1
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Wu J, Fu J. Toward developing human organs via embryo models and chimeras. Cell 2024; 187:3194-3219. [PMID: 38906095 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.027] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Developing functional organs from stem cells remains a challenging goal in regenerative medicine. Existing methodologies, such as tissue engineering, bioprinting, and organoids, only offer partial solutions. This perspective focuses on two promising approaches emerging for engineering human organs from stem cells: stem cell-based embryo models and interspecies organogenesis. Both approaches exploit the premise of guiding stem cells to mimic natural development. We begin by summarizing what is known about early human development as a blueprint for recapitulating organogenesis in both embryo models and interspecies chimeras. The latest advances in both fields are discussed before highlighting the technological and knowledge gaps to be addressed before the goal of developing human organs could be achieved using the two approaches. We conclude by discussing challenges facing embryo modeling and interspecies organogenesis and outlining future prospects for advancing both fields toward the generation of human tissues and organs for basic research and translational applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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2
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Rosner M, Hengstschläger M. Oct4 controls basement membrane development during human embryogenesis. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1439-1456.e7. [PMID: 38579716 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.007] [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: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Basement membranes (BMs) are sheet-like structures of extracellular matrix (ECM) that provide structural support for many tissues and play a central role in signaling. They are key regulators of cell behavior and tissue functions, and defects in their assembly or composition are involved in numerous human diseases. Due to the differences between human and animal embryogenesis, ethical concerns, legal constraints, the scarcity of human tissue material, and the inaccessibility of the in vivo condition, BM regulation during human embryo development has remained elusive. Using the post-implantation amniotic sac embryoid (PASE), we delineate BM assembly upon post-implantation development and BM disassembly during primitive streak (PS) cell dissemination. Further, we show that the transcription factor Oct4 regulates the expression of BM structural components and receptors and controls BM development by regulating Akt signaling and the small GTPase Rac1. These results represent a relevant step toward a more comprehensive understanding of early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margit Rosner
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Markus Hengstschläger
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.
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3
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Sato N, Rosa VS, Makhlouf A, Kretzmer H, Sampath Kumar A, Grosswendt S, Mattei AL, Courbot O, Wolf S, Boulanger J, Langevin F, Wiacek M, Karpinski D, Elosegui-Artola A, Meissner A, Zernicka-Goetz M, Shahbazi MN. Basal delamination during mouse gastrulation primes pluripotent cells for differentiation. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1252-1268.e13. [PMID: 38579720 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.008] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The blueprint of the mammalian body plan is laid out during gastrulation, when a trilaminar embryo is formed. This process entails a burst of proliferation, the ingression of embryonic epiblast cells at the primitive streak, and their priming toward primitive streak fates. How these different events are coordinated remains unknown. Here, we developed and characterized a 3D culture of self-renewing mouse embryonic cells that captures the main transcriptional and architectural features of the early gastrulating mouse epiblast. Using this system in combination with microfabrication and in vivo experiments, we found that proliferation-induced crowding triggers delamination of cells that express high levels of the apical polarity protein aPKC. Upon delamination, cells become more sensitive to Wnt signaling and upregulate the expression of primitive streak markers such as Brachyury. This mechanistic coupling between ingression and differentiation ensures that the right cell types become specified at the right place during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanami Sato
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Viviane S Rosa
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Aly Makhlouf
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Stefanie Grosswendt
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Olivia Courbot
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Physics, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Steffen Wolf
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | | | - Michal Wiacek
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Physics, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | | | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EL, UK; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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4
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Krammer T, Stuart HT, Gromberg E, Ishihara K, Cislo D, Melchionda M, Becerril Perez F, Wang J, Costantini E, Lehr S, Arbanas L, Hörmann A, Neumüller RA, Elvassore N, Siggia E, Briscoe J, Kicheva A, Tanaka EM. Mouse neural tube organoids self-organize floorplate through BMP-mediated cluster competition. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00297-1. [PMID: 38776925 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.04.021] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
During neural tube (NT) development, the notochord induces an organizer, the floorplate, which secretes Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) to pattern neural progenitors. Conversely, NT organoids (NTOs) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) spontaneously form floorplates without the notochord, demonstrating that stem cells can self-organize without embryonic inducers. Here, we investigated floorplate self-organization in clonal mouse NTOs. Expression of the floorplate marker FOXA2 was initially spatially scattered before resolving into multiple clusters, which underwent competition and sorting, resulting in a stable "winning" floorplate. We identified that BMP signaling governed long-range cluster competition. FOXA2+ clusters expressed BMP4, suppressing FOXA2 in receiving cells while simultaneously expressing the BMP-inhibitor NOGGIN, promoting cluster persistence. Noggin mutation perturbed floorplate formation in NTOs and in the NT in vivo at mid/hindbrain regions, demonstrating how the floorplate can form autonomously without the notochord. Identifying the pathways governing organizer self-organization is critical for harnessing the developmental plasticity of stem cells in tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Krammer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah T Stuart
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Elena Gromberg
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Keisuke Ishihara
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dillon Cislo
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Fernando Becerril Perez
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jingkui Wang
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Costantini
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Lehr
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Laura Arbanas
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Nicola Elvassore
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova & Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy
| | - Eric Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Anna Kicheva
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Elly M Tanaka
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Camacho-Aguilar E, Yoon ST, Ortiz-Salazar MA, Du S, Guerra MC, Warmflash A. Combinatorial interpretation of BMP and WNT controls the decision between primitive streak and extraembryonic fates. Cell Syst 2024; 15:445-461.e4. [PMID: 38692274 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
BMP signaling is essential for mammalian gastrulation, as it initiates a cascade of signals that control self-organized patterning. As development is highly dynamic, it is crucial to understand how time-dependent combinatorial signaling affects cellular differentiation. Here, we show that BMP signaling duration is a crucial control parameter that determines cell fates upon the exit from pluripotency through its interplay with the induced secondary signal WNT. BMP signaling directly converts cells from pluripotent to extraembryonic fates while simultaneously upregulating Wnt signaling, which promotes primitive streak and mesodermal specification. Using live-cell imaging of signaling and cell fate reporters together with a simple mathematical model, we show that this circuit produces a temporal morphogen effect where, once BMP signal duration is above a threshold for differentiation, intermediate and long pulses of BMP signaling produce specification of mesoderm and extraembryonic fates, respectively. Our results provide a systems-level picture of how these signaling pathways control the landscape of early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sumin T Yoon
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | - Siqi Du
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - M Cecilia Guerra
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
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6
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Tręda C, Włodarczyk A, Rieske P. The hope, hype and obstacles surrounding cell therapy. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18359. [PMID: 38770886 PMCID: PMC11107145 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18359] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell therapy offers hope, but it also presents challenges, most particularly the limited ability of human organs and tissues to regenerate. Since many diseases are associated with irreversible pathophysiological or traumatic changes, stem cells and their derivatives are unable to secure healing. Although regenerative medicine offers chances for improvements in many diseases, such as type one diabetes and Parkinson's disease, it cannot eliminate the primary cause of many of them. While successes can be expected for diseases such as sickle cell disease, this is not the case for hereditary diseases with varied mutation types or for ciliopathies, which start in embryogenesis. In this complicated medical environment, synthetic biology offers some solutions, but their implementation will take many years. Still, positive examples such as CAR-T therapy offer hope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezary Tręda
- Department of Tumor BiologyMedical University of LodzLodzPoland
| | | | - Piotr Rieske
- Department of Tumor BiologyMedical University of LodzLodzPoland
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7
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Azagury M, Buganim Y. Unlocking trophectoderm mysteries: In vivo and in vitro perspectives on human and mouse trophoblast fate induction. Dev Cell 2024; 59:941-960. [PMID: 38653193 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.029] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the pursuit of inducing the trophoblast stem cell (TSC) state has gained prominence as a compelling research objective, illuminating the establishment of the trophoblast lineage and unlocking insights into early embryogenesis. In this review, we examine how advancements in diverse technologies, including in vivo time course transcriptomics, cellular reprogramming to TSC state, chemical induction of totipotent stem-cell-like state, and stem-cell-based embryo-like structures, have enriched our insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that define the mouse and human trophectoderm/TSC states. We delve into disparities between mouse and human trophectoderm/TSC fate establishment, with a special emphasis on the intriguing role of pluripotency in this context. Additionally, we re-evaluate recent findings concerning the potential of totipotent-stem-like cells and embryo-like structures to fully manifest the trophectoderm/trophoblast lineage's capabilities. Lastly, we briefly discuss the potential applications of induced TSCs in pregnancy-related disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meir Azagury
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yosef Buganim
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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8
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Shim G, Breinyn IB, Martínez-Calvo A, Rao S, Cohen DJ. Bioelectric stimulation controls tissue shape and size. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2938. [PMID: 38580690 PMCID: PMC10997591 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47079-w] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues sheath organs and electro-mechanically regulate ion and water transport to regulate development, homeostasis, and hydrostatic organ pressure. Here, we demonstrate how external electrical stimulation allows us to control these processes in living tissues. Specifically, we electrically stimulate hollow, 3D kidneyoids and gut organoids and find that physiological-strength electrical stimulation of ∼ 5 - 10 V/cm powerfully inflates hollow tissues; a process we call electro-inflation. Electro-inflation is mediated by increased ion flux through ion channels/transporters and triggers subsequent osmotic water flow into the lumen, generating hydrostatic pressure that competes against cytoskeletal tension. Our computational studies suggest that electro-inflation is strongly driven by field-induced ion crowding on the outer surface of the tissue. Electrically stimulated tissues also break symmetry in 3D resulting from electrotaxis and affecting tissue shape. The ability of electrical cues to regulate tissue size and shape emphasizes the role and importance of the electrical micro-environment for living tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gawoon Shim
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA
| | - Isaac B Breinyn
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA
| | - Alejandro Martínez-Calvo
- Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA
| | - Sameeksha Rao
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel J Cohen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, 08540, NJ, USA.
