1
|
Xu W, Liu J, Qi H, Si R, Zhao Z, Tao Z, Bai Y, Hu S, Sun X, Cong Y, Zhang H, Fan D, Xiao L, Wang Y, Li Y, Du Z. A lineage-resolved cartography of microRNA promoter activity in C. elegans empowers multidimensional developmental analysis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2783. [PMID: 38555276 PMCID: PMC10981687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47055-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the expression of microRNAs in developing single cells is critical for functional discovery. Here, we construct scCAMERA (single-cell cartography of microRNA expression based on reporter assay), utilizing promoter-driven fluorescent reporters in conjunction with imaging and lineage tracing. The cartography delineates the transcriptional activity of 54 conserved microRNAs in lineage-resolved single cells throughout C. elegans embryogenesis. The combinatorial expression of microRNAs partitions cells into fine clusters reflecting their function and anatomy. Notably, the expression of individual microRNAs exhibits high cell specificity and divergence among family members. Guided by cellular expression patterns, we identify developmental functions of specific microRNAs, including miR-1 in pharynx development and physiology, miR-232 in excretory canal morphogenesis by repressing NHR-25/NR5A, and a functional synergy between miR-232 and miR-234 in canal development, demonstrating the broad utility of scCAMERA. Furthermore, integrative analysis reveals that tissue-specific fate determinants activate microRNAs to repress protein production from leaky transcripts associated with alternative, especially neuronal, fates, thereby enhancing the fidelity of developmental fate differentiation. Collectively, our study offers rich opportunities for multidimensional expression-informed analysis of microRNA biology in metazoans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weina Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruolin Si
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiju Tao
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuchuan Bai
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shipeng Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haoye Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Duchangjiang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Long Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongbin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhuo Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fan D, Cong Y, Liu J, Zhang H, Du Z. Spatiotemporal analysis of mRNA-protein relationships enhances transcriptome-based developmental inference. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113928. [PMID: 38461413 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the complex relationships between mRNA and protein expression at high spatiotemporal resolution is critical for unraveling multilevel gene regulation and enhancing mRNA-based developmental analyses. In this study, we conduct a single-cell analysis of mRNA and protein expression of transcription factors throughout C. elegans embryogenesis. Initially, cellular co-presence of mRNA and protein is low, increasing to a medium-high level (73%) upon factoring in delayed protein synthesis and long-term protein persistence. These factors substantially affect mRNA-protein concordance, leading to potential inaccuracies in mRNA-reliant gene detection and specificity characterization. Building on the learned relationship, we infer protein presence from mRNA expression and demonstrate its utility in identifying tissue-specific genes and elucidating relationships between genes and cells. This approach facilitates identifying the role of sptf-1/SP7 in neuronal lineage development. Collectively, this study provides insights into gene expression dynamics during rapid embryogenesis and approaches for improving the efficacy of transcriptome-based developmental analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duchangjiang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yulin Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haoye Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhuo Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Waliman M, Johnson RL, Natesan G, Tan S, Santella A, Hong RL, Shah PK. Automated Cell Lineage Reconstruction using Label-Free 4D Microscopy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.20.576449. [PMID: 38328064 PMCID: PMC10849476 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.20.576449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Here we describe embGAN, a deep learning pipeline that addresses the challenge of automated cell detection and tracking in label-free 3D time lapse imaging. embGAN requires no manual data annotation for training, learns robust detections that exhibits a high degree of scale invariance and generalizes well to images acquired in multiple labs on multiple instruments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Waliman
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan L Johnson
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United State of America
| | - Gunalan Natesan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United State of America
| | - Shiqin Tan
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony Santella
- Molecular Cytology Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ray L Hong
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California, United States of America
| | - Pavak K Shah
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United State of America
- Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu L, Chen A, Salama P, Winfree S, Dunn KW, Delp EJ. NISNet3D: three-dimensional nuclear synthesis and instance segmentation for fluorescence microscopy images. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9533. [PMID: 37308499 PMCID: PMC10261124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36243-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary step in tissue cytometry is the automated distinction of individual cells (segmentation). Since cell borders are seldom labeled, cells are generally segmented by their nuclei. While tools have been developed for segmenting nuclei in two dimensions, segmentation of nuclei in three-dimensional volumes remains a challenging task. The lack of effective methods for three-dimensional segmentation represents a bottleneck in the realization of the potential of tissue cytometry, particularly as methods of tissue clearing present the opportunity to characterize entire organs. Methods based on deep learning have shown enormous promise, but their implementation is hampered by the need for large amounts of manually annotated training data. In this paper, we describe 3D Nuclei Instance Segmentation Network (NISNet3D) that directly segments 3D volumes through the use of a modified 3D U-Net, 3D marker-controlled watershed transform, and a nuclei instance segmentation system for separating touching nuclei. NISNet3D is unique in that it provides accurate segmentation of even challenging image volumes using a network trained on large amounts of synthetic nuclei derived from relatively few annotated volumes, or on synthetic data obtained without annotated volumes. We present a quantitative comparison of results obtained from NISNet3D with results obtained from a variety of existing nuclei segmentation techniques. We also examine the performance of the methods when no ground truth is available and only synthetic volumes were used for training.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liming Wu
- Video and Image Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Alain Chen
- Video and Image Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Paul Salama
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Seth Winfree
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Kenneth W Dunn
- School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Edward J Delp
- Video and Image Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rumley JD, Preston EA, Cook D, Peng FL, Zacharias AL, Wu L, Jileaeva I, Murray JI. pop-1/TCF, ref-2/ZIC and T-box factors regulate the development of anterior cells in the C. elegans embryo. Dev Biol 2022; 489:34-46. [PMID: 35660370 PMCID: PMC9378603 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Patterning of the anterior-posterior axis is fundamental to animal development. The Wnt pathway plays a major role in this process by activating the expression of posterior genes in animals from worms to humans. This observation raises the question of whether the Wnt pathway or other regulators control the expression of the many anterior-expressed genes. We found that the expression of five anterior-specific genes in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos depends on the Wnt pathway effectors pop-1/TCF and sys-1/β-catenin. We focused further on one of these anterior genes, ref-2/ZIC, a conserved transcription factor expressed in multiple anterior lineages. Live imaging of ref-2 mutant embryos identified defects in cell division timing and position in anterior lineages. Cis-regulatory dissection identified three ref-2 transcriptional enhancers, one of which is necessary and sufficient for anterior-specific expression. This enhancer is activated by the T-box transcription factors TBX-37 and TBX-38, and surprisingly, concatemerized TBX-37/38 binding sites are sufficient to drive anterior-biased expression alone, despite the broad expression of TBX-37 and TBX-38. Taken together, our results highlight the diverse mechanisms used to regulate anterior expression patterns in the embryo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Rumley
