1
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Xiao Z, Cui L, Yuan Y, He N, Xie X, Lin S, Yang X, Zhang X, Shi P, Wei Z, Li Y, Wang H, Wang X, Wei Y, Guo J, Yu L. 3D reconstruction of a gastrulating human embryo. Cell 2024; 187:2855-2874.e19. [PMID: 38657603 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.041] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Progress in understanding early human development has been impeded by the scarcity of reference datasets from natural embryos, particularly those with spatial information during crucial stages like gastrulation. We conducted high-resolution spatial transcriptomics profiling on 38,562 spots from 62 transverse sections of an intact Carnegie stage (CS) 8 human embryo. From this spatial transcriptomic dataset, we constructed a 3D model of the CS8 embryo, in which a range of cell subtypes are identified, based on gene expression patterns and positional register, along the anterior-posterior, medial-lateral, and dorsal-ventral axis in the embryo. We further characterized the lineage trajectories of embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues and associated regulons and the regionalization of signaling centers and signaling activities that underpin lineage progression and tissue patterning during gastrulation. Collectively, the findings of this study provide insights into gastrulation and post-gastrulation development of the human embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lina Cui
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nannan He
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Xinwei Xie
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Sirui Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaolong Yang
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Peifu Shi
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhifeng Wei
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yulei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jingtao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Leqian Yu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
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2
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Vijayakumar S, Sala R, Kang G, Chen A, Pablo MA, Adebayo AI, Cipriano A, Fowler JL, Gomes DL, Ang LT, Loh KM, Sebastiano V. Monolayer platform to generate and purify primordial germ-like cells in vitro provides insights into human germline specification. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5690. [PMID: 37709760 PMCID: PMC10502105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41302-w] [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: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) advances studies of human reproduction and development of infertility treatments, but often entails complex 3D aggregates. Here we develop a simplified, monolayer method to differentiate hPSCs into PGCs within 3.5 days. We use our simplified differentiation platform and single-cell RNA-sequencing to achieve further insights into PGCLC specification. Transient WNT activation for 12 h followed by WNT inhibition specified PGCLCs; by contrast, sustained WNT induced primitive streak. Thus, somatic cells (primitive streak) and PGCLCs are related-yet distinct-lineages segregated by temporally-dynamic signaling. Pluripotency factors including NANOG are continuously expressed during the transition from pluripotency to posterior epiblast to PGCs, thus bridging pluripotent and germline states. Finally, hPSC-derived PGCLCs can be easily purified by virtue of their CXCR4+PDGFRA-GARP- surface-marker profile and single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals that they harbor transcriptional similarities with fetal PGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivakamasundari Vijayakumar
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Roberta Sala
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Gugene Kang
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Angela Chen
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Michelle Ann Pablo
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Abidemi Ismail Adebayo
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Andrea Cipriano
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jonas L Fowler
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Danielle L Gomes
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lay Teng Ang
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kyle M Loh
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Vittorio Sebastiano
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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3
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Vasic I, Libby ARG, Maslan A, Bulger EA, Zalazar D, Krakora Compagno MZ, Streets A, Tomoda K, Yamanaka S, McDevitt TC. Loss of TJP1 disrupts gastrulation patterning and increases differentiation toward the germ cell lineage in human pluripotent stem cells. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1477-1488.e5. [PMID: 37354899 PMCID: PMC10529434 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.05.019] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Biological patterning events that occur early in development establish proper tissue morphogenesis. Identifying the mechanisms that guide these patterning events is necessary in order to understand the molecular drivers of development and disease and to build tissues in vitro. In this study, we use an in vitro model of gastrulation to study the role of tight junctions and apical/basolateral polarity in modulating bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4) signaling and gastrulation-associated patterning in colonies of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Disrupting tight junctions via knockdown (KD) of the scaffolding tight junction protein-1 (TJP1, also known as ZO1) allows BMP4 to robustly and ubiquitously activate pSMAD1/5 signaling over time, resulting in loss of the patterning phenotype and marked differentiation bias of pluripotent stem cells to primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). These findings give important insights into how signaling events are regulated and lead to spatial emergence of diverse cell types in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Vasic
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | - Ashley RG Libby
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Ph.D. Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | - Annie Maslan
- UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720
| | - Emily A Bulger
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Ph.D. Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | - David Zalazar
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | | | - Aaron Streets
- UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | - Kiichiro Tomoda
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto, Japan 606-8397
| | - Shinya Yamanaka
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto, Japan 606-8397
| | - Todd C McDevitt
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
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4
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Gattiglio M, Protzek M, Schröter C. Population-level antagonism between FGF and BMP signaling steers mesoderm differentiation in embryonic stem cells. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059941. [PMID: 37530863 PMCID: PMC10445724 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodermal precursor populations for different internal organ systems are specified during gastrulation by the combined activity of extracellular signaling systems such as BMP, Wnt, Nodal and FGF. The BMP, Wnt and Nodal signaling requirements for the differentiation of specific mesoderm subtypes in mammals have been mapped in detail, but how FGF shapes mesodermal cell type diversity is not precisely known. It is also not clear how FGF signaling integrates with the activity of other signaling systems involved in mesoderm differentiation. Here, we address these questions by analyzing the effects of targeted signaling manipulations in differentiating stem cell populations at single-cell resolution. We identify opposing functions of BMP and FGF, and map FGF-dependent and -independent mesodermal lineages. Stimulation with exogenous FGF boosts the expression of endogenous Fgf genes while repressing Bmp ligand genes. This positive autoregulation of FGF signaling, coupled with the repression of BMP signaling, may contribute to the specification of reproducible and coherent cohorts of cells with the same identity via a community effect, both in the embryo and in synthetic embryo-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Gattiglio
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michelle Protzek
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Schröter
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Systemic Cell Biology, 44227Dortmund, Germany
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5
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Hartmann J, Mayor R. Self-organized collective cell behaviors as design principles for synthetic developmental biology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 141:63-73. [PMID: 35450765 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, molecular cell biology has graduated from a mostly analytic science to one with substantial synthetic capability. This success is built on a deep understanding of the structure and function of biomolecules and molecular mechanisms. For synthetic biology to achieve similar success at the scale of tissues and organs, an equally deep understanding of the principles of development is required. Here, we review some of the central concepts and recent progress in tissue patterning, morphogenesis and collective cell migration and discuss their value for synthetic developmental biology, emphasizing in particular the power of (guided) self-organization and the role of theoretical advances in making developmental insights applicable in synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hartmann