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9
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Sekulovski N, Wettstein JC, Carleton AE, Juga LN, Taniguchi LE, Ma X, Rao S, Schmidt JK, Golos TG, Lin CW, Taniguchi K. Temporally resolved early BMP-driven transcriptional cascade during human amnion specification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.19.545574. [PMID: 38496419 PMCID: PMC10942271 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.19.545574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Amniogenesis, a process critical for continuation of healthy pregnancy, is triggered in a collection of pluripotent epiblast cells as the human embryo implants. Previous studies have established that BMP signaling is a major driver of this lineage specifying process, but the downstream BMP-dependent transcriptional networks that lead to successful amniogenesis remain to be identified. This is, in part, due to the current lack of a robust and reproducible model system that enables mechanistic investigations exclusively into amniogenesis. Here, we developed an improved model of early amnion specification, using a human pluripotent stem cell-based platform in which the activation of BMP signaling is controlled and synchronous. Uniform amniogenesis is seen within 48 hours after BMP activation, and the resulting cells share transcriptomic characteristics with amnion cells of a gastrulating human embryo. Using detailed time-course transcriptomic analyses, we established a previously uncharacterized BMP-dependent amniotic transcriptional cascade, and identified markers that represent five distinct stages of amnion fate specification; the expression of selected markers was validated in early post-implantation macaque embryos. Moreover, a cohort of factors that could potentially control specific stages of amniogenesis was identified, including the transcription factor TFAP2A. Functionally, we determined that, once amniogenesis is triggered by the BMP pathway, TFAP2A controls the progression of amniogenesis. This work presents a temporally resolved transcriptomic resource for several previously uncharacterized amniogenesis states and demonstrates a critical intermediate role for TFAP2A during amnion fate specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Sekulovski
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jenna C. Wettstein
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Amber E. Carleton
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Lauren N. Juga
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Linnea E. Taniguchi
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Xiaolong Ma
- Division of Biostatistics, Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Sridhar Rao
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Versiti Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - Jenna K. Schmidt
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), Madison, WI, USA
| | - Thaddeus G. Golos
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC), Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Chien-Wei Lin
- Division of Biostatistics, Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Kenichiro Taniguchi
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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10
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Nakanoh S, Sham K, Ghimire S, Mohorianu I, Rayon T, Vallier L. Human surface ectoderm and amniotic ectoderm are sequentially specified according to cellular density. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh7748. [PMID: 38427729 PMCID: PMC10906920 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh7748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Mechanisms specifying amniotic ectoderm and surface ectoderm are unresolved in humans due to their close similarities in expression patterns and signal requirements. This lack of knowledge hinders the development of protocols to accurately model human embryogenesis. Here, we developed a human pluripotent stem cell model to investigate the divergence between amniotic and surface ectoderms. In the established culture system, cells differentiated into functional amnioblast-like cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of amnioblast differentiation revealed an intermediate cell state with enhanced surface ectoderm gene expression. Furthermore, when the differentiation started at the confluent condition, cells retained the expression profile of surface ectoderm. Collectively, we propose that human amniotic ectoderm and surface ectoderm are specified along a common nonneural ectoderm trajectory based on cell density. Our culture system also generated extraembryonic mesoderm-like cells from the primed pluripotent state. Together, this study provides an integrative understanding of the human nonneural ectoderm development and a model for embryonic and extraembryonic human development around gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Nakanoh
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Epigenetics & Signalling Programmes, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Kendig Sham
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Sabitri Ghimire
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Irina Mohorianu
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Teresa Rayon
- Epigenetics & Signalling Programmes, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Ludovic Vallier
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Berlin Institute of Health Centre for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin 14195, Germany
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11
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Handford CE, Junyent S, Jorgensen V, Zernicka-Goetz M. Topical section: embryonic models (2023) for Current Opinion in Genetics & Development. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 84:102134. [PMID: 38052116 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell-based mammalian embryo models facilitate the discovery of developmental mechanisms because they are more amenable to genetic and epigenetic perturbations than natural embryos. Here, we highlight exciting recent advances that have yielded a plethora of models of embryonic development. Imperfections in these models highlight gaps in our current understanding and outline future research directions, ushering in an exciting new era for embryology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E Handford
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. https://twitter.com/@CEHandford
| | - Sergi Junyent
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. https://twitter.com/@JunyentSergi
| | - Victoria Jorgensen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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12
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De Santis R, Rice E, Croft G, Yang M, Rosado-Olivieri EA, Brivanlou AH. The emergence of human gastrulation upon in vitro attachment. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:41-53. [PMID: 38101401 PMCID: PMC10828709 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.11.005] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While studied extensively in model systems, human gastrulation remains obscure. The scarcity of fetal biological material as well as ethical considerations limit our understanding of this process. In vitro attachment of natural blastocysts shed light on aspects of the second week of human development in the absence of the morphological manifestation of gastrulation. Stem cell-derived blastocyst models, blastoids, provide the opportunity to reconstitute pre- to post-implantation development in vitro. Here we show that upon in vitro attachment, human blastoids self-organize a BRA+ population and undergo gastrulation. Single-cell RNA sequencing of these models replicates the transcriptomic signature of the human gastrula. Analysis of developmental timing reveals that in both blastoid models and natural human embryos, the onset of gastrulation as defined by molecular markers, can be traced to timescales equivalent to 12 days post fertilization. In all, natural human embryos and blastoid models self-organize primitive streak and mesoderm derivatives upon in vitro attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo De Santis
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eleni Rice
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gist Croft
- The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Min Yang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edwin A Rosado-Olivieri
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Zheng Y. Stem Cell-Derived Microfluidic Amniotic Sac Embryoid (μPASE). Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2767:75-84. [PMID: 36749485 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2022_470] [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: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The microfluidic amniotic sac embryoid (μPASE) is a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived multicellular human embryo-like structure with molecular and morphological features resembling the progressive development of the early post-implantation human embryonic sac. The microfluidic device is specifically designed to control the formation of hPSC clusters and expose the clusters to different morphogen environments, allowing the development of μPASEs in a highly controllable, reproducible, and scalable fashion. The μPASE model displays human embryonic developmental landmarks such as lumenogenesis of the epiblast, amniotic cavity formation, and the specification of primordial germ cells and gastrulating cells (or mesendoderm cells). Here, we provide detailed instructions needed to reproduce μPASEs, including the immunofluorescence staining and cell retrieval protocols for characterizing μPASEs obtained under different experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- BioInspired Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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14
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Luo YX, Yu Y. Protocol for the Generation of Human EPS-Blastoids Using a Three-Dimensional Two-Step Induction System. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2767:27-41. [PMID: 36749484 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2022_471] [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: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell-derived embryos in vitro allow the exploration of the very early stages of human embryogenesis in vitro and are thus promising for widespread applications in developmental biology, related developmental disease modeling, and drug discovery. Several cell resources have been utilized, with different efficiencies and methods for generating human blastoids, a structure similar to natural blastocysts. Human EPS cells were reported to contribute to the embryonic and extraembryonic lineages and therefore can be a practical and efficient cell resource for constructing human blastoids. Here, we developed a three-dimensional, two-step induction system for generating human blastoids using human EPS cells. According to morphological and transcriptomic analysis, EPS-blastoids recapitulate the key developmental processes and cell lineages of human blastocysts. Moreover, in vitro extended culture for 8 and 10 days of EPS-blastoids can result in postimplantation embryonic structures. In this chapter, we describe a protocol that covers the generation, maintenance, and developmental phenocopying of human EPS blastoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xin Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology and Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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15