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elicia A Preston
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Dylan Cook
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Felicia L Peng
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amanda L Zacharias
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Lucy Wu
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ilona Jileaeva
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Guan G, Zhao Z, Tang C. Delineating the mechanisms and design principles of Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis using in toto high-resolution imaging data and computational modeling. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5500-5515. [PMID: 36284714 PMCID: PMC9562942 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.024] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode (roundworm) Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most popular animal models for the study of developmental biology, as its invariant development and transparent body enable in toto cellular-resolution fluorescence microscopy imaging of developmental processes at 1-min intervals. This has led to the development of various computational tools for the systematic and automated analysis of imaging data to delineate the molecular and cellular processes throughout the embryogenesis of C. elegans, such as those associated with cell lineage, cell migration, cell morphology, and gene activity. In this review, we first introduce C. elegans embryogenesis and the development of techniques for tracking cell lineage and reconstructing cell morphology during this process. We then contrast the developmental modes of C. elegans and the customized technologies used for studying them with the ones of other animal models, highlighting its advantage for studying embryogenesis with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution. This is followed by an examination of the physical models that have been devised-based on accurate determinations of developmental processes afforded by analyses of imaging data-to interpret the early embryonic development of C. elegans from subcellular to intercellular levels of multiple cells, which focus on two key processes: cell polarization and morphogenesis. We subsequently discuss how quantitative data-based theoretical modeling has improved our understanding of the mechanisms of C. elegans embryogenesis. We conclude by summarizing the challenges associated with the acquisition of C. elegans embryogenesis data, the construction of algorithms to analyze them, and the theoretical interpretation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoye Guan
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking–Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Xiao L, Fan D, Qi H, Cong Y, Du Z. Defect-buffering cellular plasticity increases robustness of metazoan embryogenesis. Cell Syst 2022; 13:615-630.e9. [PMID: 35882226 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Developmental processes are intrinsically robust so as to preserve a normal-like state in response to genetic and environmental fluctuations. However, the robustness and potential phenotypic plasticity of individual developing cells under genetic perturbations remain to be systematically evaluated. Using large-scale gene perturbation, live imaging, lineage tracing, and single-cell phenomics, we quantified the phenotypic landscape of C. elegans embryogenesis in >2,000 embryos following individual knockdown of over 750 conserved genes. We observed that cellular genetic systems are not sufficiently robust to single-gene perturbations across all cells; rather, gene knockdowns frequently induced cellular defects. Dynamic phenotypic analyses revealed many cellular defects to be transient, with cells exhibiting phenotypic plasticity that serves to alleviate, correct, and accommodate the defects. Moreover, potential developmentally related cell modules may buffer the phenotypic effects of individual cell position changes. Our findings reveal non-negligible contributions of cellular plasticity and multicellularity as compensatory strategies to increase developmental robustness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Long Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Duchangjiang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yulin Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhuo Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang Z, Xu Y, Wang D, Yang J, Bao Z. Hierarchical deep reinforcement learning reveals a modular mechanism of cell movement. NAT MACH INTELL 2022; 4:73-83. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-021-00431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
9
|
Mizeracka K, Rogers JM, Rumley JD, Shaham S, Bulyk ML, Murray JI, Heiman MG. Lineage-specific control of convergent differentiation by a Forkhead repressor. Development 2021; 148:272306. [PMID: 34423346 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199493] [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: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During convergent differentiation, multiple developmental lineages produce a highly similar or identical cell type. However, few molecular players that drive convergent differentiation are known. Here, we show that the C. elegans Forkhead transcription factor UNC-130 is required in only one of three convergent lineages that produce the same glial cell type. UNC-130 acts transiently as a repressor in progenitors and newly-born terminal cells to allow the proper specification of cells related by lineage rather than by cell type or function. Specification defects correlate with UNC-130:DNA binding, and UNC-130 can be functionally replaced by its human homolog, the neural crest lineage determinant FoxD3. We propose that, in contrast to terminal selectors that activate cell type-specific transcriptional programs in terminally differentiating cells, UNC-130 acts early and specifically in one convergent lineage to produce a cell type that also arises from molecularly distinct progenitors in other lineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Mizeracka
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julia M Rogers
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Committee on Higher Degrees in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jonathan D Rumley
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Martha L Bulyk
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Committee on Higher Degrees in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John I Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Maxwell G Heiman
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
A 4D single-cell protein atlas of transcription factors delineates spatiotemporal patterning during embryogenesis. Nat Methods 2021; 18:893-902. [PMID: 34312566 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01216-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Complex biological processes such as embryogenesis require precise coordination of cell differentiation programs across both space and time. Using protein-fusion fluorescent reporters and four-dimensional live imaging, we present a protein expression atlas of transcription factors (TFs) mapped onto developmental cell lineages during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, at single-cell resolution. This atlas reveals a spatiotemporal combinatorial code of TF expression, and a cascade of lineage-specific, tissue-specific and time-specific TFs that specify developmental states. The atlas uncovers regulators of embryogenesis, including an unexpected role of a skin specifier in neurogenesis and the critical function of an uncharacterized TF in convergent muscle differentiation. At the systems level, the atlas provides an opportunity to model cell state-fate relationships, revealing a lineage-dependent state diversity within functionally related cells and a winding trajectory of developmental state progression. Collectively, this single-cell protein atlas represents a valuable resource for elucidating metazoan embryogenesis at the molecular and systems levels.