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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6
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Huljev K, Shamipour S, Pinheiro D, Preusser F, Steccari I, Sommer CM, Naik S, Heisenberg CP. A hydraulic feedback loop between mesendoderm cell migration and interstitial fluid relocalization promotes embryonic axis formation in zebrafish. Dev Cell 2023; 58:582-596.e7. [PMID: 36931269 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Interstitial fluid (IF) accumulation between embryonic cells is thought to be important for embryo patterning and morphogenesis. Here, we identify a positive mechanical feedback loop between cell migration and IF relocalization and find that it promotes embryonic axis formation during zebrafish gastrulation. We show that anterior axial mesendoderm (prechordal plate [ppl]) cells, moving in between the yolk cell and deep cell tissue to extend the embryonic axis, compress the overlying deep cell layer, thereby causing IF to flow from the deep cell layer to the boundary between the yolk cell and the deep cell layer, directly ahead of the advancing ppl. This IF relocalization, in turn, facilitates ppl cell protrusion formation and migration by opening up the space into which the ppl moves and, thereby, the ability of the ppl to trigger IF relocalization by pushing against the overlying deep cell layer. Thus, embryonic axis formation relies on a hydraulic feedback loop between cell migration and IF relocalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Huljev
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Shayan Shamipour
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diana Pinheiro
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Preusser
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Irene Steccari
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Suyash Naik
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
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7
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Legier T, Rattier D, Llewellyn J, Vannier T, Sorre B, Maina F, Dono R. Epithelial disruption drives mesendoderm differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells by enabling TGF-β protein sensing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:349. [PMID: 36681697 PMCID: PMC9867713 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35965-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The processes of primitive streak formation and fate specification in the mammalian epiblast rely on complex interactions between morphogens and tissue organization. Little is known about how these instructive cues functionally interact to regulate gastrulation. We interrogated the interplay between tissue organization and morphogens by using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) downregulated for the morphogen regulator GLYPICAN-4, in which defects in tight junctions result in areas of disrupted epithelial integrity. Remarkably, this phenotype does not affect hiPSC stemness, but impacts on cell fate acquisition. Strikingly, cells within disrupted areas become competent to perceive the gastrulation signals BMP4 and ACTIVIN A, an in vitro surrogate for NODAL, and thus differentiate into mesendoderm. Yet, disruption of epithelial integrity sustains activation of BMP4 and ACTIVIN A downstream effectors and correlates with enhanced hiPSC endoderm/mesoderm differentiation. Altogether, our results disclose epithelial integrity as a key determinant of TGF-β activity and highlight an additional mechanism guiding morphogen sensing and spatial cell fate change within an epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Legier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France
| | - Diane Rattier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France
| | - Jack Llewellyn
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France
| | - Thomas Vannier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France
| | - Benoit Sorre
- Institut Curie, Universite ́PSL, Sorbonne Universite ́, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Flavio Maina
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France
| | - Rosanna Dono
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, NeuroMarseille, Marseille, France.
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8
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Kim YS, Bedzhov I. Mechanisms of formation and functions of the early embryonic cavities. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:110-116. [PMID: 35513973 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As the early mouse embryo develops, fundamental steps include the sequential formation of the first lumens in the murine conceptus. The first cavity established in the pre-implantation embryo is the blastocoel, followed by the emergence of the proamniotic cavity during the peri-implantation stages. The mouse embryo is a dynamic system which switches its modes of lumenogenesis before and after implantation. The blastocoel emerges in between the basolateral membranes, whereas the proamniotic cavity is formed on the apical interface. Defects in the sculpting of these luminal spaces are associated with developmental abnormalities and embryonic lethality. Here, we review the mechanisms by which these early embryonic cavities are formed and discuss the cavities in terms of their common and stage-specific principles of lumenogenesis and their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Su Kim
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ivan Bedzhov
- Embryonic Self-Organization Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstraße 20, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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9
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Miller PW, Fortunato D, Muratov C, Greengard L, Shvartsman S. Forced and spontaneous symmetry breaking in cell polarization. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 2:504-511. [PMID: 37309402 PMCID: PMC10260237 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-022-00295-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
How does breaking the symmetry of an equation alter the symmetry of its solutions? Here, we systematically examine how reducing underlying symmetries from spherical to axisymmetric influences the dynamics of an archetypal model of cell polarization, a key process of biological spatial self-organization. Cell polarization is characterized by nonlinear and non-local dynamics, but we overcome the theory challenges these traits pose by introducing a broadly applicable numerical scheme allowing us to efficiently study continuum models in a wide range of geometries. Guided by numerical results, we discover a dynamical hierarchy of timescales that allows us to reduce relaxation to a purely geometric problem of area-preserving geodesic curvature flow. Through application of variational results, we analytically construct steady states on a number of biologically relevant shapes. In doing so, we reveal non-trivial solutions for symmetry breaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pearson W. Miller
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Pearson W. Miller, Daniel Fortunato
| | - Daniel Fortunato
- Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Pearson W. Miller, Daniel Fortunato
| | - Cyrill Muratov
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leslie Greengard
- Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Courant Institute, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stanislav Shvartsman
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Courant Institute, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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10
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Optimization of Mechanosensitive Cross-Talk between Matrix Stiffness and Protein Density: Independent Matrix Properties Regulate Spreading Dynamics of Myocytes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132122. [PMID: 35805206 PMCID: PMC9265304 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells actively sense differences in topology, matrix elasticity and protein composition of the extracellular microenvironment and adapt their function and morphology. In this study, we focus on the cross-talk between matrix stiffness and protein coating density that regulates morphology and proliferation dynamics of single myocytes. For this, C2C12 myocytes were monitored on L-DOPA functionalized hydrogels of 22 different elasticity and fibronectin density compositions. Static images were recorded and statistically analyzed to determine morphological differences and to identify the optimized extracellular matrix (ECM). Using that information, selected ECMs were used to study the dynamics before and after cell proliferation by statistical comparison of distinct cell states. We observed a fibronectin-density-independent increase of the projected cell area until 12 kPa. Additionally, changes in fibronectin density led to an area that was optimum at about 2.6 μg/cm2, which was confirmed by independent F-actin analysis, revealing a maximum actin-filament-to-cell-area ratio of 7.5%. Proliferation evaluation showed an opposite correlation between cell spreading duration and speed to matrix elasticity and protein density, which did not affect cell-cycle duration. In summary, we identified an optimized ECM composition and found that independent matrix properties regulate distinct cell characteristics.
