neural tube lumen into a central canal? How do the dorsal radial glia influence neighboring cells? This is only a partial list of questions whose clarification requires the implementation of experimental paradigms in which precise control of timing is crucial. Here, we outline some available answers and still open issues, while highlighting the contributions of avian models and their potential to address mechanisms of neural patterning and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Ventriglia
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 9112102, P.O.Box 12272, Israel.
| | - Chaya Kalcheim
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 9112102, P.O.Box 12272, Israel.
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Azzi C, Rayon T. Timing mechanisms: insights from comparative neural differentiation systems. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102197. [PMID: 38648722 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Temporal control is central to deploy and coordinate genetic programs during development. At present, there is limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the duration and speed of developmental processes. Timing mechanisms may run in parallel and/or interact with each other to integrate temporal signals throughout the organism. In this piece, we consider findings on the extrinsic control of developmental tempo and discuss the intrinsic roles of cell cycle, metabolic rates, protein turnover, and post-transcriptional mechanisms in the regulation of tempo during neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Azzi
- Epigenetics & Signalling Programmes, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK. https://twitter.com/@azziChiA
| | - Teresa Rayon
- Epigenetics & Signalling Programmes, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.
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Simpson L, Alberio R. Interspecies control of development during mammalian gastrulation. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:397-408. [PMID: 37933589 PMCID: PMC10754326 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation represents a pivotal phase of development and aberrations during this period can have major consequences, from minor anatomical deviations to severe congenital defects. Animal models are used to study gastrulation, however, there is considerable morphological and molecular diversity of gastrula across mammalian species. Here, we provide an overview of the latest research on interspecies developmental control across mammals. This includes single-cell atlases of several mammalian gastrula which have enabled comparisons of the temporal and molecular dynamics of differentiation. These studies highlight conserved cell differentiation regulators and both absolute and relative differences in differentiation dynamics between species. Recent advances in in vitro culture techniques have facilitated the derivation, maintenance and differentiation of cell lines from a range of species and the creation of multi-species models of gastrulation. Gastruloids are three-dimensional aggregates capable of self-organising and recapitulating aspects of gastrulation. Such models enable species comparisons outside the confines of the embryo. We highlight recent in vitro evidence that differentiation processes such as somitogenesis and neuronal maturation scale with known in vivo differences in developmental tempo across species. This scaling is likely due to intrinsic differences in cell biochemistry. We also highlight several studies which provide examples of cell differentiation dynamics being influenced by extrinsic factors, including culture conditions, chimeric co-culture, and xenotransplantation. These collective studies underscore the complexity of gastrulation across species, highlighting the necessity of additional datasets and studies to decipher the intricate balance between intrinsic cellular programs and extrinsic signals in shaping embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Simpson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, U.K
| | - Ramiro Alberio
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, U.K
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Frith TJR, Briscoe J, Boezio GLM. From signalling to form: the coordination of neural tube patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:168-231. [PMID: 38729676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.004] [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
The development of the vertebrate spinal cord involves the formation of the neural tube and the generation of multiple distinct cell types. The process starts during gastrulation, combining axial elongation with specification of neural cells and the formation of the neuroepithelium. Tissue movements produce the neural tube which is then exposed to signals that provide patterning information to neural progenitors. The intracellular response to these signals, via a gene regulatory network, governs the spatial and temporal differentiation of progenitors into specific cell types, facilitating the assembly of functional neuronal circuits. The interplay between the gene regulatory network, cell movement, and tissue mechanics generates the conserved neural tube pattern observed across species. In this review we offer an overview of the molecular and cellular processes governing the formation and patterning of the neural tube, highlighting how the remarkable complexity and precision of vertebrate nervous system arises. We argue that a multidisciplinary and multiscale understanding of the neural tube development, paired with the study of species-specific strategies, will be crucial to tackle the open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