Collapse
|
11
|
Wu TC, Wang X, Li L, Bu Y, Umulis DM. Automatic wavelet-based 3D nuclei segmentation and analysis for multicellular embryo quantification. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9847. [PMID: 33972575 PMCID: PMC8110989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88966-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of individual cells in tissues, organs, and in various developing systems is a well-studied problem because it is an essential part of objectively analyzing quantitative images in numerous biological contexts. We developed a size-dependent wavelet-based segmentation method that provides robust segmentation without any preprocessing, filtering or fine-tuning steps, and is robust to the signal-to-noise ratio. The wavelet-based method achieves robust segmentation results with respect to True Positive rate, Precision, and segmentation accuracy compared with other commonly used methods. We applied the segmentation program to zebrafish embryonic development IN TOTO for nuclei segmentation, image registration, and nuclei shape analysis. These new approaches to segmentation provide a means to carry out quantitative patterning analysis with single-cell precision throughout three dimensional tissues and embryos and they have a high tolerance for non-uniform and noisy image data sets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ching Wu
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Xu Wang
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA ,grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA ,grid.508040.9Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510005 China
| | - Linlin Li
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Ye Bu
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - David M. Umulis
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA ,grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jud MC, Lowry J, Padilla T, Clifford E, Yang Y, Fennell F, Miller AK, Hamill D, Harvey AM, Avila-Zavala M, Shao H, Nguyen Tran N, Bao Z, Bowerman B. A genetic screen for temperature-sensitive morphogenesis-defective Caenorhabditis elegans mutants. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6169531. [PMID: 33713117 PMCID: PMC8133775 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Morphogenesis involves coordinated cell migrations and cell shape changes that generate tissues and organs, and organize the body plan. Cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton are important for executing morphogenesis, but their regulation remains poorly understood. As genes required for embryonic morphogenesis may have earlier roles in development, temperature-sensitive embryonic-lethal mutations are useful tools for investigating this process. From a collection of ∼200 such Caenorhabditis elegans mutants, we have identified 17 that have highly penetrant embryonic morphogenesis defects after upshifts from the permissive to the restrictive temperature, just prior to the cell shape changes that mediate elongation of the ovoid embryo into a vermiform larva. Using whole genome sequencing, we identified the causal mutations in seven affected genes. These include three genes that have roles in producing the extracellular matrix, which is known to affect the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues in multicellular organisms: the rib-1 and rib-2 genes encode glycosyltransferases, and the emb-9 gene encodes a collagen subunit. We also used live imaging to characterize epidermal cell shape dynamics in one mutant, or1219ts, and observed cell elongation defects during dorsal intercalation and ventral enclosure that may be responsible for the body elongation defects. These results indicate that our screen has identified factors that influence morphogenesis and provides a platform for advancing our understanding of this fundamental biological process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Jud
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Josh Lowry
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Thalia Padilla
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Erin Clifford
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Yuqi Yang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Francesca Fennell
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Alexander K Miller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Danielle Hamill
- Department of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Austin M Harvey
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Martha Avila-Zavala
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| | - Hong Shao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nhan Nguyen Tran
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Bruce Bowerman
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97402, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhao Z, Fan R, Xu W, Kou Y, Wang Y, Ma X, Du Z. Single-cell dynamics of chromatin activity during cell lineage differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e10075. [PMID: 33900055 PMCID: PMC8073016 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the chromatin dynamics that orchestrate embryogenesis is a fundamental question in developmental biology. Here, we exploit position effects on expression as an indicator of chromatin activity and infer the chromatin activity landscape in every lineaged cell during Caenorhabditis elegans early embryogenesis. Systems-level analyses reveal that chromatin activity distinguishes cellular states and correlates with fate patterning in the early embryos. As cell lineage unfolds, chromatin activity diversifies in a lineage-dependent manner, with switch-like changes accompanying anterior-posterior fate asymmetry and characteristic landscapes being established in different cell lineages. Upon tissue differentiation, cellular chromatin from distinct lineages converges according to tissue types but retains stable memories of lineage history, contributing to intra-tissue cell heterogeneity. However, the chromatin landscapes of cells organized in a left-right symmetric pattern are predetermined to be analogous in early progenitors so as to pre-set equivalent states. Finally, genome-wide analysis identifies many regions exhibiting concordant chromatin activity changes that mediate the co-regulation of functionally related genes during differentiation. Collectively, our study reveals the developmental and genomic dynamics of chromatin activity at the single-cell level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Rong Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Weina Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yahui Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yangyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xuehua Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhuo Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Barnes KM, Fan L, Moyle MW, Brittin CA, Xu Y, Colón-Ramos DA, Santella A, Bao Z. Cadherin preserves cohesion across involuting tissues during C. elegans neurulation. eLife 2020; 9:e58626. [PMID: 33030428 PMCID: PMC7544503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58626] [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: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The internalization of the central nervous system, termed neurulation in vertebrates, is a critical step in embryogenesis. Open questions remain regarding how force propels coordinated tissue movement during the process, and little is known as to how internalization happens in invertebrates. We show that in C. elegans morphogenesis, apical constriction in the retracting pharynx drives involution of the adjacent neuroectoderm. HMR-1/cadherin mediates this process via inter-tissue attachment, as well as cohesion within the neuroectoderm. Our results demonstrate that HMR-1 is capable of mediating embryo-wide reorganization driven by a centrally located force generator, and indicate a non-canonical use of cadherin on the basal side of an epithelium that may apply to vertebrate neurulation. Additionally, we highlight shared morphology and gene expression in tissues driving involution, which suggests that neuroectoderm involution in C. elegans is potentially homologous with vertebrate neurulation and thus may help elucidate the evolutionary origin of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher M Barnes