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11
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Plouhinec JL, Simon G, Vieira M, Collignon J, Sorre B. Dissecting signaling hierarchies in the patterning of the mouse primitive streak using micropatterned EpiLC colonies. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1757-1771. [PMID: 35714597 PMCID: PMC9287665 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo studies have established that the patterning of the mouse gastrula depends on a regulatory network in which the WNT, BMP, and NODAL signaling pathways cooperate, but aspects of their respective contributions remain unclear. Studying their impact on the spatial organization and developmental trajectories of micropatterned epiblast-like cell (EpiLC) colonies, we show that NODAL is required prior to BMP action to establish the mesoderm and endoderm lineages. The presence of BMP then forces NODAL and WNT to support the formation of posterior primitive streak (PS) derivatives, while its absence allows them to promote that of anterior PS derivatives. Also, a Nodal mutation elicits more severe patterning defects in vitro than in the embryo, suggesting that ligands of extra-embryonic origin can rescue them. These results support the implication of a combinatorial process in PS patterning and illustrate how the study of micropatterned EpiLC colonies can complement that of embryos. BMP or WNT cannot rescue the impact a Nodal KO has on primitive streak formation BMP exposure results in Nodal promoting posterior rather than anterior PS formation The maintenance of posterior mesodermal identities is dependent on Nodal expression Low Nodal expression does not prevent the emergence of anterior PS derivatives
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Plouhinec
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Gaël Simon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Vieira
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Benoit Sorre
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
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12
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Peterson AJ, Murphy SJ, Mundt MG, Shimell M, Leof EB, O’Connor MB. A juxtamembrane basolateral targeting motif regulates signaling through a TGF-β pathway receptor in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001660. [PMID: 35594316 PMCID: PMC9162340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In polarized epithelial cells, receptor-ligand interactions can be restricted by different spatial distributions of the 2 interacting components, giving rise to an underappreciated layer of regulatory complexity. We explored whether such regulation occurs in the Drosophila wing disc, an epithelial tissue featuring the TGF-β family member Decapentaplegic (Dpp) as a morphogen controlling growth and patterning. Dpp protein has been observed in an extracellular gradient within the columnar cell layer of the disc, but also uniformly in the disc lumen, leading to the question of how graded signaling is achieved in the face of 2 distinctly localized ligand pools. We find the Dpp Type II receptor Punt, but not the Type I receptor Tkv, is enriched at the basolateral membrane and depleted at the junctions and apical surface. Wit, a second Type II receptor, shows a markedly different behavior, with the protein detected on all membrane regions but enriched at the apical side. Mutational studies identified a short juxtamembrane sequence required for basolateral restriction of Punt in both wing discs and mammalian Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. This basolateral targeting (BLT) determinant can dominantly confer basolateral localization on an otherwise apical receptor. Rescue of punt mutants with transgenes altered in the targeting motif showed that flies expressing apicalized Punt due to the lack of a functional BLT displayed developmental defects, female sterility, and significant lethality. We also show that apicalized Punt does not produce an ectopic signal, indicating that the apical pool of Dpp is not a significant signaling source even when presented with Punt. Instead, we find that basolateral presentation of Punt is required for optimal signaling. Finally, we present evidence that the BLT acts through polarized sorting machinery that differs between types of epithelia. This suggests a code whereby each epithelial cell type may differentially traffic common receptors to enable distinctive responses to spatially localized pools of extracellular ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J. Peterson
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and the Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Murphy
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Melinda G. Mundt
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and the Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - MaryJane Shimell
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and the Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Edward B. Leof
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Michael B. O’Connor
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and the Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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13
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Hill CS. Establishment and interpretation of NODAL and BMP signaling gradients in early vertebrate development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 149:311-340. [PMID: 35606059 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family ligands play crucial roles in orchestrating early embryonic development. Most significantly, two family members, NODAL and BMP form signaling gradients and indeed in fish, frogs and sea urchins these two opposing gradients are sufficient to organize a complete embryonic axis. This review focuses on how these gradients are established and interpreted during early vertebrate development. The review highlights key principles that are emerging, in particular the importance of signaling duration as well as ligand concentration in both gradient generation and their interpretation. Feedforward and feedback loops involving other signaling pathways are also essential for providing spatial and temporal information downstream of the NODAL and BMP signaling pathways. Finally, new data suggest the existence of buffering mechanisms, whereby early signaling defects can be readily corrected downstream later in development, suggesting that signaling gradients do not have to be as precise as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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14
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Synthetic developmental biology: Engineering approaches to guide multicellular organization. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:715-733. [PMID: 35276092 PMCID: PMC9023767 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular organisms of various complexities self-organize in nature. Organoids are in vitro 3D structures that display important aspects of the anatomy and physiology of their in vivo counterparts and that develop from pluripotent or tissue-specific stem cells through a self-organization process. In this review, we describe the multidisciplinary concept of “synthetic developmental biology” where engineering approaches are employed to guide multicellular organization in an experimental setting. We introduce a novel classification of engineering approaches based on the extent of microenvironmental manipulation applied to organoids. In the final section, we discuss how engineering tools might help overcome current limitations in organoid construction.