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Stringa B, Solnica-Krezel L. Signaling mechanisms that direct cell fate specification and morphogenesis in human embryonic stem cells-based models of human gastrulation. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:383-396. [PMID: 38087898 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230084] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
During mammalian gastrulation, a mass of pluripotent cells surrounded by extraembryonic tissues differentiates into germ layers, mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm. The three germ layers are then organized into a body plan with organ rudiments via morphogenetic gastrulation movements of emboly, epiboly, convergence, and extension. Emboly is the most conserved gastrulation movement, whereby mesodermal and endodermal progenitors undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and move via a blastopore/primitive streak beneath the ectoderm. Decades of embryologic, genetic, and molecular studies in invertebrates and vertebrates, delineated a BMP > WNT > NODAL signaling cascade underlying mesoderm and endoderm specification. Advances have been made in the research animals in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying gastrulation morphogenesis. In contrast, little is known about human gastrulation, which occurs in utero during the third week of gestation and its investigations face ethical and methodological limitations. This is changing with the unprecedented progress in modeling aspects of human development, using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (hESC)-based embryo-like models (SCEMs). In one approach, hESCs of various pluripotency are aggregated to self-assemble into structures that resemble pre-implantation or post-implantation embryo-like structures that progress to early gastrulation, and some even reach segmentation and neurulation stages. Another approach entails coaxing hESCs with biochemical signals to generate germ layers and model aspects of gastrulation morphogenesis, such as EMT. Here, we review the recent advances in understanding signaling cascades that direct germ layers specification and the early stages of gastrulation morphogenesis in these models. We discuss outstanding questions, challenges, and opportunities for this promising area of developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blerta Stringa
- Department of Developmental Biology and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A
| | - Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
- Department of Developmental Biology and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A
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16
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Teague S, Yao L, Heemskerk I. The many dimensions of germline competence. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 85:102259. [PMID: 37852152 PMCID: PMC11123554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cell (PGC) specification is the first step in the development of the germline. Recent work has elucidated human-mouse differences in PGC differentiation and identified cell states with enhanced competency for PGC-like cell (PGCLC) differentiation in vitro in both species. However, it remains a subject of debate how different PGC competent states in vitro relate to each other, to embryonic development, and to the origin of PGCs in vivo. Here we review recent literature on human PGCLC differentiation in the context of mouse and non-human primate models. In contrast to what was previously thought, recent work suggests human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are highly germline competent. We argue that paradoxical observations regarding the origin and signaling requirements of hPGCLCs may be due to local cell interactions. These confound assays of competence by generating endogenous signaling gradients and spatially modulating the ability to receive exogenous inductive signals. Furthermore, combinatorial signaling suggests that there is no unique germline competent state: rather than a one-dimensional spectrum of developmental progression, competence should be considered in a higher dimensional landscape of cell states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - LiAng Yao
- 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 Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, 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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17
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van Loo B, Ten Den SA, Araújo-Gomes N, de Jong V, Snabel RR, Schot M, Rivera-Arbeláez JM, Veenstra GJC, Passier R, Kamperman T, Leijten J. Mass production of lumenogenic human embryoid bodies and functional cardiospheres using in-air-generated microcapsules. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6685. [PMID: 37865642 PMCID: PMC10590445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42297-0] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Organoids are engineered 3D miniature tissues that are defined by their organ-like structures, which drive a fundamental understanding of human development. However, current organoid generation methods are associated with low production throughputs and poor control over size and function including due to organoid merging, which limits their clinical and industrial translation. Here, we present a microfluidic platform for the mass production of lumenogenic embryoid bodies and functional cardiospheres. Specifically, we apply triple-jet in-air microfluidics for the ultra-high-throughput generation of hollow, thin-shelled, hydrogel microcapsules that can act as spheroid-forming bioreactors in a cytocompatible, oil-free, surfactant-free, and size-controlled manner. Uniquely, we show that microcapsules generated by in-air microfluidics provide a lumenogenic microenvironment with near 100% efficient cavitation of spheroids. We demonstrate that upon chemical stimulation, human pluripotent stem cell-derived spheroids undergo cardiomyogenic differentiation, effectively resulting in the mass production of homogeneous and functional cardiospheres that are responsive to external electrical stimulation. These findings drive clinical and industrial adaption of stem cell technology in tissue engineering and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Loo
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Simone A Ten Den
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Nuno Araújo-Gomes
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent de Jong
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca R Snabel
- Radboud University, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maik Schot
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - José M Rivera-Arbeláez
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip Group, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Gert Jan C Veenstra
- Radboud University, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Passier
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Tom Kamperman
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
- IamFluidics B.V., De Veldmaat 17, 7522NM, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Leijten
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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18
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Chen YP, Shao Y, Chen PC, Li K, Li JY, Meng J, Lv CL, Liu HY, Lv C, Feng XQ, Li B. Substrate nesting guides cyst morphogenesis of human pluripotent stem cells without 3D extracellular matrix overlay. Acta Biomater 2023; 170:519-531. [PMID: 37659729 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.08.053] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the principles underlying the self-organization of stem cells into tissues is fundamental for deciphering human embryo development. Here, we report that, without three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM) overlay, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) cultured on two-dimensional soft elastic substrates can self-organize into 3D cysts resembling the human epiblast sac in a stiffness-dependent manner. Our theoretical modeling predicts that this cyst organization is facilitated and guided by the spontaneous nesting of the soft substrate, which results from the adhesion-dependent mechanical interaction between cells and substrate. Such substrate nesting is sufficient for the 3D assembly and polarization of hPSCs required for cyst organization, even without 3D ECM overlay. Furthermore, we identify that the reversible substrate nesting and cyst morphogenesis also require appropriate activation of ROCK-Myosin II pathway. This indicates a unique set of tissue morphomechanical signaling mechanisms that clearly differ from the canonical cystogenic mechanism previously reported in 3D ECM. Our findings highlight an unanticipated synergy between mechanical microenvironment and mechanotransduction in controlling tissue morphogenesis and suggest a mechanics-based strategy for generation of hPSCs-derived models for early human embryogenesis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Soft substrates can induce the self-organization of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into cysts without three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM) overlay. However, the underlying mechanisms by which soft substrate guides cystogenesis are largely unknown. This study shows that substrate nesting, resulting from cell-substrate interaction, plays an important role in cyst organization, including 3D assembly and apical-basal polarization. Additionally, actomyosin contractility mediated by the ROCK-Myosin II pathway also contributes to the substrate deformation and cyst morphology. These findings demonstrate the interplay between the mechanical microenvironment and cells in tissue morphogenesis, suggesting a mechanics-based strategy in building hPSC-derived models for early human embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ping Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Shao
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kun Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing-Yi Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jie Meng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Cheng-Lin Lv
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hao-Yu Liu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Cunjing Lv
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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19
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Landecker HL, Clark AT. Human embryo models made from pluripotent stem cells are not synthetic; they aren't embryos, either. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:1290-1293. [PMID: 37802034 PMCID: PMC10927377 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Embryo models are potentially highly impactful for human health research because their development recapitulates otherwise inaccessible events in a poorly understood area of biology, the first few weeks of human life. Casual reference to these models as "synthetic embryos" is misleading and should be approached with care and deliberation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Landecker
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; The Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Amander T Clark
- Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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20
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Sun S, Xue X, Fu J. Modeling development using microfluidics: bridging gaps to foster fundamental and translational research. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 82:102097. [PMID: 37573835 PMCID: PMC11193336 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102097] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