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Li Fan
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Mark W Moyle
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | - Christopher A Brittin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Yichi Xu
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Daniel A Colón-Ramos
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Puerto RicoSan JuanUnited States
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Molecular Cytology Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li X, Zhao Z, Xu W, Fan R, Xiao L, Ma X, Du Z. Systems Properties and Spatiotemporal Regulation of Cell Position Variability during Embryogenesis. Cell Rep 2020; 26:313-321.e7. [PMID: 30625313 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An intriguing question in developmental biology is how do developmental processes achieve high reproducibility among individuals? An in-depth analysis of information contained in phenotypic variability provides an important perspective to address this question. In this work, we present a quantitative and functional analysis of cell position variability during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis. We find that cell position variability is highly deterministic and regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Positional variability is determined by cell lineage identity and is coupled to diverse developmental properties of cells, including embryonic localization, cell contact, and left-right symmetry. Temporal dynamics of cell position variability are highly concordant, and fate specification contributes to a systems-wide reduction of variability that could provide a buffering strategy. Positional variability is stringently regulated throughout embryogenesis and cell-cell junctions function to restrict variability. Our results provide insight into systems properties and spatiotemporal control of cellular variability during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weina Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rong Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Long Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuehua Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhuo Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Niwayama R, Moghe P, Liu YJ, Fabrèges D, Buchholz F, Piel M, Hiiragi T. A Tug-of-War between Cell Shape and Polarity Controls Division Orientation to Ensure Robust Patterning in the Mouse Blastocyst. Dev Cell 2019; 51:564-574.e6. [PMID: 31735668 PMCID: PMC6892278 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Oriented cell division patterns tissues by modulating cell position and fate. While cell geometry, junctions, cortical tension, and polarity are known to control division orientation, relatively little is known about how these are coordinated to ensure robust patterning. Here, we systematically characterize cell division, volume, and shape changes during mouse pre-implantation development by in toto live imaging. The analysis leads us to a model in which the apical domain competes with cell shape to determine division orientation. Two key predictions of the model are verified experimentally: when outside cells of the 16-cell embryo are released from cell shape asymmetry, the axis of division is guided by the apical domain. Conversely, orientation cues from the apical domain can be overcome by applied shape asymmetry in the 8-cell embryo. We propose that such interplay between cell shape and polarity in controlling division orientation ensures robust patterning of the blastocyst and possibly other tissues. Cell division, volume, and shape changes are characterized by in toto embryo imaging Cell shape and the apical domain compete to determine division orientation Two key predictions of the model are verified experimentally The tug-of-war mechanism ensures robust cell allocation and patterning
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ritsuya Niwayama
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Prachiti Moghe
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yan-Jun Liu
- UMR 144 Institut Curie, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes for Microfluidics, Paris, France
| | - Dimitri Fabrèges
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Buchholz
- Medical Systems Biology, UCC, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthieu Piel
- UMR 144 Institut Curie, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes for Microfluidics, Paris, France
| | - Takashi Hiiragi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany; Institute for Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Patel DS, Xu N, Lu H. Digging deeper: methodologies for high-content phenotyping in Caenorhabditis elegans. Lab Anim (NY) 2019; 48:207-216. [PMID: 31217565 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-019-0326-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Deep phenotyping is an emerging conceptual paradigm and experimental approach aimed at measuring and linking many aspects of a phenotype to understand its underlying biology. To date, deep phenotyping has been applied mostly in cultured cells and used less in multicellular organisms. However, in the past decade, it has increasingly been recognized that deep phenotyping could lead to a better understanding of how genetics, environment and stochasticity affect the development, physiology and behavior of an organism. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an invaluable model system for studying how genes affect a phenotypic trait, and new technologies have taken advantage of the worm's physical attributes to increase the throughput and informational content of experiments. Coupling of these technical advancements with computational and analytical tools has enabled a boom in deep-phenotyping studies of C. elegans. In this Review, we highlight how these new technologies and tools are digging into the biological origins of complex, multidimensional phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dhaval S Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nan Xu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Duncan LH, Moyle MW, Shao L, Sengupta T, Ikegami R, Kumar A, Guo M, Christensen R, Santella A, Bao Z, Shroff H, Mohler W, Colón-Ramos DA. Isotropic Light-Sheet Microscopy and Automated Cell Lineage Analyses to Catalogue Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis with Subcellular Resolution. J Vis Exp 2019. [PMID: 31233035 DOI: 10.3791/59533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) stands out as the only organism in which the challenge of understanding the cellular origins of an entire nervous system can be observed, with single cell resolution, in vivo. Here, we present an integrated protocol for the examination of neurodevelopment in C. elegans embryos. Our protocol combines imaging, lineaging and neuroanatomical tracing of single cells in developing embryos. We achieve long-term, four-dimensional (4D) imaging of living C. elegans embryos with nearly isotropic spatial resolution through the use of Dual-view Inverted Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (diSPIM). Nuclei and neuronal structures in the nematode embryos are imaged and isotropically fused to yield images with resolution of ~330 nm in all three dimensions. These minute-by-minute high-resolution 4D data sets are then analyzed to correlate definitive cell-lineage identities with gene expression and morphological dynamics at single-cell and subcellular levels of detail. Our protocol is structured to enable modular implementation of each of the described steps and enhance studies on embryogenesis, gene expression, or neurodevelopment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leighton H Duncan
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Mark W Moyle
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Lin Shao
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Titas Sengupta
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Richard Ikegami
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Min Guo
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Ryan Christensen
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute; WormGUIDES.org
| | - Hari Shroff
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health; WormGUIDES.org
| | - William Mohler
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences and Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut Health Center; WormGUIDES.org;
| | - Daniel A Colón-Ramos
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine; WormGUIDES.org; Instituto de Neurobiología, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Puerto Rico;
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wang S, Ochoa SD, Khaliullin RN, Gerson-Gurwitz A, Hendel JM, Zhao Z, Biggs R, Chisholm AD, Desai A, Oegema K, Green RA. A high-content imaging approach to profile C. elegans embryonic development. Development 2019; 146:dev174029. [PMID: 30890570 PMCID: PMC6467471 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is an important model for analyzing mechanisms of cell fate specification and tissue morphogenesis. Sophisticated lineage-tracing approaches for analyzing embryogenesis have been developed but are labor intensive and do not naturally integrate morphogenetic readouts. To enable the rapid classification of developmental phenotypes, we developed a high-content method that employs two custom strains: a Germ Layer strain that expresses nuclear markers in the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm/pharynx; and a Morphogenesis strain that expresses markers labeling epidermal cell junctions and the neuronal cell surface. We describe a procedure that allows simultaneous live imaging of development in 80-100 embryos and provide a custom program that generates cropped, oriented image stacks of individual embryos to facilitate analysis. We demonstrate the utility of our method by perturbing 40 previously characterized developmental genes in variants of the two strains containing RNAi-sensitizing mutations. The resulting datasets yielded distinct, reproducible signature phenotypes for a broad spectrum of genes that are involved in cell fate specification and morphogenesis. In addition, our analysis provides new in vivo evidence for MBK-2 function in mesoderm fate specification and LET-381 function in elongation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaohe Wang
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stacy D Ochoa
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Renat N Khaliullin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adina Gerson-Gurwitz
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Hendel
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhiling Zhao
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ronald Biggs
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Andrew D Chisholm
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Arshad Desai
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karen Oegema
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rebecca A Green
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Fan L, Kovacevic I, Heiman MG, Bao Z. A multicellular rosette-mediated collective dendrite extension. eLife 2019; 8:38065. [PMID: 30767892 PMCID: PMC6400498 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordination of neurite morphogenesis with surrounding tissues is crucial to the establishment of neural circuits, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We show that neurons in a C. elegans sensory organ, called the amphid, undergo a collective dendrite extension to form the sensory nerve. The amphid neurons first assemble into a multicellular rosette. The vertex of the rosette, which becomes the dendrite tips, is attached to the anteriorly migrating epidermis and carried to the sensory depression, extruding the dendrites away from the neuronal cell bodies. Multiple adhesion molecules including DYF-7, SAX-7, HMR-1 and DLG-1 function redundantly in rosette-to-epidermis attachment. PAR-6 is localized to the rosette vertex and dendrite tips, and promotes DYF-7 localization and dendrite extension. Our results suggest a collective mechanism of neurite extension that is distinct from the classical pioneer-follower model and highlight the role of mechanical cues from surrounding tissues in shaping neurites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Fan
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Ismar Kovacevic
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Maxwell G Heiman
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Nasser L, Coquet P, Boudier T. NucleiNet: A convolutional encoder-decoder network for bio-image denoising. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2018; 2017:1986-1989. [PMID: 29060284 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2017.8037240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Generic and scalable data analysis procedures are highly demanded by the increasing number of multi-dimensional biomedical data. However, especially for time-lapse biological data, the high level of noise prevents for automated high-throughput analysis methods. The rapid developing of machine-learning methods and particularly deep-learning methods provide new tools and methodologies that can help in the denoising of such data. Using a convolutional encoder-decoder network, one can provide a scalable bio-image platform, called NucleiNet, to automatically segment, classify and track cell nuclei. The proposed method can achieve 0.99 F-score and 0.99 pixel-wise accuracy on C. elegans dataset, which means that over 99% of nuclei can be successfully detected with no merging nuclei found.