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15
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Sales A, Khodr V, Machillot P, Chaar L, Fourel L, Guevara-Garcia A, Migliorini E, Albigès-Rizo C, Picart C. Differential bioactivity of four BMP-family members as function of biomaterial stiffness. Biomaterials 2022; 281:121363. [PMID: 35063741 PMCID: PMC7613911 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While a soft film itself is not able to induce cell spreading, BMP-2 presented via such soft film (so called "matrix-bound BMP-2") was previously shown to trigger cell spreading, migration and downstream BMP-2 signaling. Here, we used thin films of controlled stiffness presenting matrix-bound BMPs to study the effect of four BMP members (BMP-2, 4, 7, 9) on cell adhesion and differentiation of skeletal progenitors. We performed automated high-content screening of cellular responses, including cell number, cell spreading area, SMAD phosphorylation and alkaline phosphatase activity. We revealed that the cell response to bBMPs is BMP-type specific, and involved certain BMP receptors and beta chain integrins. In addition, this response is stiffness-dependent for several receptors. The basolateral presentation of the BMPs allowed us to discriminate the specificity of cellular response, especiallyd the role of type I and II BMP receptors and of β integrins in a BMP-type and stiffness-dependent manner. Notably, BMP-2 and BMP-4 were found to have distinct roles, while ALK5, previously known as a TGF-β receptor was revealed to be involved in the BMP-pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Sales
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France.
| | - Valia Khodr
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France
| | - Paul Machillot
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France
| | - Line Chaar
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Laure Fourel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Amaris Guevara-Garcia
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Elisa Migliorini
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France
| | - Corinne Albigès-Rizo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Catherine Picart
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM U1292 Biosanté, CNRS EMR 5000 BRM, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France.
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16
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Veenvliet JV, Lenne PF, Turner DA, Nachman I, Trivedi V. Sculpting with stem cells: how models of embryo development take shape. Development 2021; 148:dev192914. [PMID: 34908102 PMCID: PMC8722391 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative understanding how these morphogenetic information modules pattern and shape the mammalian embryo is still lacking, mostly owing to the inaccessibility of the embryo in vivo for direct observation and manipulation. These impediments are circumvented by the developmental engineering of embryo-like structures (stembryos) from pluripotent stem cells that are easy to access, track, manipulate and scale. Here, we explain how unlocking distinct levels of embryo-like architecture through controlled modulations of the cellular environment enables the identification of minimal sets of mechanical and biochemical inputs necessary to pattern and shape the mammalian embryo. We detail how this can be complemented with precise measurements and manipulations of tissue biochemistry, mechanics and geometry across spatial and temporal scales to provide insights into the mechanochemical feedback loops governing embryo morphogenesis. Finally, we discuss how, even in the absence of active manipulations, stembryos display intrinsic phenotypic variability that can be leveraged to define the constraints that ensure reproducible morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V. Veenvliet
- Stembryogenesis Lab, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - David A. Turner
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, William Henry Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Iftach Nachman
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories (EMBL), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental Biology Unit, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Valcourt JR, Huang RE, Kundu S, Venkatasubramanian D, Kingston RE, Ramanathan S. Modulating mesendoderm competence during human germ layer differentiation. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109990. [PMID: 34758327 PMCID: PMC8601596 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As pluripotent human embryonic stem cells progress toward one germ layer fate, they lose the ability to adopt alternative fates. Using a low-dimensional reaction coordinate to monitor progression toward ectoderm, we show that a differentiating stem cell's probability of adopting a mesendodermal fate given appropriate signals falls sharply at a point along the ectoderm trajectory. We use this reaction coordinate to prospectively isolate and profile differentiating cells based on their mesendoderm competence and analyze their RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) profiles to identify transcription factors that control the cell's mesendoderm competence. By modulating these key transcription factors, we can expand or contract the window of competence to adopt the mesendodermal fate along the ectodermal differentiation trajectory. The ability of the underlying gene regulatory network to modulate competence is essential for understanding human development and controlling the fate choices of stem cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Valcourt
- Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Division of Applied Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Roya E Huang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Division of Applied Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sharmistha Kundu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Divya Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Division of Applied Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Robert E Kingston
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sharad Ramanathan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Division of Applied Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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18
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Indana D, Agarwal P, Bhutani N, Chaudhuri O. Viscoelasticity and Adhesion Signaling in Biomaterials Control Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Morphogenesis in 3D Culture. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2101966. [PMID: 34499389 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202101966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are lumen-containing multicellular structures that recapitulate key features of the organs, and are increasingly used in models of disease, drug testing, and regenerative medicine. Recent work has used 3D culture models to form organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in reconstituted basement membrane (rBM) matrices. However, rBM matrices offer little control over the microenvironment. More generally, the role of matrix viscoelasticity in directing lumen formation remains unknown. Here, viscoelastic alginate hydrogels with independently tunable stress relaxation (viscoelasticity), stiffness, and arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) ligand density are used to study hiPSC morphogenesis in 3D culture. A phase diagram that shows how these properties control hiPSC morphogenesis is reported. Higher RGD density and fast stress relaxation promote hiPSC viability, proliferation, apicobasal polarization, and lumen formation, while slow stress relaxation at low RGD densities triggers hiPSC apoptosis. Notably, hiPSCs maintain pluripotency in alginate hydrogels for much longer times than is reported in rBM matrices. Lumen formation is regulated by actomyosin contractility and is accompanied by translocation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The results reveal matrix viscoelasticity as a potent factor regulating stem cell morphogenesis and provide new insights into how engineered biomaterials may be leveraged to build organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Indana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Pranay Agarwal
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Nidhi Bhutani
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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19