In vitro stem cell-derived embryo and organ models, termed embryoids and organoids, respectively, provide promising experimental tools to study physiological and pathological processes in mammalian development and organ formation. Most of current embryoid and organoid systems are developed using conventional three-dimensional cultures that lack controls of spatiotemporal extracellular signals. Microfluidics, an established technology for quantitative controls and quantifications of dynamic chemical and physical environments, has recently been utilized for developing next-generation embryoids and organoids in a controllable and reproducible manner. In this review, we summarize recent progress in constructing microfluidics-based embryoids and organoids. Development of these models demonstrates the successful applications of microfluidics in establishing morphogen gradients, accelerating medium transport, exerting mechanical forces, facilitating tissue coculture studies, and improving assay throughput, thus supporting using microfluidics for building next-generation embryoids and organoids for fundamental and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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21
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Pedroza M, Gassaloglu SI, Dias N, Zhong L, Hou TCJ, Kretzmer H, Smith ZD, Sozen B. Self-patterning of human stem cells into post-implantation lineages. Nature 2023; 622:574-583. [PMID: 37369348 PMCID: PMC10584676 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06354-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Investigating human development is a substantial scientific challenge due to the technical and ethical limitations of working with embryonic samples. In the face of these difficulties, stem cells have provided an alternative to experimentally model inaccessible stages of human development in vitro1-13. Here we show that human pluripotent stem cells can be triggered to self-organize into three-dimensional structures that recapitulate some key spatiotemporal events of early human post-implantation embryonic development. Our system reproducibly captures spontaneous differentiation and co-development of embryonic epiblast-like and extra-embryonic hypoblast-like lineages, establishes key signalling hubs with secreted modulators and undergoes symmetry breaking-like events. Single-cell transcriptomics confirms differentiation into diverse cell states of the perigastrulating human embryo14,15 without establishing placental cell types, including signatures of post-implantation epiblast, amniotic ectoderm, primitive streak, mesoderm, early extra-embryonic endoderm, as well as initial yolk sac induction. Collectively, our system captures key features of human embryonic development spanning from Carnegie stage16 4-7, offering a reproducible, tractable and scalable experimental platform to understand the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie human development, including new opportunities to dissect congenital pathologies with high throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Pedroza
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Seher Ipek Gassaloglu
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicolas Dias
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liangwen Zhong
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tien-Chi Jason Hou
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Zachary D Smith
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Berna Sozen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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22
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Agostinho de Sousa J, Wong CW, Dunkel I, Owens T, Voigt P, Hodgson A, Baker D, Schulz EG, Reik W, Smith A, Rostovskaya M, von Meyenn F. Epigenetic dynamics during capacitation of naïve human pluripotent stem cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg1936. [PMID: 37774033 PMCID: PMC10541016 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are of fundamental relevance in regenerative medicine. Naïve hPSCs hold promise to overcome some of the limitations of conventional (primed) hPSCs, including recurrent epigenetic anomalies. Naïve-to-primed transition (capacitation) follows transcriptional dynamics of human embryonic epiblast and is necessary for somatic differentiation from naïve hPSCs. We found that capacitated hPSCs are transcriptionally closer to postimplantation epiblast than conventional hPSCs. This prompted us to comprehensively study epigenetic and related transcriptional changes during capacitation. Our results show that CpG islands, gene regulatory elements, and retrotransposons are hotspots of epigenetic dynamics during capacitation and indicate possible distinct roles of specific epigenetic modifications in gene expression control between naïve and primed hPSCs. Unexpectedly, PRC2 activity appeared to be dispensable for the capacitation. We find that capacitated hPSCs acquire an epigenetic state similar to conventional hPSCs. Significantly, however, the X chromosome erosion frequently observed in conventional female hPSCs is reversed by resetting and subsequent capacitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Agostinho de Sousa
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Chee-Wai Wong
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ilona Dunkel
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Owens
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Philipp Voigt
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Adam Hodgson
- School of Biosciences, The Julia Garnham Centre, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN Sheffield, UK
| | - Duncan Baker
- Sheffield Diagnostic Genetics Services, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, S5 7AU Sheffield, UK
| | - Edda G. Schulz
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolf Reik
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1QR, UK
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
- Altos Labs Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Austin Smith
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD Exeter, UK
| | - Maria Rostovskaya
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Ferdinand von Meyenn
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, SE1 9RT London, UK
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23
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Ai Z, Niu B, Yin Y, Xiang L, Shi G, Duan K, Wang S, Hu Y, Zhang C, Zhang C, Rong L, Kong R, Chen T, Guo Y, Liu W, Li N, Zhao S, Zhu X, Mai X, Li Y, Wu Z, Zheng Y, Fu J, Ji W, Li T. Dissecting peri-implantation development using cultured human embryos and embryo-like assembloids. Cell Res 2023; 33:661-678. [PMID: 37460804 PMCID: PMC10474050 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-023-00846-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of cultured embryos have provided insights into human peri-implantation development. However, detailed knowledge of peri-implantation lineage development as well as underlying mechanisms remains obscure. Using 3D-cultured human embryos, herein we report a complete cell atlas of the early post-implantation lineages and decipher cellular composition and gene signatures of the epiblast and hypoblast derivatives. In addition, we develop an embryo-like assembloid (E-assembloid) by assembling naive hESCs and extraembryonic cells. Using human embryos and E-assembloids, we reveal that WNT, BMP and Nodal signaling pathways synergistically, but functionally differently, orchestrate human peri-implantation lineage development. Specially, we dissect mechanisms underlying extraembryonic mesoderm and extraembryonic endoderm specifications. Finally, an improved E-assembloid is developed to recapitulate the epiblast and hypoblast development and tissue architectures in the pre-gastrulation human embryo. Our findings provide insights into human peri-implantation development, and the E-assembloid offers a useful model to disentangle cellular behaviors and signaling interactions that drive human embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongyong Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Baohua Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yu Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lifeng Xiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Gaohui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Kui Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Sile Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yingjie Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chengting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lujuan Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ruize Kong
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Tingwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yixin Guo
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanlu Liu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang, China
| | - Nan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shumei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xuancheng Mai
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yonggang Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ze Wu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Weizhi Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Tianqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Yunnan Provincial Academy of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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24
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Liu L, Oura S, Markham Z, Hamilton JN, Skory RM, Li L, Sakurai M, Wang L, Pinzon-Arteaga CA, Plachta N, Hon GC, Wu J. Modeling post-implantation stages of human development into early organogenesis with stem-cell-derived peri-gastruloids. Cell 2023; 186:3776-3792.e16. [PMID: 37478861 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
In vitro stem cell models that replicate human gastrulation have been generated, but they lack the essential extraembryonic cells needed for embryonic development, morphogenesis, and patterning. Here, we describe a robust and efficient method that prompts human extended pluripotent stem cells to self-organize into embryo-like structures, termed peri-gastruloids, which encompass both embryonic (epiblast) and extraembryonic (hypoblast) tissues. Although peri-gastruloids are not viable due to the exclusion of trophoblasts, they recapitulate critical stages of human peri-gastrulation development, such as forming amniotic and yolk sac cavities, developing bilaminar and trilaminar embryonic discs, specifying primordial germ cells, initiating gastrulation, and undergoing early neurulation and organogenesis. Single-cell RNA-sequencing unveiled transcriptomic similarities between advanced human peri-gastruloids and primary peri-gastrulation cell types found in humans and non-human primates. This peri-gastruloid platform allows for further exploration beyond gastrulation and may potentially aid in the development of human fetal tissues for use in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhong Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Seiya Oura
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zachary Markham
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - James N Hamilton
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Robin M Skory
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Leijie Li
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Masahiro Sakurai
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Carlos A Pinzon-Arteaga
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nicolas Plachta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gary C Hon
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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25