Collapse
|
22
|
Murray JI. Systems biology of embryonic development: Prospects for a complete understanding of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e314. [PMID: 29369536 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The convergence of developmental biology and modern genomics tools brings the potential for a comprehensive understanding of developmental systems. This is especially true for the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo because its small size, invariant developmental lineage, and powerful genetic and genomic tools provide the prospect of a cellular resolution understanding of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and regulation across the organism. We describe here how a systems biology framework might allow large-scale determination of the embryonic regulatory relationships encoded in the C. elegans genome. This framework consists of two broad steps: (a) defining the "parts list"-all genes expressed in all cells at each time during development and (b) iterative steps of computational modeling and refinement of these models by experimental perturbation. Substantial progress has been made towards defining the parts list through imaging methods such as large-scale green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter analysis. Imaging results are now being augmented by high-resolution transcriptome methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing, and it is likely the complete expression patterns of all genes across the embryo will be known within the next few years. In contrast, the modeling and perturbation experiments performed so far have focused largely on individual cell types or genes, and improved methods will be needed to expand them to the full genome and organism. This emerging comprehensive map of embryonic expression and regulatory function will provide a powerful resource for developmental biologists, and would also allow scientists to ask questions not accessible without a comprehensive picture. This article is categorized under: Invertebrate Organogenesis > Worms Technologies > Analysis of the Transcriptome Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wang D, Wang Z, Zhao X, Xu Y, Bao Z. An Observation Data Driven Simulation and Analysis Framework for Early Stage <i>C. elegans</i> Embryogenesis. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2018; 11:225-234. [PMID: 35574576 PMCID: PMC9097948 DOI: 10.4236/jbise.2018.118018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments in cutting-edge live microscopy and image analysis provide a unique opportunity to systematically investigate individual cell’s dynamics as well as simulation-based hypothesis testing. After a summary of data generation and analysis in the observation and modeling efforts related to C. elegans embryogenesis, we develop a systematic approach to model the basic behaviors of individual cells. Next, we present our ideas to model cell fate, division, and movement using 3D time-lapse images within an agent-based modeling framework. Then, we summarize preliminary result and discuss efforts in cell fate, division, and movement modeling. Finally, we discuss the ongoing efforts and future directions for C. elegans embryo modeling, including an inferred developmental landscape for cell fate, a quasi-equilibrium model for cell division, and multi-agent, deep reinforcement learning for cell movement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dali Wang
- Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 37996, USA
- Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Zi Wang
- Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 37996, USA
| | - Xiaopeng Zhao
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 37996, USA
| | - Yichi Xu
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYC, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Shah PK, Santella A, Jacobo A, Siletti K, Hudspeth AJ, Bao Z. An In Toto Approach to Dissecting Cellular Interactions in Complex Tissues. Dev Cell 2017; 43:530-540.e4. [PMID: 29161596 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell measurements have broadened our understanding of heterogeneity in biology, yet have been limited to mostly observational studies of normal or globally perturbed systems. Typically, perturbations are utilized in an open-ended approach wherein an endpoint is assayed during or after the biological event of interest. Here we describe ShootingStar, a platform for perturbation analysis in vivo, which combines live imaging, real-time image analysis, and automated optical perturbations. ShootingStar builds a quantitative record of the state of the sample being analyzed, which is used to automate the identification of target cells for perturbation, as well as to validate the impacts of the perturbation. We used ShootingStar to dissect the cellular basis of development, morphogenesis, and polarity in the lateral line of Danio rerio and the embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans. ShootingStar can be extended to diverse optical manipulations and enables more robust and informative single-cell perturbations in complex tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavak Kirit Shah
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Adrian Jacobo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Kimberly Siletti
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - A J Hudspeth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065 USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Comparative proteome analysis between C . briggsae embryos and larvae reveals a role of chromatin modification proteins in embryonic cell division. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4296. [PMID: 28655887 PMCID: PMC5487359 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04533-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis briggsae has emerged as a model for comparative biology against model organism C. elegans. Most of its cell fate specifications are completed during embryogenesis whereas its cell growth is achieved mainly in larval stages. The molecular mechanism underlying the drastic developmental changes is poorly understood. To gain insights into the molecular changes between the two stages, we compared the proteomes between the two stages using iTRAQ. We identified a total of 2,791 proteins in the C. briggsae embryos and larvae, 247 of which undergo up- or down-regulation between the two stages. The proteins that are upregulated in the larval stages are enriched in the Gene Ontology categories of energy production, protein translation, and cytoskeleton; whereas those upregulated in the embryonic stage are enriched in the categories of chromatin dynamics and posttranslational modification, suggesting a more active chromatin modification in the embryos than in the larva. Perturbation of a subset of chromatin modifiers followed by cell lineage analysis suggests their roles in controlling cell division pace. Taken together, we demonstrate a general molecular switch from chromatin modification to metabolism during the transition from C. briggsae embryonic to its larval stages using iTRAQ approach. The switch might be conserved across metazoans.