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Galgoczi S, Ruzo A, Markopoulos C, Yoney A, Phan-Everson T, Li S, Haremaki T, Metzger JJ, Etoc F, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG expansion impairs germ layer patterning in synthetic human 2D gastruloids through polarity defects. Development 2021; 148:272380. [PMID: 34608934 PMCID: PMC8513611 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Although HD has been shown to have a developmental component, how early during human embryogenesis the HTT-CAG expansion can cause embryonic defects remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a specific and highly reproducible CAG length-dependent phenotypic signature in a synthetic model for human gastrulation derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Specifically, we observed a reduction in the extension of the ectodermal compartment that is associated with enhanced activin signaling. Surprisingly, rather than a cell-autonomous effect, tracking the dynamics of TGFβ signaling demonstrated that HTT-CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of activin response. This is due to defects in the apicobasal polarization in the context of the polarized epithelium of the 2D gastruloid, leading to ectopic subcellular localization of TGFβ receptors. This work refines the earliest developmental window for the prodromal phase of HD to the first 2 weeks of human development, as modeled by our 2D gastruloids. Summary: 2D gastruloids of isogenic human embryonic stem cells modeling Huntington's Disease reveal that huntingtin CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of the activin response in the context of the polarized epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilvia Galgoczi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Albert Ruzo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christian Markopoulos
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna Yoney
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tien Phan-Everson
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tomomi Haremaki
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jakob J Metzger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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20
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Anlas K, Trivedi V. Studying evolution of the primary body axis in vivo and in vitro. eLife 2021; 10:e69066. [PMID: 34463611 PMCID: PMC8456739 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The metazoan body plan is established during early embryogenesis via collective cell rearrangements and evolutionarily conserved gene networks, as part of a process commonly referred to as gastrulation. While substantial progress has been achieved in terms of characterizing the embryonic development of several model organisms, underlying principles of many early patterning processes nevertheless remain enigmatic. Despite the diversity of (pre-)gastrulating embryo and adult body shapes across the animal kingdom, the body axes, which are arguably the most fundamental features, generally remain identical between phyla. Recently there has been a renewed appreciation of ex vivo and in vitro embryo-like systems to model early embryonic patterning events. Here, we briefly review key examples and propose that similarities in morphogenesis and associated gene expression dynamics may reveal an evolutionarily conserved developmental mode as well as provide further insights into the role of external or extraembryonic cues in shaping the early embryo. In summary, we argue that embryo-like systems can be employed to inform previously uncharted aspects of animal body plan evolution as well as associated patterning rules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- EMBL BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental BiologyHeidelbergGermany
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21
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Girgin MU, Broguiere N, Hoehnel S, Brandenberg N, Mercier B, Arias AM, Lutolf MP. Bioengineered embryoids mimic post-implantation development in vitro. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5140. [PMID: 34446708 PMCID: PMC8390504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25237-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The difficulty of studying post-implantation development in mammals has sparked a flurry of activity to develop in vitro models, termed embryoids, based on self-organizing pluripotent stem cells. Previous approaches to derive embryoids either lack the physiological morphology and signaling interactions, or are unconducive to model post-gastrulation development. Here, we report a bioengineering-inspired approach aimed at addressing this gap. We employ a high-throughput cell aggregation approach to simultaneously coax mouse embryonic stem cells into hundreds of uniform epiblast-like aggregates in a solid matrix-free manner. When co-cultured with mouse trophoblast stem cell aggregates, the resulting hybrid structures initiate gastrulation-like events and undergo axial morphogenesis to yield structures, termed EpiTS embryoids, with a pronounced anterior development, including brain-like regions. We identify the presence of an epithelium in EPI aggregates as the major determinant for the axial morphogenesis and anterior development seen in EpiTS embryoids. Our results demonstrate the potential of EpiTS embryoids to study peri-gastrulation development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet U Girgin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Broguiere
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Bastien Mercier
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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22
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Abstract
Micropatterning encompasses a set of methods aimed at precisely controlling the spatial distribution of molecules onto the surface of materials. Biologists have borrowed the idea and adapted these methods, originally developed for electronics, to impose physical constraints on biological systems with the aim of addressing fundamental questions across biological scales from molecules to multicellular systems. Here, I approach this topic from a developmental biologist's perspective focusing specifically on how and why micropatterning has gained in popularity within the developmental biology community in recent years. Overall, this Primer provides a concise overview of how micropatterns are used to study developmental processes and emphasises how micropatterns are a useful addition to the developmental biologist's toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Blin
- Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
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23
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Chen K, Zheng Y, Xue X, Liu Y, Resto Irizarry AM, Tang H, Fu J. Branching development of early post-implantation human embryonic-like tissues in 3D stem cell culture. Biomaterials 2021; 275:120898. [PMID: 34044259 PMCID: PMC8325636 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the intrinsic capacity to self-organize and generate patterned tissues. In vitro models that coax hESCs to form embryonic-like structures by modulating physical environments and priming with chemical signals have become a powerful tool for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms underlying early human development. Here we present a 3D suspension culture system of hESCs that can generate post-implantation, pre-gastrulation embryonic-like tissues in an efficient and controllable manner. The efficiency of the development of asymmetric tissues, which mimic the post-implantation, pre-gastrulation amniotic sac, was about 50% in the 3D suspension culture. Quantitative imaging profiling and unsupervised trajectory analysis revealed that hESC aggregates first entered into a transitional stage expressing Brachyury (or T), before their development branched into different paths to develop into asymmetric embryonic-like tissues, amniotic-like tissues, and mesodermal-like tissues, respectively. Moreover, the branching developmental trajectory of embryonic-like structures was affected by the initial cell seeding density or cluster size of hESCs. A higher percentage of amniotic-like tissues was observed under a small initial cell seeding density of hESCs. Conversely, a large initial cell seeding density of hESCs promoted the development of mesodermal-like tissues. Intermediate cell seeding densities of hESCs in the 3D suspension culture promoted the development of asymmetric embryonic-like tissues. Our results suggest that hESCs have the intrinsic capability to sense the initial cell population size, which in turn regulates their differentiation and self-organization into different embryonic-like tissues. Our 3D suspension culture thus provides a promising experimental tool to study the interplay between tissue topology and self-organization and progressive embryonic development using in vitro hESC-based models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejie Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Yi Zheng
- 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
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Huaijing Tang
- 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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24
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Abstract
