1
|
Zhang K, Yao E, Aung T, Chuang PT. The alveolus: Our current knowledge of how the gas exchange unit of the lung is constructed and repaired. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:59-129. [PMID: 38729684 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.002] [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 mammalian lung completes its last step of development, alveologenesis, to generate sufficient surface area for gas exchange. In this process, multiple cell types that include alveolar epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts undergo coordinated cell proliferation, cell migration and/or contraction, cell shape changes, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions to produce the gas exchange unit: the alveolus. Full functioning of alveoli also involves immune cells and the lymphatic and autonomic nervous system. With the advent of lineage tracing, conditional gene inactivation, transcriptome analysis, live imaging, and lung organoids, our molecular understanding of alveologenesis has advanced significantly. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the constituents of the alveolus and the molecular pathways that control alveolar formation. We also discuss how insight into alveolar formation may inform us of alveolar repair/regeneration mechanisms following lung injury and the pathogenic processes that lead to loss of alveoli or tissue fibrosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Zhang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Erica Yao
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Thin Aung
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Pao-Tien Chuang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang K, Aung T, Yao E, Chuang PT. Lung patterning: Is a distal-to-proximal gradient of cell allocation and fate decision a general paradigm?: A gradient of distal-to-proximal distribution and differentiation of tip progenitors produces distinct compartments in the lung. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300083. [PMID: 38010492 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300083] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies support a model in which the progeny of SOX9+ epithelial progenitors at the distal tip of lung branches undergo cell allocation and differentiation sequentially along the distal-to-proximal axis. Concomitant with the elongation and ramification of lung branches, the descendants of the distal SOX9+ progenitors are distributed proximally, express SOX2, and differentiate into cell types in the conducting airways. Amid subsequent sacculation, the distal SOX9+ progenitors generate alveolar epithelial cells to form alveoli. Sequential cell allocation and differentiation are integrated with the branching process to generate a functional branching organ. This review focuses on the roles of SOX9+ cells as precursors for new branches, as the source of various cell types in the conducting airways, and as progenitors of the alveolar epithelium. All of these processes are controlled by multiple signaling pathways. Many mouse mutants with defective lung branching contain underlying defects in one or more steps of cell allocation and differentiation of SOX9+ progenitors. This model provides a framework to understand the molecular basis of lung phenotypes and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of lung patterning. It builds a foundation on which comparing and contrasting the mechanisms employed by different branching organs in diverse species can be made.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Zhang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Thin Aung
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Erica Yao
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pao-Tien Chuang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rosenberg L, Liu C, Sharma R, Wood C, Vyhlidal CA, Gaedigk R, Kho AT, Ziniti JP, Celedón JC, Tantisira KG, Weiss ST, McGeachie MJ, Kechris K, Sharma S. Intrauterine Smoke Exposure, microRNA Expression during Human Lung Development, and Childhood Asthma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:7727. [PMID: 37175432 PMCID: PMC10178351 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097727] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine smoke (IUS) exposure during early childhood has been associated with a number of negative health consequences, including reduced lung function and asthma susceptibility. The biological mechanisms underlying these associations have not been established. MicroRNAs regulate the expression of numerous genes involved in lung development. Thus, investigation of the impact of IUS on miRNA expression during human lung development may elucidate the impact of IUS on post-natal respiratory outcomes. We sought to investigate the effect of IUS exposure on miRNA expression during early lung development. We hypothesized that miRNA-mRNA networks are dysregulated by IUS during human lung development and that these miRNAs may be associated with future risk of asthma and allergy. Human fetal lung samples from a prenatal tissue retrieval program were tested for differential miRNA expression with IUS exposure (measured using placental cotinine concentration). RNA was extracted and miRNA-sequencing was performed. We performed differential expression using IUS exposure, with covariate adjustment. We also considered the above model with an additional sex-by-IUS interaction term, allowing IUS effects to differ by male and female samples. Using paired gene expression profiles, we created sex-stratified miRNA-mRNA correlation networks predictive of IUS using DIABLO. We additionally evaluated whether miRNAs were associated with asthma and allergy outcomes in a cohort of childhood asthma. We profiled pseudoglandular lung miRNA in n = 298 samples, 139 (47%) of which had evidence of IUS exposure. Of 515 miRNAs, 25 were significantly associated with intrauterine smoke exposure (q-value < 0.10). The IUS associated miRNAs were correlated with well-known asthma genes (e.g., ORM1-Like Protein 3, ORDML3) and enriched in disease-relevant pathways (oxidative stress). Eleven IUS-miRNAs were also correlated with clinical measures (e.g., Immunoglobulin E andlungfunction) in children with asthma, further supporting their likely disease relevance. Lastly, we found substantial differences in IUS effects by sex, finding 95 significant IUS-miRNAs in male samples, but only four miRNAs in female samples. The miRNA-mRNA correlation networks were predictive of IUS (AUC = 0.78 in males and 0.86 in females) and suggested that IUS-miRNAs are involved in regulation of disease-relevant genes (e.g., A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 19 (ADAM19), LBH regulator of WNT signaling (LBH)) and sex hormone signaling (Coactivator associated methyltransferase 1(CARM1)). Our study demonstrated differential expression of miRNAs by IUS during early prenatal human lung development, which may be modified by sex. Based on their gene targets and correlation to clinical asthma and atopy outcomes, these IUS-miRNAs may be relevant for subsequent allergy and asthma risk. Our study provides insight into the impact of IUS in human fetal lung transcriptional networks and on the developmental origins of asthma and allergic disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Rosenberg
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Cuining Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rinku Sharma
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cheyret Wood
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | | | - Roger Gaedigk
- Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Alvin T. Kho
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John P. Ziniti
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juan C. Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Kelan G. Tantisira
- Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Rady Children’s Hospital, University of California, San Diego, CA 92123, USA
| | - Scott T. Weiss
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael J. McGeachie
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Katerina Kechris
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sunita Sharma
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kondo S. The present and future of Turing models in developmental biology. Development 2022; 149:286110. [PMID: 36533582 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Turing model (or reaction-diffusion model), first published in 1952, is a mathematical model that can account for autonomy in the morphogenesis of organisms. Although initially controversial, the model has gradually gained wider acceptance among experimental embryologists due to the accumulation of experimental data to support it. More recently, this model and others based on it have been used not only to explain biological phenomena conceptually but also as working hypotheses for molecular-level experiments and as internal components of more-complex 3D models. In this Spotlight, I will provide a personal perspective from an experimental biologist on some of the recent developments of the Turing model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kondo
- Osaka University, Faculty of Frontia Bioscience, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang K, Yao E, Chuang E, Chen B, Chuang EY, Chuang PT. mTORC1 signaling facilitates differential stem cell differentiation to shape the developing murine lung and is associated with mitochondrial capacity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7252. [PMID: 36433959 PMCID: PMC9700781 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of branched organs requires sequential differentiation of stem cells. In this work, we find that the conducting airways derived from SOX2+ progenitors in the murine lungs fail to form without mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and are replaced by lung cysts. Proximal-distal patterning through transitioning of distal SOX9+ progenitors to proximal SOX2+ cells is disrupted. Mitochondria number and ATP production are reduced. Compromised mitochondrial capacity results in a similar defect as that in mTORC1-deficient lungs. This suggests that mTORC1 promotes differentiation of SOX9+ progenitors to form the conducting airways by modulating mitochondrial capacity. Surprisingly, in all mutants, saccules are produced from lung cysts at the proper developmental time despite defective branching. SOX9+ progenitors also differentiate into alveolar epithelial type I and type II cells within saccules. These findings highlight selective utilization of energy and regulatory programs during stem cell differentiation to produce distinct structures of the mammalian lungs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Zhang
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Erica Yao
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Ethan Chuang
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Biao Chen
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Evelyn Y. Chuang
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Pao-Tien Chuang
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Corchado-Sonera M, Rambani K, Navarro K, Kladney R, Dowdle J, Leone G, Chamberlin HM. Discovery of nonautonomous modulators of activated Ras. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6656354. [PMID: 35929788 PMCID: PMC9526067 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Communication between mesodermal cells and epithelial cells is fundamental to normal animal development and is frequently disrupted in cancer. However, the genes and processes that mediate this communication are incompletely understood. To identify genes that mediate this communication and alter the proliferation of cells with an oncogenic Ras genotype, we carried out a tissue-specific genome-wide RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans animals bearing a let-60(n1046gf) (RasG13E) allele. The screen identifies 24 genes that, when knocked down in adjacent mesodermal tissue, suppress the increased vulval epithelial cell proliferation defect associated with let-60(n1046gf). Importantly, gene knockdown reverts the mutant animals to a wild-type phenotype. Using chimeric animals, we genetically confirm that 2 of the genes function nonautonomously to revert the let-60(n1046gf) phenotype. The effect is genotype restricted, as knockdown does not alter development in a wild type (let-60(+)) or activated EGF receptor (let-23(sa62gf)) background. Although many of the genes identified encode proteins involved in essential cellular processes, including chromatin formation, ribosome function, and mitochondrial ATP metabolism, knockdown does not alter the normal development or function of targeted mesodermal tissues, indicating that the phenotype derives from specific functions performed by these cells. We show that the genes act in a manner distinct from 2 signal ligand classes (EGF and Wnt) known to influence the development of vulval epithelial cells. Altogether, the results identify genes with a novel function in mesodermal cells required for communicating with and promoting the proliferation of adjacent epithelial cells with an activated Ras genotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Komal Rambani
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kristen Navarro
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Raleigh Kladney
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - James Dowdle
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Gustavo Leone
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Helen M Chamberlin
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Leng S, Zhang X, Li X, Wang S, Peng J. Lineage tracing reveals the dynamic contribution of Id2+ progenitor cells to branching morphogenesis. Stem Cells Dev 2022; 31:67-77. [PMID: 35018833 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2021.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Branching morphogenesis is an important process in shaping the arborized structures of several organs. However, the driving force that directs this process from progenitor pools remains incompletely understood. In this lineage tracing study, we investigated the role of Id2+ embryonic progenitor cells in branching organs such as the pancreas, kidney, mammary gland, thyroid gland, and salivary gland. We found that a subset of Id2+ distal progenitor cells in the embryonic pancreas and kidney can give rise to multiple lineages of progeny cells during branching morphogenesis. Id2-labelled cells also supported the postnatal development of the mammary glands. However, Id2+ cells did not contribute to the development of the salivary and thyroid glands. We found the Id2+ cells located in the tip progenitor pools of pancreas and kidney have self-renewal potential and contribute descendents to multiple epithelial cell lineages. Our findings enrich the current model of distal progenitor pools driving branching morphogenesis and provide a new marker to investigate the regularity of branching in these organs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoqiu Leng
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Department of Hematology, Jinan, China, 250012;
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Department of Hematology, Jinan, China;
| | - Xin Li
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Jinan, China, 250012;
| | - Shuwen Wang
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Department of Hematology, Jinan, China, 250012;
| | - Jun Peng
- Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Department of Hematology, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 91623, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, Jinan, Shandong, China;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Conrad L, Runser SVM, Fernando Gómez H, Lang CM, Dumond MS, Sapala A, Schaumann L, Michos O, Vetter R, Iber D. The biomechanical basis of biased epithelial tube elongation in lung and kidney development. Development 2021; 148:261770. [PMID: 33946098 PMCID: PMC8126414 DOI: 10.1242/dev.194209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
During lung development, epithelial branches expand preferentially in a longitudinal direction. This bias in outgrowth has been linked to a bias in cell shape and in the cell division plane. How this bias arises is unknown. Here, we show that biased epithelial outgrowth occurs independent of the surrounding mesenchyme, of preferential turnover of the extracellular matrix at the bud tips and of FGF signalling. There is also no evidence for actin-rich filopodia at the bud tips. Rather, we find epithelial tubes to be collapsed during early lung and kidney development, and we observe fluid flow in the narrow tubes. By simulating the measured fluid flow inside segmented narrow epithelial tubes, we show that the shear stress levels on the apical surface are sufficient to explain the reported bias in cell shape and outgrowth. We use a cell-based vertex model to confirm that apical shear forces, unlike constricting forces, can give rise to both the observed bias in cell shapes and tube elongation. We conclude that shear stress may be a more general driver of biased tube elongation beyond its established role in angiogenesis. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Conrad
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steve Vincent Maurice Runser
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Harold Fernando Gómez
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christine Michaela Lang
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathilde Sabine Dumond
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aleksandra Sapala
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Schaumann
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Odyssé Michos
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Roman Vetter
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dagmar Iber
- Department of Biosystems, Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Mattenstraße 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|