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Castillo-Venzor A, Penfold CA, Morgan MD, Tang WW, Kobayashi T, Wong FC, Bergmann S, Slatery E, Boroviak TE, Marioni JC, Surani MA. Origin and segregation of the human germline. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201706. [PMID: 37217306 PMCID: PMC10203729 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human germline-soma segregation occurs during weeks 2-3 in gastrulating embryos. Although direct studies are hindered, here, we investigate the dynamics of human primordial germ cell (PGCs) specification using in vitro models with temporally resolved single-cell transcriptomics and in-depth characterisation using in vivo datasets from human and nonhuman primates, including a 3D marmoset reference atlas. We elucidate the molecular signature for the transient gain of competence for germ cell fate during peri-implantation epiblast development. Furthermore, we show that both the PGCs and amnion arise from transcriptionally similar TFAP2A-positive progenitors at the posterior end of the embryo. Notably, genetic loss of function experiments shows that TFAP2A is crucial for initiating the PGC fate without detectably affecting the amnion and is subsequently replaced by TFAP2C as an essential component of the genetic network for PGC fate. Accordingly, amniotic cells continue to emerge from the progenitors in the posterior epiblast, but importantly, this is also a source of nascent PGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aracely Castillo-Venzor
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher A Penfold
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael D Morgan
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Walfred Wc Tang
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Toshihiro Kobayashi
- Division of Mammalian Embryology, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Frederick Ck Wong
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sophie Bergmann
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erin Slatery
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorsten E Boroviak
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - M Azim Surani
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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26
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DiRusso JA, Clark AT. Transposable elements in early human embryo development and embryo models. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102086. [PMID: 37441874 PMCID: PMC10917458 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102086] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), long discounted as 'selfish genomic elements,' are increasingly appreciated as the drivers of genomic evolution, genome organization, and gene regulation. TEs are particularly important in early embryo development, where advances in stem cell technologies, in tandem with improved computational and next-generation sequencing approaches, have provided an unprecedented opportunity to study the contribution of TEs to early mammalian development. Here, we summarize advances in our understanding of TEs in early human development and expand on how new stem cell-based embryo models can be leveraged to augment this understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A DiRusso
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amander T Clark
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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27
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Muniyandi P, O’Hern C, Popa MA, Aguirre A. Biotechnological advances and applications of human pluripotent stem cell-derived heart models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1214431. [PMID: 37560538 PMCID: PMC10407810 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1214431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, significant biotechnological advancements have been made in engineering human cardiac tissues and organ-like models. This field of research is crucial for both basic and translational research due to cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in the developed world. Additionally, drug-associated cardiotoxicity poses a major challenge for drug development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. Progress in three-dimensional cell culture and microfluidic devices has enabled the generation of human cardiac models that faithfully recapitulate key aspects of human physiology. In this review, we will discuss 3D pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-models of the human heart, such as engineered heart tissues and organoids, and their applications in disease modeling and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyadharshni Muniyandi
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Colin O’Hern
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Mirel Adrian Popa
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology Nicolae Simionescu, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aitor Aguirre
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Division of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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28
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Hislop J, Alavi A, Song Q, Schoenberger R, Kamyar KF, LeGraw R, Velazquez J, Mokhtari T, Taheri MN, Rytel M, de Sousa Lopes SMC, Watkins S, Stolz D, Kiani S, Sozen B, Bar-Joseph Z, Ebrahimkhani MR. Modelling Human Post-Implantation Development via Extra-Embryonic Niche Engineering. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.15.545118. [PMID: 37398391 PMCID: PMC10312773 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Implantation of the human embryo commences a critical developmental stage that comprises profound morphogenetic alteration of embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues, axis formation, and gastrulation events. Our mechanistic knowledge of this window of human life remains limited due to restricted access to in vivo samples for both technical and ethical reasons. Additionally, human stem cell models of early post-implantation development with both embryonic and extra-embryonic tissue morphogenesis are lacking. Here, we present iDiscoid, produced from human induced pluripotent stem cells via an engineered a synthetic gene circuit. iDiscoids exhibit reciprocal co-development of human embryonic tissue and engineered extra-embryonic niche in a model of human post-implantation. They exhibit unanticipated self-organization and tissue boundary formation that recapitulates yolk sac-like tissue specification with extra-embryonic mesoderm and hematopoietic characteristics, the formation of bilaminar disc-like embryonic morphology, the development of an amniotic-like cavity, and acquisition of an anterior-like hypoblast pole and posterior-like axis. iDiscoids offer an easy-to-use, high-throughput, reproducible, and scalable platform to probe multifaceted aspects of human early post-implantation development. Thus, they have the potential to provide a tractable human model for drug testing, developmental toxicology, and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hislop
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Amir Alavi
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Machine Learning Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qi Song
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Machine Learning Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rayna Schoenberger
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Keshavarz F. Kamyar
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ryan LeGraw
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jeremy Velazquez
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Tahere Mokhtari
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Mohammad Nasser Taheri
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Matthew Rytel
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Susana M Chuva de Sousa Lopes
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Watkins
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Donna Stolz
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samira Kiani
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Berna Sozen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Ziv Bar-Joseph
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Machine Learning Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mo R. Ebrahimkhani
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
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29
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Rugg-Gunn PJ, Moris N, Tam PPL. Technical challenges of studying early human development. Development 2023; 150:dev201797. [PMID: 37260362 PMCID: PMC10281548 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have seen exciting progress across human embryo research, including new methods for culturing embryos, transcriptional profiling of embryogenesis and gastrulation, mapping lineage trajectories, and experimenting on stem cell-based embryo models. These advances are beginning to define the dynamical principles of development across stages, tissues and organs, enabling a better understanding of human development before birth in health and disease, and potentially leading to improved treatments for infertility and developmental disorders. However, there are still significant roadblocks en route to this goal. Here, we highlight technical challenges to studying early human development and propose ways and means to overcome some of these constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Rugg-Gunn
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Naomi Moris
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Patrick P. L. Tam
- Embryology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
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30
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Suppinger S, Zinner M, Aizarani N, Lukonin I, Ortiz R, Azzi C, Stadler MB, Vianello S, Palla G, Kohler H, Mayran A, Lutolf MP, Liberali P. Multimodal characterization of murine gastruloid development. Cell Stem Cell 2023:S1934-5909(23)00170-4. [PMID: 37209681 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Gastruloids are 3D structures generated from pluripotent stem cells recapitulating fundamental principles of embryonic pattern formation. Using single-cell genomic analysis, we provide a resource mapping cell states and types during gastruloid development and compare them with the in vivo embryo. We developed a high-throughput handling and imaging pipeline to spatially monitor symmetry breaking during gastruloid development and report an early spatial variability in pluripotency determining a binary response to Wnt activation. Although cells in the gastruloid-core revert to pluripotency, peripheral cells become primitive streak-like. These two populations subsequently break radial symmetry and initiate axial elongation. By performing a compound screen, perturbing thousands of gastruloids, we derive a phenotypic landscape and infer networks of genetic interactions. Finally, using a dual Wnt modulation, we improve the formation of anterior structures in the existing gastruloid model. This work provides a resource to understand how gastruloids develop and generate complex patterns in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Suppinger
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marietta Zinner
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nadim Aizarani
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ilya Lukonin
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Roche Institute of Human Biology, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Ortiz
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Azzi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Michael B Stadler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Vianello
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Palla
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Munich, Germany; TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Hubertus Kohler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Mayran
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Roche Institute of Human Biology, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Prisca Liberali
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland.