Morphogenesis is one of the most remarkable examples of biological pattern formation. Despite substantial progress in the field, we still do not understand the organizational principles responsible for the robust convergence of the morphogenesis process across scales to form viable organisms under variable conditions. Achieving large-scale coordination requires feedback between mechanical and biochemical processes, spanning all levels of organization and relating the emerging patterns with the mechanisms driving their formation. In this review, we highlight the role of mechanics in the patterning process, emphasizing the active and synergistic manner in which mechanical processes participate in developmental patterning rather than merely following a program set by biochemical signals. We discuss the value of applying a coarse-grained approach toward understanding this complex interplay, which considers the large-scale dynamics and feedback as well as complementing the reductionist approach focused on molecular detail. A central challenge in this approach is identifying relevant coarse-grained variables and developing effective theories that can serve as a basis for an integrated framework for understanding this remarkable pattern-formation process. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Volume 37 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonit Maroudas-Sacks
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel;
| | - Kinneret Keren
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel; .,Network Biology Research Laboratories and The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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25
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Sozen B, Cornwall-Scoones J, Zernicka-Goetz M. The dynamics of morphogenesis in stem cell-based embryology: Novel insights for symmetry breaking. Dev Biol 2021; 474:82-90. [PMID: 33333067 PMCID: PMC8259461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Breaking embryonic symmetry is an essential prerequisite to shape the initially symmetric embryo into a highly organized body plan that serves as the blueprint of the adult organism. This critical process is driven by morphogen signaling gradients that instruct anteroposterior axis specification. Despite its fundamental importance, what triggers symmetry breaking and how the signaling gradients are established in time and space in the mammalian embryo remain largely unknown. Stem cell-based in vitro models of embryogenesis offer an unprecedented opportunity to quantitatively dissect the multiple physical and molecular processes that shape the mammalian embryo. Here we review biochemical mechanisms governing early mammalian patterning in vivo and highlight recent advances to recreate this in vitro using stem cells. We discuss how the novel insights from these model systems extend previously proposed concepts to illuminate the extent to which embryonic cells have the intrinsic capability to generate specific, reproducible patterns during embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Sozen
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Jake Cornwall-Scoones
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Developmental Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - 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, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
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26
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Martyn I, Gartner ZJ. Expanding the boundaries of synthetic development. Dev Biol 2021; 474:62-70. [PMID: 33587913 PMCID: PMC8052276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic tissue boundaries are critical to not only cement newly patterned structures during development, but also to serve as organizing centers for subsequent rounds of morphogenesis. Although this latter role is especially difficult to study in vivo, synthetic embryology offers a new vantage point and fresh opportunities. In this review, we cover recent progress towards understanding and controlling in vitro boundaries and how they impact synthetic model systems. A key point this survey highlights is that the outcome of self-organization is strongly dependent on the boundary imposed, and new insight into the complex functions of embryonic boundaries will be necessary to create better self-organizing tissues for basic science, drug development, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Martyn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, NSF Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zev J Gartner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, NSF Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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27
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Phan-Everson T, Etoc F, Li S, Khodursky S, Yoney A, Brivanlou AH, Siggia ED. Differential compartmentalization of BMP4/NOGGIN requires NOGGIN trans-epithelial transport. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1930-1944.e5. [PMID: 34051144 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Using self-organizing human models of gastrulation, we previously showed that (1) BMP4 initiates the cascade of events leading to gastrulation, (2) BMP4 signal reception is restricted to the basolateral domain, and (3) in a human-specific manner, BMP4 directly induces the expression of NOGGIN. Here, we report the surprising discovery that in human epiblasts, NOGGIN and BMP4 were secreted into opposite extracellular spaces. Interestingly, apically presented NOGGIN could inhibit basally delivered BMP4. Apically imposed microfluidic flow demonstrated that NOGGIN traveled in the apical extracellular space. Our co-localization analysis detailed the endocytotic route that trafficked NOGGIN from the apical space to the basolateral intercellular space where BMP4 receptors were located. This apical-basal transcytosis was indispensable for NOGGIN inhibition. Taken together, the segregation of activator/inhibitor into distinct extracellular spaces challenges classical views of morphogen movement. We propose that the transport of morphogen inhibitors regulates the spatial availability of morphogens during embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien Phan-Everson
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samuel Khodursky
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna Yoney
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Eric D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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28
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Madamanchi A, Mullins MC, Umulis DM. Diversity and robustness of bone morphogenetic protein pattern formation. Development 2021; 148:dev192344. [PMID: 33795238 PMCID: PMC8034876 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pattern formation by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) demonstrates remarkable plasticity and utility in several contexts, such as early embryonic development, tissue patterning and the maintenance of stem cell niches. BMPs pattern tissues over many temporal and spatial scales: BMP gradients as short as 1-2 cell diameters maintain the stem cell niche of the Drosophila germarium over a 24-h cycle, and BMP gradients of several hundred microns establish dorsal-ventral tissue specification in Drosophila, zebrafish and Xenopus embryos in timescales between 30 min and several hours. The mechanisms that shape BMP signaling gradients are also incredibly diverse. Although ligand diffusion plays a dominant role in forming the gradient, a cast of diffusible and non-diffusible regulators modulate gradient formation and confer robustness, including scale invariance and adaptability to perturbations in gene expression and growth. In this Review, we document the diverse ways that BMP gradients are formed and refined, and we identify the core principles that they share to achieve reliable performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aasakiran Madamanchi
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Mary C Mullins
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David M Umulis
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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29
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Stapornwongkul KS, Vincent JP. Generation of extracellular morphogen gradients: the case for diffusion. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:393-411. [PMID: 33767424 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00342-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cells within developing tissues rely on morphogens to assess positional information. Passive diffusion is the most parsimonious transport model for long-range morphogen gradient formation but does not, on its own, readily explain scaling, robustness and planar transport. Here, we argue that diffusion is sufficient to ensure robust morphogen gradient formation in a variety of tissues if the interactions between morphogens and their extracellular binders are considered. A current challenge is to assess how the affinity for extracellular binders, as well as other biophysical and cell biological parameters, determines gradient dynamics and shape in a diffusion-based transport system. Technological advances in genome editing, tissue engineering, live imaging and in vivo biophysics are now facilitating measurement of these parameters, paving the way for mathematical modelling and a quantitative understanding of morphogen gradient formation and modulation.
