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Farag N, Sacharen C, Avni L, Nachman I. Coordination between endoderm progression and mouse gastruloid elongation controls endodermal morphotype choice. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00335-6. [PMID: 38838673 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.05.017] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic development is highly robust. Morphogenetic variability between embryos (under ideal conditions) is largely quantitative. This robustness stands in contrast to in vitro embryo-like models, which, like most organoids, can display a high degree of tissue morphogenetic variability. The source of this difference is not fully understood. We use the mouse gastruloid model to study the morphogenetic progression of definitive endoderm (DE) and its divergence. We first catalog the different morphologies and characterize their statistics. We then learn predictive models for DE morphotype based on earlier expression and morphology measurements. Finally, we analyze these models to identify key drivers of morphotype variability and devise gastruloid-specific and global interventions that can lower this variability and steer morphotype choice. In the process, we identify two types of coordination lacking in the in vitro model but required for robust gut-tube formation. This approach can help improve the quality and usability of 3D embryo-like models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naama Farag
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Chen Sacharen
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lara Avni
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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2
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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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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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Matejčić M, Trepat X. Mechanobiological approaches to synthetic morphogenesis: learning by building. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:95-111. [PMID: 35879149 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.06.013] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Tissue morphogenesis occurs in a complex physicochemical microenvironment with limited experimental accessibility. This often prevents a clear identification of the processes that govern the formation of a given functional shape. By applying state-of-the-art methods to minimal tissue systems, synthetic morphogenesis aims to engineer the discrete events that are necessary and sufficient to build specific tissue shapes. Here, we review recent advances in synthetic morphogenesis, highlighting how a combination of microfabrication and mechanobiology is fostering our understanding of how tissues are built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Matejčić
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain.
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Concha ML, Reig G. Origin, form and function of extraembryonic structures in teleost fishes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210264. [PMID: 36252221 PMCID: PMC9574637 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0264] [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] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Teleost eggs have evolved a highly derived early developmental pattern within vertebrates as a result of the meroblastic cleavage pattern, giving rise to a polar stratified architecture containing a large acellular yolk and a small cellular blastoderm on top. Besides the acellular yolk, the teleost-specific yolk syncytial layer (YSL) and the superficial epithelial enveloping layer are recognized as extraembryonic structures that play critical roles throughout embryonic development. They provide enriched microenvironments in which molecular feedback loops, cellular interactions and mechanical signals emerge to sculpt, among other things, embryonic patterning along the dorsoventral and left-right axes, mesendodermal specification and the execution of morphogenetic movements in the early embryo and during organogenesis. An emerging concept points to a critical role of extraembryonic structures in reinforcing early genetic and morphogenetic programmes in reciprocal coordination with the embryonic blastoderm, providing the necessary boundary conditions for development to proceed. In addition, the role of the enveloping cell layer in providing mechanical, osmotic and immunological protection during early stages of development, and the autonomous nutritional support provided by the yolk and YSL, have probably been key aspects that have enabled the massive radiation of teleosts to colonize every ecological niche on the Earth. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel L. Concha
- Integrative Biology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380453, Chile
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (BNI), Santiago 8380453, Chile
- Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Germán Reig
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica y del Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 7800003, Chile
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Sozen B, Conkar D, Veenvliet JV. Carnegie in 4D? Stem-cell-based models of human embryo development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:44-57. [PMID: 35701286 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How cells build embryos is still a major mystery. Many unresolved questions require the study of the processes that pattern and shape the embryo in live specimens, in toto, across spatial and temporal scales. In mammalian embryogenesis, this remains a major challenge as the embryo develops in utero, precluding easy accessibility. For human embryos, technical, ethical and legal limitations further hamper the in-depth investigation of embryogenesis, especially beyond gastrulation stages. This has resulted in an over-reliance on model organisms, particularly mice, to understand mammalian development. However, recent efforts show critical differences between rodent and primate embryos, including timing, architecture and transcriptional regulation. Thus, a human-centric understanding of embryogenesis is much needed. To empower this, novel in vitro approaches, which coax human pluripotent stem cells to form embryonic organoids that model embryo development, are pivotal. Here, we summarize these emergent technologies that recapitulate aspects of human development "in a dish". We show how these technologies can provide insights into the molecular, cellular and morphogenetic processes that fuel the formation of a fully formed fetus, and discuss the potential of these platforms to revolutionize our understanding of human development in health and disease. Despite their clear promise, we caution against over-interpreting the extent to which these in vitro platforms model the natural embryo. In particular, we discuss how fate, form and function - a tightly coupled trinity in vivo, can be disconnected in vitro. Finally, we propose how careful benchmarking of existing models, in combination with rational protocol design based on an increased understanding of in vivo developmental dynamics and insights from mouse in vitro models of embryo development, will help guide the establishment of better models of human embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Deniz Conkar
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jesse V Veenvliet
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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Milas A, Telley IA. Polarity Events in the Drosophila melanogaster Oocyte. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:895876. [PMID: 35602591 PMCID: PMC9117655 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.895876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity is a pre-requirement for many fundamental processes in animal cells, such as asymmetric cell division, axon specification, morphogenesis and epithelial tissue formation. For all these different processes, polarization is established by the same set of proteins, called partitioning defective (Par) proteins. During development in Drosophila melanogaster, decision making on the cellular and organism level is achieved with temporally controlled cell polarization events. The initial polarization of Par proteins occurs as early as in the germline cyst, when one of the 16 cells becomes the oocyte. Another marked event occurs when the anterior–posterior axis of the future organism is defined by Par redistribution in the oocyte, requiring external signaling from somatic cells. Here, we review the current literature on cell polarity events that constitute the oogenesis from the stem cell to the mature egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Milas
- *Correspondence: Ana Milas, ; Ivo A. Telley,
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Veenvliet JV, Lenne PF, Turner DA, Nachman I, Trivedi V. Sculpting with stem cells: how models of embryo development take shape. Development 2021; 148:dev192914. [PMID: 34908102 PMCID: PMC8722391 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative understanding how these morphogenetic information modules pattern and shape the mammalian embryo is still lacking, mostly owing to the inaccessibility of the embryo in vivo for direct observation and manipulation. These impediments are circumvented by the developmental engineering of embryo-like structures (stembryos) from pluripotent stem cells that are easy to access, track, manipulate and scale. Here, we explain how unlocking distinct levels of embryo-like architecture through controlled modulations of the cellular environment enables the identification of minimal sets of mechanical and biochemical inputs necessary to pattern and shape the mammalian embryo. We detail how this can be complemented with precise measurements and manipulations of tissue biochemistry, mechanics and geometry across spatial and temporal scales to provide insights into the mechanochemical feedback loops governing embryo morphogenesis. Finally, we discuss how, even in the absence of active manipulations, stembryos display intrinsic phenotypic variability that can be leveraged to define the constraints that ensure reproducible morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - David A. Turner
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, William Henry Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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