Organismal development requires the reproducible unfolding of an ordered sequence of discrete steps (cell fate determination, migration, tissue folding, etc.) in both time and space. Here, we review the mechanisms that grant temporal specificity to developmental steps, including molecular clocks and timers. Individual timing mechanisms must be coordinated with each other to maintain the overall developmental sequence. However, phenotypic novelties can also arise through the modification of temporal patterns over the course of evolution. Two main types of variation in temporal patterning characterize interspecies differences in developmental time: allochrony, where the overall developmental sequence is either accelerated or slowed down while maintaining the relative duration of individual steps, and heterochrony, where the duration of specific developmental steps is altered relative to the rest. New advances in in vitro modeling of mammalian development using stem cells have recently enabled the revival of mechanistic studies of allochrony and heterochrony. In both cases, differences in the rate of basic cellular functions such as splicing, translation, protein degradation, and metabolism seem to underlie differences in developmental time. In the coming years, these studies should identify the genetic differences that drive divergence in developmental time between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Diaz-Cuadros
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons. In this Spotlight, we explore the idea that genetic forms of neurodegenerative disorders might be rooted in neural development. Focusing on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, we first provide a brief overview of the pathology for these diseases. Although neurodegenerative diseases are generally thought of as late-onset diseases, we discuss recent evidence promoting the notion that they might be considered neurodevelopmental disorders. With this view in mind, we consider the suitability of animal models for studying these diseases, highlighting human-specific features of human brain development. We conclude by proposing that one such feature, human-specific regulation of neurogenic time, might be key to understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of human neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Shabani
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Bassem A. Hassan
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
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Abstract
An overview on the molecular and metabolic mechanisms behind individual cell differences in developmental timing in the segmentation clock and the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rayon
- Epigenetics and Signalling Programmes, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
- Wellcome–Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
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Semprich CI, Davidson L, Amorim Torres A, Patel H, Briscoe J, Metzis V, Storey KG. ERK1/2 signalling dynamics promote neural differentiation by regulating chromatin accessibility and the polycomb repressive complex. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3000221. [PMID: 36455041 PMCID: PMC9746999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a neural inducer in many vertebrate embryos, but how it regulates chromatin organization to coordinate the activation of neural genes is unclear. Moreover, for differentiation to progress, FGF signalling must decline. Why these signalling dynamics are required has not been determined. Here, we show that dephosphorylation of the FGF effector kinase ERK1/2 rapidly increases chromatin accessibility at neural genes in mouse embryos, and, using ATAC-seq in human embryonic stem cell derived spinal cord precursors, we demonstrate that this occurs genome-wide across neural genes. Importantly, ERK1/2 inhibition induces precocious neural gene transcription, and this involves dissociation of the polycomb repressive complex from key gene loci. This takes place independently of subsequent loss of the repressive histone mark H3K27me3 and transcriptional onset. Transient ERK1/2 inhibition is sufficient for the dissociation of the repressive complex, and this is not reversed on resumption of ERK1/2 signalling. Moreover, genomic footprinting of sites identified by ATAC-seq together with ChIP-seq for polycomb protein Ring1B revealed that ERK1/2 inhibition promotes the occupancy of neural transcription factors (TFs) at non-polycomb as well as polycomb associated sites. Together, these findings indicate that ERK1/2 signalling decline promotes global changes in chromatin accessibility and TF binding at neural genes by directing polycomb and other regulators and appears to serve as a gating mechanism that provides directionality to the process of differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia I. Semprich
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay Davidson
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Adriana Amorim Torres
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Vicki Metzis
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (VM); (KGS)
| | - Kate G. Storey
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (VM); (KGS)
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Cooper F, Tsakiridis A. Towards clinical applications of in vitro-derived axial progenitors. Dev Biol 2022; 489:110-117. [PMID: 35718236 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.06.006] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The production of the tissues that make up the mammalian embryonic trunk takes place in a head-tail direction, via the differentiation of posteriorly-located axial progenitor populations. These include bipotent neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs), which generate both spinal cord neurectoderm and presomitic mesoderm, the precursor of the musculoskeleton. Over the past few years, a number of studies have described the derivation of NMP-like cells from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). In turn, these have greatly facilitated the establishment of PSC differentiation protocols aiming to give rise efficiently to posterior mesodermal and neural cell types, which have been particularly challenging to produce using previous approaches. Moreover, the advent of 3-dimensional-based culture systems incorporating distinct axial progenitor-derived cell lineages has opened new avenues toward the functional dissection of early patterning events and cell vs non-cell autonomous effects. Here, we provide a brief overview of the applications of these cell types in disease modelling and cell therapy and speculate on their potential uses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Cooper
- Centre for Stem Cell Biology, School of Bioscience, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Anestis Tsakiridis
- Centre for Stem Cell Biology, School of Bioscience, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
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