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31
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Ávila-González D, Gidi-Grenat MÁ, García-López G, Martínez-Juárez A, Molina-Hernández A, Portillo W, Díaz-Martínez NE, Díaz NF. Pluripotent Stem Cells as a Model for Human Embryogenesis. Cells 2023; 12:1192. [PMID: 37190101 PMCID: PMC10136597 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081192] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs; embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) can recapitulate critical aspects of the early stages of embryonic development; therefore, they became a powerful tool for the in vitro study of molecular mechanisms that underlie blastocyst formation, implantation, the spectrum of pluripotency and the beginning of gastrulation, among other processes. Traditionally, PSCs were studied in 2D cultures or monolayers, without considering the spatial organization of a developing embryo. However, recent research demonstrated that PSCs can form 3D structures that simulate the blastocyst and gastrula stages and other events, such as amniotic cavity formation or somitogenesis. This breakthrough provides an unparalleled opportunity to study human embryogenesis by examining the interactions, cytoarchitecture and spatial organization among multiple cell lineages, which have long remained a mystery due to the limitations of studying in utero human embryos. In this review, we will provide an overview of how experimental embryology currently utilizes models such as blastoids, gastruloids and other 3D aggregates derived from PSCs to advance our understanding of the intricate processes involved in human embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ávila-González
- Laboratorio de Reprogramación Celular y Bioingeniería de Tejidos, Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Guadalajara 44270, Mexico
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Mikel Ángel Gidi-Grenat
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe García-López
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Martínez-Juárez
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Anayansi Molina-Hernández
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Néstor Emmanuel Díaz-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Reprogramación Celular y Bioingeniería de Tejidos, Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Guadalajara 44270, Mexico
| | - Néstor Fabián Díaz
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
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Xu C, Zhang C, Liu Y, Ma H, Wu F, Jia Y, Hu J. Amniogenesis in Human Amniotic Sac Embryoids after Exposures to Organophosphate Flame Retardants. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:47007. [PMID: 37027338 PMCID: PMC10081692 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amniogenesis is a key event in biochemical pregnancy, and its failure may result in human embryonic death. However, whether and how environmental chemicals affect amniogenesis remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVES The objective of the present study was to screen chemicals that may disrupt amniogenesis in an amniotic sac embryoid model and to investigate the potential mechanism of amniogenesis failure, with a focus on organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs). METHODS This study developed a high-throughput toxicity screening assay based on transcriptional activity of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4). For the two positive OPFR hits with the strongest inhibitory activity, we used time-lapse and phase-contrast imaging to assess their effects on amniogenesis. Associated pathways were explored by RNA-sequencing and western blotting, and potential binding target protein was identified through a competitive binding experiment. RESULTS Eight positive hits exhibiting Oct4 expression were identified, with 2-ethylhexyl-diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) and isodecyl diphenyl phosphate (IDDPP) showing the strongest inhibitory activity. EHDPP and IDDPP were found to disrupt the rosette-like structure of the amniotic sac or inhibit its development. Functional markers of squamous amniotic ectoderm and inner cell mass were also found disrupted in the EHDPP- and IDDPP-exposed embryoids. Mechanistically, embryoids exposed to each chemical exhibited abnormal accumulation of phosphorylated nonmuscle myosin (p-MLC-II) and were able to bind to integrin β1 (ITGβ1). CONCLUSION The amniotic sac embryoid models suggested that OPFRs disrupted amniogenesis likely by inhibiting the ITGβ1 pathway, thus providing direct in vitro evidence associating OPFRs with biochemical miscarriage. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11958.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenke Xu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenhao Zhang
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haojia Ma
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Feifan Wu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingting Jia
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianying Hu
- MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Birnbaum L, Sullivan EC, Do P, Uricoli B, Raikar SS, Porter CC, Henry CJ, Dreaden EC. Multicolor Light-Induced Immune Activation via Polymer Photocaged Cytokines. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1164-1172. [PMID: 36745712 PMCID: PMC10015458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines act as potent, extracellular signals of the human immune system and can elicit striking treatment responses in patients with autoimmune disease, tissue damage, and cancer. Yet, despite their therapeutic potential, recombinant cytokine-mediated immune responses remain difficult to control as their administration is often systemic, whereas their intended sites of action are localized. To address the challenge of spatially and temporally constraining cytokine signals, we recently devised a strategy whereby recombinant cytokines are reversibly inactivated via chemical modification with photo-labile polymers that respond to visible LED light. Extending this approach to enable both in vivo and multicolor immune activation, here we describe a strategy whereby cytokines appended with heptamethine cyanine-polyethylene glycol are selectively re-activated ex vivo using tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) light. We show that NIR LED light illumination of caged, pro-inflammatory cytokines restores cognate receptor signaling and potentiates the activity of T cell-engager cancer immunotherapies ex vivo. Using combinations of visible- and NIR-responsive cytokines, we further demonstrate multiwavelength optical control of T cell cytolysis ex vivo, as well as the ability to perform Boolean logic using multicolored light and orthogonally photocaged cytokine pairs as inputs and T cell activity as outputs. Together, this work demonstrates a novel approach to control extracellular immune cell signals using light, a strategy that in the future may improve our understanding of and ability to treat cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacey
A. Birnbaum
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Emily C. Sullivan
- Molecular
and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, United States
| | - Priscilla Do
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Biaggio Uricoli
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Sunil S. Raikar
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Christopher C. Porter
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Curtis J. Henry
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Erik C. Dreaden
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Petit Institute
for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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Burgaud M, Bretin B, Reignier A, De Vos J, David L. [New models to study human embryonic development]. Med Sci (Paris) 2023; 39:129-136. [PMID: 36799747 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2023018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2021, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are available to infertile couples, but also to single women and female couples. The process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) has allowed to cross the threshold of 5 million births worldwide, between 1978 and 2013. However, the failure rate per each IVF cycle is estimated to be around 75%. Therefore, there is a need to better understand human embryonic development in order to improve the success rate of IVF. Study models have evolved significantly in recent years: development of embryo culture, sequencing of the transcriptome of individualized cells, discovery of culture conditions for naive pluripotent stem cells and generation of blastoids. Here, we review these recent advances in human embryo modeling that establish a new knowledge base for improving ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Burgaud
- Nantes université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Betty Bretin
- Nantes université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Arnaud Reignier
- Nantes université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, F-44000 Nantes, France - CHU Nantes, Service de biologie de la reproduction, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - John De Vos
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, Inserm, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent David
- Nantes université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, F-44000 Nantes, France - Nantes université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, BioCore, F-44000 Nantes, France
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35
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Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Roelen BAJ, Lawson KA, Zwijsen A. The development of the amnion in mice and other amniotes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210258. [PMID: 36252226 PMCID: PMC9574641 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The amnion is an extraembryonic tissue that evolutionarily allowed embryos of all amniotes to develop in a transient and local aquatic environment. Despite the importance of this tissue, very little is known about its formation and its molecular characteristics. In this review, we have compared the basic organization of the extraembryonic membranes in amniotes and describe the two types of amniogenesis, folding and cavitation. We then zoom in on the atypical development of the amnion in mice that occurs via the formation of a single posterior amniochorionic fold. Moreover, we consolidate lineage tracing data to better understand the spatial and temporal origin of the progenitors of amniotic ectoderm, and visualize the behaviour of their descendants in the extraembryonic–embryonic junctional region. This analysis provides new insight on amnion development and expansion. Finally, using an online-available dataset of single-cell transcriptomics during the gastrulation period in mice, we provide bioinformatic analysis of the molecular signature of amniotic ectoderm and amniotic mesoderm. The amnion is a tissue with unique biomechanical properties that deserves to be better understood. 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)
- Susana M Chuva de Sousa Lopes
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands.,Ghent-Fertility and Stem Cell Team (G-FAST), Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bernard A J Roelen
- Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies & Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Kirstie A Lawson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, IGC, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - An Zwijsen
- Cardiovascular Sciences, Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 911, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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36