Collapse
|
26
|
Azuma Y, Onami S. Biologically constrained optimization based cell membrane segmentation in C. elegans embryos. BMC Bioinformatics 2017. [PMID: 28629355 PMCID: PMC5477254 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-017-1717-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in bioimaging and automated analysis methods have enabled the large-scale systematic analysis of cellular dynamics during the embryonic development of Caenorhabditis elegans. Most of these analyses have focused on cell lineage tracing rather than cell shape dynamics. Cell shape analysis requires cell membrane segmentation, which is challenging because of insufficient resolution and image quality. This problem is currently solved by complicated segmentation methods requiring laborious and time consuming parameter adjustments. RESULTS Our new framework BCOMS (Biologically Constrained Optimization based cell Membrane Segmentation) automates the extraction of the cell shape of C. elegans embryos. Both the segmentation and evaluation processes are automated. To automate the evaluation, we solve an optimization problem under biological constraints. The performance of BCOMS was validated against a manually created ground truth of the 24-cell stage embryo. The average deviation of 25 cell shape features was 5.6%. The deviation was mainly caused by membranes parallel to the focal planes, which either contact the surfaces of adjacent cells or make no contact with other cells. Because segmentation of these membranes was difficult even by manual inspection, the automated segmentation was sufficiently accurate for cell shape analysis. As the number of manually created ground truths is necessarily limited, we compared the segmentation results between two adjacent time points. Across all cells and all cell cycles, the average deviation of the 25 cell shape features was 4.3%, smaller than that between the automated segmentation result and ground truth. CONCLUSIONS BCOMS automated the accurate extraction of cell shapes in developing C. elegans embryos. By replacing image processing parameters with easily adjustable biological constraints, BCOMS provides a user-friendly framework. The framework is also applicable to other model organisms. Creating the biological constraints is a critical step requiring collaboration between an experimentalist and a software developer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Azuma
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shuichi Onami
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Farrell DL, Weitz O, Magnasco MO, Zallen JA. SEGGA: a toolset for rapid automated analysis of epithelial cell polarity and dynamics. Development 2017; 144:1725-1734. [PMID: 28465336 PMCID: PMC5450846 DOI: 10.1242/dev.146837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial remodeling determines the structure of many organs in the body through changes in cell shape, polarity and behavior and is a major area of study in developmental biology. Accurate and high-throughput methods are necessary to systematically analyze epithelial organization and dynamics at single-cell resolution. We developed SEGGA, an easy-to-use software for automated image segmentation, cell tracking and quantitative analysis of cell shape, polarity and behavior in epithelial tissues. SEGGA is free, open source, and provides a full suite of tools that allow users with no prior computational expertise to independently perform all steps of automated image segmentation, semi-automated user-guided error correction, and data analysis. Here we use SEGGA to analyze changes in cell shape, cell interactions and planar polarity during convergent extension in the Drosophila embryo. These studies demonstrate that planar polarity is rapidly established in a spatiotemporally regulated pattern that is dynamically remodeled in response to changes in cell orientation. These findings reveal an unexpected plasticity that maintains coordinated planar polarity in actively moving populations through the continual realignment of cell polarity with the tissue axes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dene L Farrell
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ori Weitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marcelo O Magnasco
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jennifer A Zallen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Miller MA, Weissleder R. Imaging the pharmacology of nanomaterials by intravital microscopy: Toward understanding their biological behavior. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2017; 113:61-86. [PMID: 27266447 PMCID: PMC5136524 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic nanoparticles (NPs) can deliver cytotoxic chemotherapeutics and other drugs more safely and efficiently to patients; furthermore, selective delivery to target tissues can theoretically be accomplished actively through coating NPs with molecular ligands, and passively through exploiting physiological "enhanced permeability and retention" features. However, clinical trial results have been mixed in showing improved efficacy with drug nanoencapsulation, largely due to heterogeneous NP accumulation at target sites across patients. Thus, a clear need exists to better understand why many NP strategies fail in vivo and not result in significantly improved tumor uptake or therapeutic response. Multicolor in vivo confocal fluorescence imaging (intravital microscopy; IVM) enables integrated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) measurement at the single-cell level, and has helped answer key questions regarding the biological mechanisms of in vivo NP behavior. This review summarizes progress to date and also describes useful technical strategies for successful IVM experimentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miles A Miller
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ralph Weissleder
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cho Y, Zhao CL, Lu H. Trends in high-throughput and functional neuroimaging in Caenorhabditis elegans. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 9. [PMID: 28221003 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model system for understanding the development and function of larger, more complex nervous systems. It is prized for its ease of handling, rapid life cycle, and stereotyped, well-cataloged development, with the development of all 302 neurons mapped all the way from zygote to adult. The combination of easy genetic manipulation and optical transparency of the worm allows for the direct imaging of its interior with fluorescent microscopy, without physically compromising the normal physiology of the animal itself. By expressing fluorescent markers, biologists study many developmental and cell biology questions in vivo; by expressing genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicators within neurons, it is also possible to monitor their dynamic activity, answering questions about the structure and function of neural microcircuitry in the worm. However, to successfully image the worm it is necessary to overcome a number of experimental challenges. It is necessary to hold worms within the field of view, collect images efficiently and rapidly, and robustly analyze the data obtained. In recent years, a trend has developed toward imaging a large number of worms or neurons simultaneously, directly exploiting the unique properties of C. elegans to acquire data on a scale, which is not possible in other organisms. Doing this has required the development of new experimental tools, techniques, and data analytic approaches, all of which come together to open new perspectives on the field of neurobiology in C. elegans, and neuroscience in general. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1376. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1376 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongmin Cho
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Charles L Zhao