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30
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Ismagulov G, Hamidi S, Sheng G. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Drives Three-Dimensional Morphogenesis in Mammalian Early Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:639244. [PMID: 33644076 PMCID: PMC7905045 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.639244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
From fertilization to onset of gastrulation, a mammalian embryo goes through several rounds of cellular morphogenesis resembling phenomena of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), collectively referred to as EMTs. How these EMT events play a role in shaping the three-dimensional (3-D) architecture of the developing embryo is not well-understood. In this review, we present a model in which cellular morphogenesis, represented primarily by dynamic changes in its epithelialization status, is the driving force of embryonic 3-D organization. This is achieved through the integration of three key components of mammalian early development, the pluripotency regulation, morphogenetic signaling, and biomechanical force anisotropy. Although cells in an early embryo do not exhibit full mesenchymal characteristics, our model underscores the importance of investigating molecular regulation of epithelial cell polarity and partial EMT/MET in understanding mammalian early development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guojun Sheng
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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31
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Muncie JM, Ayad NME, Lakins JN, Xue X, Fu J, Weaver VM. Mechanical Tension Promotes Formation of Gastrulation-like Nodes and Patterns Mesoderm Specification in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Dev Cell 2020; 55:679-694.e11. [PMID: 33207224 PMCID: PMC7755684 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions and is modulated by cell tension and tissue-level forces. Whether cell tension regulates development by modifying morphogen signaling is less clear. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit an intrinsic capacity for self-organization, which motivates their use as a tractable model of early human embryogenesis. We engineered patterned substrates that recapitulate the biophysical properties of the early embryo and mediate the self-organization of "gastrulation-like" nodes in cultured hESCs. Tissue geometries that generated local nodes of high cell-adhesion tension directed the spatial patterning of the BMP4-dependent "gastrulation-like" phenotype by enhancing phosphorylation and junctional release of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling and mesoderm specification. Furthermore, direct force application via mechanical stretching promoted BMP-dependent mesoderm specification, confirming that tissue-level forces can directly regulate cell fate specification in early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon M Muncie
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nadia M E Ayad
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Johnathon N Lakins
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, 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 and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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32
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Migliorini E, Guevara-Garcia A, Albiges-Rizo C, Picart C. Learning from BMPs and their biophysical extracellular matrix microenvironment for biomaterial design. Bone 2020; 141:115540. [PMID: 32730925 PMCID: PMC7614069 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
It is nowadays well-accepted that the extracellular matrix (ECM) is not a simple reservoir for growth factors but is an organization center of their biological activity. In this review, we focus on the ability of the ECM to regulate the biological activity of BMPs. In particular, we survey the role of the ECM components, notably the glycosaminoglycans and fibrillary ECM proteins, which can be promoters or repressors of the biological activities mediated by the BMPs. We examine how a process called mechano-transduction induced by the ECM can affect BMP signaling, including BMP internalization by the cells. We also focus on the spatio-temporal regulation of the BMPs, including their release from the ECM, which enables to modulate their spatial localization as well as their local concentration. We highlight how biomaterials can recapitulate some aspects of the BMPs/ECM interactions and help to answer fundamental questions to reveal previously unknown molecular mechanisms. Finally, the design of new biomaterials inspired by the ECM to better present BMPs is discussed, and their use for a more efficient bone regeneration in vivo is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Migliorini
- CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016 Grenoble, France; CEA, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research of Grenoble (IRIG), Biomimetism and Regenerative Medicine Lab, ERL 5000, Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA)/CEA/CNRS, Grenoble France.
| | - Amaris Guevara-Garcia
- CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016 Grenoble, France; CEA, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research of Grenoble (IRIG), Biomimetism and Regenerative Medicine Lab, ERL 5000, Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA)/CEA/CNRS, Grenoble France; Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut for Advances Biosciences, Institute Albert Bonniot, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, La Tronche, France
| | - Corinne Albiges-Rizo
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut for Advances Biosciences, Institute Albert Bonniot, INSERM U1209, CNRS 5309, La Tronche, France
| | - Catherine Picart
- CNRS, Grenoble Institute of Technology, LMGP, UMR 5628, 3 Parvis Louis Néel, 38016 Grenoble, France; CEA, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research of Grenoble (IRIG), Biomimetism and Regenerative Medicine Lab, ERL 5000, Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA)/CEA/CNRS, Grenoble France.