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Cable J, Lutolf MP, Fu J, Park SE, Apostolou A, Chen S, Song CJ, Spence JR, Liberali P, Lancaster M, Meier AB, Pek NMQ, Wells JM, Capeling MM, Uzquiano A, Musah S, Huch M, Gouti M, Hombrink P, Quadrato G, Urenda JP. Organoids as tools for fundamental discovery and translation-a Keystone Symposia report. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1518:196-208. [PMID: 36177906 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14874] [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: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Complex three-dimensional in vitro organ-like models, or organoids, offer a unique biological tool with distinct advantages over two-dimensional cell culture systems, which can be too simplistic, and animal models, which can be too complex and may fail to recapitulate human physiology and pathology. Significant progress has been made in driving stem cells to differentiate into different organoid types, though several challenges remain. For example, many organoid models suffer from high heterogeneity, and it can be difficult to fully incorporate the complexity of in vivo tissue and organ development to faithfully reproduce human biology. Successfully addressing such limitations would increase the viability of organoids as models for drug development and preclinical testing. On April 3-6, 2022, experts in organoid development and biology convened at the Keystone Symposium "Organoids as Tools for Fundamental Discovery and Translation" to discuss recent advances and insights from this relatively new model system into human development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences (SV) and School of Engineering (STI), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Science (SB), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sunghee Estelle Park
- Department of Bioengineering and NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Athanasia Apostolou
- Emulate Inc, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Shuibing Chen
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Cheng Jack Song
- Keck Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jason R Spence
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Prisca Liberali
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Anna B Meier
- First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicole Min Qian Pek
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - James M Wells
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Developmental Biology and Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Meghan M Capeling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ana Uzquiano
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Samira Musah
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Meritxell Huch
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mina Gouti
- Stem Cell Modelling of Development & Disease Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pleun Hombrink
- University Medical Center Utrecht and HUB Organoids, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Giorgia Quadrato
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine and Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jean-Paul Urenda
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine and Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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37
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Aswin P, Sreenavya A, Venkatesha NJ, Ganesh V, Balamurugan S, Sakthivel A. Hydrodeoxygenation of Anisole by Using a Ruthenium‐Containing Nickel‐Iron Hydrotalcite‐Based Catalyst. ChemistrySelect 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202202523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Aswin
- Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Materials & Heterogeneous Catalysis Laboratory Department of Chemistry School of Physical Sciences Central University of Kerala, Sabarmati Building Thejaswini Hills, Periye P.O. Kasaragod 671320 Kerala India
| | - A. Sreenavya
- Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Materials & Heterogeneous Catalysis Laboratory Department of Chemistry School of Physical Sciences Central University of Kerala, Sabarmati Building Thejaswini Hills, Periye P.O. Kasaragod 671320 Kerala India
| | - N. J. Venkatesha
- Post Graduate Department of Chemistry Visveswarapura College of Science Bangalore Institute of Technology K.R. Road, V.V.Pura Bengaluru 560004 India
| | - V. Ganesh
- Electrodics and Electrocatalysis (EEC) Division, CSIR – Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR–CECRI) Karaikudi 630003 Tamilnadu India
| | - S. Balamurugan
- Advanced Nanomaterials Research Laboratory Department of Nanotechnology Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education Thuckalay, Kumaracoil 629 180 India
| | - A. Sakthivel
- Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Materials & Heterogeneous Catalysis Laboratory Department of Chemistry School of Physical Sciences Central University of Kerala, Sabarmati Building Thejaswini Hills, Periye P.O. Kasaragod 671320 Kerala India
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38
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Mammalian gastrulation: signalling activity and transcriptional regulation of cell lineage differentiation and germ layer formation. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1619-1631. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20220256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The interplay of signalling input and downstream transcriptional activity is the key molecular attribute driving the differentiation of germ layer tissue and the specification of cell lineages within each germ layer during gastrulation. This review delves into the current understanding of signalling and transcriptional control of lineage development in the germ layers of mouse embryo and non-human primate embryos during gastrulation and highlights the inter-species conservation and divergence of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of germ layer development in the human embryo.
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39
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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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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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40
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Carleton AE, Duncan MC, Taniguchi K. Human epiblast lumenogenesis: From a cell aggregate to a lumenal cyst. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:117-123. [PMID: 35637065 PMCID: PMC9529837 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The formation of a central lumen in the human epiblast is a critical step for development. However, because the lumen forms in the epiblast coincident with implantation, the molecular and cellular events of this early lumenogenesis process cannot be studied in vivo. Recent developments using new model systems have revealed insight into the underpinnings of epiblast formation. To provide an up-to-date comprehensive review of human epiblast lumenogenesis, we highlight recent findings from human and mouse models with an emphasis on new molecular understanding of a newly described apicosome compartment, a novel 'formative' state of pluripotency that coordinates with epiblast polarization, and new evidence about the physical and polarized trafficking mechanisms contributing to lumenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber E. Carleton
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
| | - Mara C. Duncan
- Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA,Co-corresponding authors
| | - Kenichiro Taniguchi
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA,Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA,Co-corresponding authors
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41
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Chen M, Long X, Chen M, Hao F, Kang J, Wang N, Wang Y, Wang M, Gao Y, Zhou M, Duo L, Zhe X, He J, Ren B, Zhang Y, Liu B, Li J, Zhang Q, Yan L, Cui X, Wang Y, Gui Y, Wang H, Zhu L, Liu D, Guo F, Gao F. Integration of single-cell transcriptome and chromatin accessibility of early gonads development among goats, pigs, macaques, and humans. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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42
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Wan Z, Zhang H, Guo Y, Li H. Advances in Catalytic Depolymerization of Lignin. ChemistrySelect 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202202582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhouyuanye Wan
- Zhouyuanye Wan Prof. Dr. Yanzhu Guo Prof. Dr. Haiming Li Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering Dalian Polytechnic University No.1 Qinggongyuan, Ganjingzi District Dalian 116034 China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- China National Pulp and Paper Research Institute Co. Ltd. Beijing 100102 China
| | - Yanzhu Guo
- Zhouyuanye Wan Prof. Dr. Yanzhu Guo Prof. Dr. Haiming Li Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering Dalian Polytechnic University No.1 Qinggongyuan, Ganjingzi District Dalian 116034 China
| | - Haiming Li
- Zhouyuanye Wan Prof. Dr. Yanzhu Guo Prof. Dr. Haiming Li Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering Dalian Polytechnic University No.1 Qinggongyuan, Ganjingzi District Dalian 116034 China
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Abstract
The complex process by which a single-celled zygote develops into a viable embryo is nothing short of a miraculous wonder of the natural world. Elucidating how this process is orchestrated in humans has long eluded the grasp of scientists due to ethical and practical limitations. Thankfully, pluripotent stem cells that resemble early developmental cell types possess the ability to mimic specific embryonic events. As such, murine and human stem cells have been leveraged by scientists to create in vitro models that aim to recapitulate different stages of early mammalian development. Here, we examine the wide variety of stem cell-based embryo models that have been developed to recapitulate and study embryonic events, from pre-implantation development through to early organogenesis. We discuss the applications of these models, key considerations regarding their importance within the field, and how such models are expected to grow and evolve to achieve exciting new milestones in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan H. Terhune
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeyoon Bok
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shiyu Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Munger C, Kohler TN, Slatery E, Ellermann AL, Bergmann S, Penfold C, Ampartzidis I, Chen Y, Hollfelder F, Boroviak TE. Microgel culture and spatial identity mapping elucidate the signalling requirements for primate epiblast and amnion formation. Development 2022; 149:276630. [PMID: 36125063 PMCID: PMC7614365 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200263] [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: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The early specification and rapid growth of extraembryonic membranes are distinctive hallmarks of primate embryogenesis. These complex tasks are resolved through an intricate combination of signals controlling the induction of extraembryonic lineages and, at the same time, safeguarding the pluripotent epiblast. Here, we delineate the signals orchestrating primate epiblast and amnion identity. We encapsulated marmoset pluripotent stem cells into agarose microgels and identified culture conditions for the development of epiblast- and amnion-spheroids. Spatial identity mapping authenticated spheroids generated in vitro by comparison with marmoset embryos in vivo. We leveraged the microgel system to functionally interrogate the signalling environment of the post-implantation primate embryo. Single-cell profiling of the resulting spheroids demonstrated that activin/nodal signalling is required for embryonic lineage identity. BMP4 promoted amnion formation and maturation, which was counteracted by FGF signalling. Our combination of microgel culture, single-cell profiling and spatial identity mapping provides a powerful approach to decipher the essential cues for embryonic and extraembryonic lineage formation in primate embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Munger
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Timo N. Kohler
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Erin Slatery
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Anna L. Ellermann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Bergmann
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Penfold
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Ioakeim Ampartzidis
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Yutong Chen
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
- Correspondence: T.E.B. (), F.H. ()
| | - Thorsten E. Boroviak
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Correspondence: T.E.B. (), F.H. ()
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45