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33
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Abstract
Gene regulatory networks and tissue morphogenetic events drive the emergence of shape and function: the pillars of embryo development. Although model systems offer a window into the molecular biology of cell fate and tissue shape, mechanistic studies of our own development have so far been technically and ethically challenging. However, recent technical developments provide the tools to describe, manipulate and mimic human embryos in a dish, thus opening a new avenue to exploring human development. Here, I discuss the evidence that supports a role for the crosstalk between cell fate and tissue shape during early human embryogenesis. This is a critical developmental period, when the body plan is laid out and many pregnancies fail. Dissecting the basic mechanisms that coordinate cell fate and tissue shape will generate an integrated understanding of early embryogenesis and new strategies for therapeutic intervention in early pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta N Shahbazi
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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34
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Camacho-Aguilar E, Warmflash A. Insights into mammalian morphogen dynamics from embryonic stem cell systems. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 137:279-305. [PMID: 32143746 PMCID: PMC7713707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Morphogens play an essential role in cell fate specification and patterning including in laying out the mammalian body plan during gastrulation. In vivo studies have shed light on the signaling pathways involved in this process and the phenotypes associated with their disruption, however, several important open questions remain regarding how morphogens function in space and time. Self-organized patterning systems based on embryonic stem cells have emerged as a powerful platform for beginning to address these questions that is complementary to in vivo approaches. Here we review recent progress in understanding morphogen signaling dynamics and patterning in early mammalian development by taking advantage of cutting-edge embryonic stem cell technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.
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35
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Gu Z, Guo J, Wang H, Wen Y, Gu Q. Bioengineered microenvironment to culture early embryos. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12754. [PMID: 31916359 PMCID: PMC7046478 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The abnormalities of early post-implantation embryos can lead to early pregnancy loss and many other syndromes. However, it is hard to study embryos after implantation due to the limited accessibility. The success of embryo culture in vitro can avoid the challenges of embryonic development in vivo and provide a powerful research platform for research in developmental biology. The biophysical and chemical cues of the microenvironments impart significant spatiotemporal effects on embryonic development. Here, we summarize the main strategies which enable researchers to grow embryos outside of the body while overcoming the implantation barrier, highlight the roles of engineered microenvironments in regulating early embryonic development, and finally discuss the future challenges and new insights of early embryo culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Gu
- School of Chemistry and Biological EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijingChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio‐inspired Materials and Interfacial ScienceTechnical Institute of Physics and ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jia Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yongqiang Wen
- School of Chemistry and Biological EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijingChina
| | - Qi Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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36
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Morgani SM, Hadjantonakis AK. Signaling regulation during gastrulation: Insights from mouse embryos and in vitro systems. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 137:391-431. [PMID: 32143751 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is the process whereby cells exit pluripotency and concomitantly acquire and pattern distinct cell fates. This is driven by the convergence of WNT, BMP, Nodal and FGF signals, which are tightly spatially and temporally controlled, resulting in regional and stage-specific signaling environments. The combination, level and duration of signals that a cell is exposed to, according its position within the embryo and the developmental time window, dictates the fate it will adopt. The key pathways driving gastrulation exhibit complex interactions, which are difficult to disentangle in vivo due to the complexity of manipulating multiple signals in parallel with high spatiotemporal resolution. Thus, our current understanding of the signaling dynamics regulating gastrulation is limited. In vitro stem cell models have been established, which undergo organized cellular differentiation and patterning. These provide amenable, simplified, deconstructed and scalable models of gastrulation. While the foundation of our understanding of gastrulation stems from experiments in embryos, in vitro systems are now beginning to reveal the intricate details of signaling regulation. Here we discuss the current state of knowledge of the role, regulation and dynamic interaction of signaling pathways that drive mouse gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Morgani
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
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37
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Srivastava P, Kilian KA. Micro-Engineered Models of Development Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:357. [PMID: 31850326 PMCID: PMC6895561 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
During fetal development, embryonic cells are coaxed through a series of lineage choices which lead to the formation of the three germ layers and subsequently to all the cell types that are required to form an adult human body. Landmark cell fate decisions leading to symmetry breaking, establishment of the primitive streak and first tri-lineage differentiation happen after implantation, and therefore have been attributed to be a function of the embryo's spatiotemporal 3D environment. These mechanical and geometric cues induce a cascade of signaling pathways leading to cell differentiation and orientation. Due to the physiological, ethical, and legal limitations of accessing an intact human embryo for functional studies, multiple in-vitro models have been developed to try and recapitulate the key milestones of mammalian embryogenesis using mouse embryos, or mouse and human embryonic stem cells. More recently, the development of induced pluripotent stem cells represents a cell source which is being explored to prepare a developmental model, owing to their genetic and functional similarities to embryonic stem cells. Here we review the use of micro-engineered cell culture materials as platforms to define the physical and geometric contributions during the cell fate defining process and to study the underlying pathways. This information has applications in various biomedical contexts including tissue engineering, stem cell therapy, and organoid cultures for disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Srivastava
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristopher A. Kilian
- Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, School of Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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38
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Argentati C, Morena F, Tortorella I, Bazzucchi M, Porcellati S, Emiliani C, Martino S. Insight into Mechanobiology: How Stem Cells Feel Mechanical Forces and Orchestrate Biological Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5337. [PMID: 31717803 PMCID: PMC6862138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cross-talk between stem cells and their microenvironment has been shown to have a direct impact on stem cells' decisions about proliferation, growth, migration, and differentiation. It is well known that stem cells, tissues, organs, and whole organisms change their internal architecture and composition in response to external physical stimuli, thanks to cells' ability to sense mechanical signals and elicit selected biological functions. Likewise, stem cells play an active role in governing the composition and the architecture of their microenvironment. Is now being documented that, thanks to this dynamic relationship, stemness identity and stem cell functions are maintained. In this work, we review the current knowledge in mechanobiology on stem cells. We start with the description of theoretical basis of mechanobiology, continue with the effects of mechanical cues on stem cells, development, pathology, and regenerative medicine, and emphasize the contribution in the field of the development of ex-vivo mechanobiology modelling and computational tools, which allow for evaluating the role of forces on stem cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Argentati
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
| | - Francesco Morena
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
| | - Ilaria Tortorella
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
| | - Martina Bazzucchi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
| | - Serena Porcellati
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
| | - Carla Emiliani
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
- CEMIN, Center of Excellence on Nanostructured Innovative Materials, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Sabata Martino
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (F.M.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (S.P.); (C.E.)
- CEMIN, Center of Excellence on Nanostructured Innovative Materials, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy
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