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Bao M, Cornwall-Scoones J, Zernicka-Goetz M. Stem-cell-based human and mouse embryo models. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 76:101970. [PMID: 35988317 PMCID: PMC10309046 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic embryology aims to develop embryo-like structures from stem cells to provide new insight into early stages of mammalian development. Recent advances in synthetic embryology have highlighted the remarkable capacity of stem cells to self-organize under certain biochemical or biophysical stimulations, generating structures that recapitulate the fate and form of early mouse/human embryos, in which symmetry breaking, pattern formation, or proper morphogenesis can be observed spontaneously. Here we review recent progress on the design principles for different types of embryoids and discuss the impact of different biochemical and biophysical factors on the process of stem-cell self-organization. We also offer our thoughts about the principal future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Bao
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK. https://twitter.com/@Min_Bao_
| | - Jake Cornwall-Scoones
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK. https://twitter.com/@jake_cs_
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
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46
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Zheng Y, Yan RZ, Sun S, Kobayashi M, Xiang L, Yang R, Goedel A, Kang Y, Xue X, Esfahani SN, Liu Y, Resto Irizarry AM, Wu W, Li Y, Ji W, Niu Y, Chien KR, Li T, Shioda T, Fu J. Single-cell analysis of embryoids reveals lineage diversification roadmaps of early human development. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:1402-1419.e8. [PMID: 36055194 PMCID: PMC9499422 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite its clinical and fundamental importance, our understanding of early human development remains limited. Stem cell-derived, embryo-like structures (or embryoids) allowing studies of early development without using natural embryos can potentially help fill the knowledge gap of human development. Herein, transcriptome at the single-cell level of a human embryoid model was profiled at different time points. Molecular maps of lineage diversifications from the pluripotent human epiblast toward the amniotic ectoderm, primitive streak/mesoderm, and primordial germ cells were constructed and compared with in vivo primate data. The comparative transcriptome analyses reveal a critical role of NODAL signaling in human mesoderm and primordial germ cell specification, which is further functionally validated. Through comparative transcriptome analyses and validations with human blastocysts and in vitro cultured cynomolgus embryos, we further proposed stringent criteria for distinguishing between human blastocyst trophectoderm and early amniotic ectoderm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Robin Zhexuan Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shiyu Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mutsumi Kobayashi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lifeng Xiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Ran Yang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Alexander Goedel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Yu Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Weisheng Wu
- BRCF Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yunxiu Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Weizhi Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Kenneth R Chien
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Tianqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Toshihiro Shioda
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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47
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Pham TXA, Panda A, Kagawa H, To SK, Ertekin C, Georgolopoulos G, van Knippenberg SSFA, Allsop RN, Bruneau A, Chui JSH, Vanheer L, Janiszewski A, Chappell J, Oberhuemer M, Tchinda RS, Talon I, Khodeer S, Rossant J, Lluis F, David L, Rivron N, Balaton BP, Pasque V. Modeling human extraembryonic mesoderm cells using naive pluripotent stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:1346-1365.e10. [PMID: 36055191 PMCID: PMC9438972 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of primate postimplantation embryogenesis is the specification of extraembryonic mesoderm (EXM) before gastrulation, in contrast to rodents where this tissue is formed only after gastrulation. Here, we discover that naive human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are competent to differentiate into EXM cells (EXMCs). EXMCs are specified by inhibition of Nodal signaling and GSK3B, are maintained by mTOR and BMP4 signaling activity, and their transcriptome and epigenome closely resemble that of human and monkey embryo EXM. EXMCs are mesenchymal, can arise from an epiblast intermediate, and are capable of self-renewal. Thus, EXMCs arising via primate-specific specification between implantation and gastrulation can be modeled in vitro. We also find that most of the rare off-target cells within human blastoids formed by triple inhibition (Kagawa et al., 2021) correspond to EXMCs. Our study impacts our ability to model and study the molecular mechanisms of early human embryogenesis and related defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Xuan Ai Pham
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amitesh Panda
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Harunobu Kagawa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - San Kit To
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cankat Ertekin
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Grigorios Georgolopoulos
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam S F A van Knippenberg
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ryan Nicolaas Allsop
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Bruneau
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, UMR 1064, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Jonathan Sai-Hong Chui
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lotte Vanheer
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adrian Janiszewski
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joel Chappell
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael Oberhuemer
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raissa Songwa Tchinda
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Irene Talon
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sherif Khodeer
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Janet Rossant
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5V 0B1, Canada
| | - Frederic Lluis
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laurent David
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CR2TI, UMR 1064, F-44000, Nantes, France; Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, BioCore, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Nicolas Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bradley Philip Balaton
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven Institute for Single-cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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48
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Rossi G, Giger S, Hübscher T, Lutolf MP. Gastruloids as in vitro models of embryonic blood development with spatial and temporal resolution. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13380. [PMID: 35927563 PMCID: PMC9352713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastruloids are three-dimensional embryonic organoids that reproduce key features of early mammalian development in vitro with unique scalability, accessibility, and spatiotemporal similarity to real embryos. Recently, we adapted the gastruloid culture conditions to promote cardiovascular development. In this work, we extended these conditions to capture features of embryonic blood development through a combination of immunophenotyping, detailed transcriptomics analysis, and identification of blood stem/progenitor cell potency. We uncovered the emergence of blood progenitor and erythroid-like cell populations in late gastruloids and showed the multipotent clonogenic capacity of these cells, both in vitro and after transplantation into irradiated mice. We also identified the spatial localization near a vessel-like plexus in the anterior portion of gastruloids with similarities to the emergence of blood stem cells in the mouse embryo. These results highlight the potential and applicability of gastruloids to the in vitro study of complex processes in embryonic blood development with spatiotemporal fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Rossi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Vaud, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Sonja Giger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Vaud, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tania Hübscher
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Vaud, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Vaud, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Vaud, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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49
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Arias AM, Marikawa Y, Moris N. Gastruloids: Pluripotent stem cell models of mammalian gastrulation and embryo engineering. Dev Biol 2022; 488:35-46. [PMID: 35537519 PMCID: PMC9477185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.002] [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: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is a fundamental and critical process of animal development whereby the mass of cells that results from the proliferation of the zygote transforms itself into a recognizable outline of an organism. The last few years have seen the emergence of a number of experimental models of early mammalian embryogenesis based on Embryonic Stem (ES) cells. One of this is the Gastruloid model. Gastruloids are aggregates of defined numbers of ES cells that, under defined culture conditions, undergo controlled proliferation, symmetry breaking, and the specification of all three germ layers characteristic of vertebrate embryos, and their derivatives. However, they lack brain structures and, surprisingly, reveal a disconnect between cell type specific gene expression and tissue morphogenesis, for example during somitogenesis. Gastruloids have been derived from mouse and human ES cells and several variations of the original model have emerged that reveal a hereto unknown modularity of mammalian embryos. We discuss the organization and development of gastruloids in the context of the embryonic stages that they represent, pointing out similarities and differences between the two. We also point out their potential as a reproducible, scalable and searchable experimental system and highlight some questions posed by the current menagerie of gastruloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, MELIS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader, 88, ICREA, Pag Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Naomi Moris
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
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50
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Roberts RM, Ezashi T, Temple J, Owen JR, Soncin F, Parast MM. The role of BMP4 signaling in trophoblast emergence from pluripotency. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:447. [PMID: 35877048 PMCID: PMC10243463 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04478-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling pathway has established roles in early embryonic morphogenesis, particularly in the epiblast. More recently, however, it has also been implicated in development of extraembryonic lineages, including trophectoderm (TE), in both mouse and human. In this review, we will provide an overview of this signaling pathway, with a focus on BMP4, and its role in emergence and development of TE in both early mouse and human embryogenesis. Subsequently, we will build on these in vivo data and discuss the utility of BMP4-based protocols for in vitro conversion of primed vs. naïve pluripotent stem cells (PSC) into trophoblast, and specifically into trophoblast stem cells (TSC). PSC-derived TSC could provide an abundant, reproducible, and ethically acceptable source of cells for modeling placental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Michael Roberts
- Division of Animal Sciences and Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Toshihiko Ezashi
- Division of Animal Sciences and Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, 10290 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO, 80124, USA
| | - Jasmine Temple
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Joseph R Owen
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Francesca Soncin
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Mana M Parast
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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