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Singhal A, Shaham S. Infrared laser-induced gene expression for tracking development and function of single C. elegans embryonic neurons. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14100. [PMID: 28098184 PMCID: PMC5253673 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Visualizing neural-circuit assembly in vivo requires tracking growth of optically resolvable neurites. The Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic nervous system, comprising 222 neurons and 56 glia, is attractive for comprehensive studies of development; however, embryonic reporters are broadly expressed, making single-neurite tracking/manipulation challenging. We present a method, using an infrared laser, for reproducible heat-dependent gene expression in small sublineages (one to four cells) without radiation damage. We go beyond proof-of-principle, and use our system to label and track single neurons during early nervous-system assembly. We uncover a retrograde extension mechanism for axon growth, and reveal the aetiology of axon-guidance defects in sax-3/Robo and vab-1/EphR mutants. We also perform cell-specific rescues, determining DAF-6/patched-related site of action during sensory-organ development. Simultaneous ablation and labelling of cells using our system reveals roles for glia in dendrite extension. Our method can be applied to other optically/IR-transparent organisms, and opens the door to high-resolution systematic analyses of C. elegans morphogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anupriya Singhal
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhang Z, Lim YW, Zhao P, Kanchanawong P, Motegi F. ImaEdge: a platform for the quantitative analysis of cortical proteins spatiotemporal dynamics during cell polarization. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:4200-4212. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.206870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity involves the compartmentalization of the cell cortex. The establishment of cortical compartments arises from the spatial bias in the activity and concentration of cortical proteins. The mechanistic dissection of cell polarity requires the accurate detection of dynamic changes in cortical proteins, but the fluctuations of cell shape and the inhomogeneous distributions of cortical proteins greatly complicate the quantitative extraction of their global and local changes during cell polarization. To address these problems, we introduce an open-source software package, ImaEdge, which automates the segmentation of the cortex from time-lapse movies, and enables quantitative extraction of cortical protein intensities. We demonstrate that ImaEdge enables efficient and rigorous analysis of the dynamic evolution of cortical PAR proteins during C. elegans embryogenesis. It is also capable of accurate tracking of varying levels of transgene expression and discontinuous signals of the actomyosin cytoskeleton during multiple rounds of cell division. ImaEdge provides a unique resource for the quantitative studies of cortical polarization, with the potential for application to many types of polarized cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yen Wei Lim
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peng Zhao
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pakorn Kanchanawong
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fumio Motegi
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kumar A, Christensen R, Guo M, Chandris P, Duncan W, Wu Y, Santella A, Moyle M, Winter PW, Colón-Ramos D, Bao Z, Shroff H. Using Stage- and Slit-Scanning to Improve Contrast and Optical Sectioning in Dual-View Inverted Light Sheet Microscopy (diSPIM). THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2016; 231:26-39. [PMID: 27638693 PMCID: PMC5481201 DOI: 10.1086/689589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Dual-view inverted selective plane illumination microscopy (diSPIM) enables high-speed, long-term, four-dimensional (4D) imaging with isotropic spatial resolution. It is also compatible with conventional sample mounting on glass coverslips. However, broadening of the light sheet at distances far from the beam waist and sample-induced scattering degrades diSPIM contrast and optical sectioning. We describe two simple improvements that address both issues and entail no additional hardware modifications to the base diSPIM. First, we demonstrate improved diSPIM sectioning by keeping the light sheet and detection optics stationary, and scanning the sample through the stationary light sheet (rather than scanning the broadening light sheet and detection plane through the stationary sample, as in conventional diSPIM). This stage-scanning approach allows a thinner sheet to be used when imaging laterally extended samples, such as fixed microtubules or motile mitochondria in cell monolayers, and produces finer contrast than does conventional diSPIM. We also used stage-scanning diSPIM to obtain high-quality, 4D nuclear datasets derived from an uncompressed nematode embryo, and performed lineaging analysis to track 97% of cells until twitching. Second, we describe the improvement of contrast in thick, scattering specimens by synchronizing light-sheet synthesis with the rolling, electronic shutter of our scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (sCMOS) detector. This maneuver forms a virtual confocal slit in the detection path, partially removing out-of-focus light. We demonstrate the applicability of our combined stage- and slit-scanning- methods by imaging pollen grains and nuclear and neuronal structures in live nematode embryos. All acquisition and analysis code is freely available online.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Kumar
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710;
| | - Ryan Christensen
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - Min Guo
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - Panos Chandris
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - William Duncan
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - Yicong Wu
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065; and
| | - Mark Moyle
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Peter W Winter
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| | - Daniel Colón-Ramos
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065; and
| | - Hari Shroff
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Tohsato Y, Ho KHL, Kyoda K, Onami S. SSBD: a database of quantitative data of spatiotemporal dynamics of biological phenomena. Bioinformatics 2016; 32:3471-3479. [PMID: 27412095 PMCID: PMC5181557 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btw417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation: Rapid advances in live-cell imaging analysis and mathematical modeling have produced a large amount of quantitative data on spatiotemporal dynamics of biological objects ranging from molecules to organisms. There is now a crucial need to bring these large amounts of quantitative biological dynamics data together centrally in a coherent and systematic manner. This will facilitate the reuse of this data for further analysis. Results: We have developed the Systems Science of Biological Dynamics database (SSBD) to store and share quantitative biological dynamics data. SSBD currently provides 311 sets of quantitative data for single molecules, nuclei and whole organisms in a wide variety of model organisms from Escherichia coli to Mus musculus. The data are provided in Biological Dynamics Markup Language format and also through a REST API. In addition, SSBD provides 188 sets of time-lapse microscopy images from which the quantitative data were obtained and software tools for data visualization and analysis. Availability and Implementation: SSBD is accessible at http://ssbd.qbic.riken.jp. Contact:sonami@riken.jp
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukako Tohsato
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kenneth H L Ho
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Koji Kyoda
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shuichi Onami
- Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Liebesny PH, Byun S, Hung HH, Pancoast JR, Mroszczyk KA, Young WT, Lee RT, Frisbie DD, Kisiday JD, Grodzinsky AJ. Growth Factor-Mediated Migration of Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells for Accelerated Scaffold Recruitment. Tissue Eng Part A 2016; 22:917-27. [PMID: 27268956 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2015.0524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue engineering approaches using growth factor-functionalized acellular scaffolds to support and guide repair driven by endogenous cells are thought to require a careful balance between cell recruitment and growth factor release kinetics. The objective of this study was to identify a growth factor combination that accelerates progenitor cell migration into self-assembling peptide hydrogels in the context of cartilage defect repair. A novel 3D gel-to-gel migration assay enabled quantification of the chemotactic impact of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), heparin-binding insulin-like growth factor-1 (HB-IGF-1), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) on progenitor cells derived from subchondral bovine trabecular bone (bone-marrow progenitor cells, BM-PCs) encapsulated in the peptide hydrogel [KLDL]3. Only the combination of PDGF-BB and TGF-β1 stimulated significant migration of BM-PCs over a 4-day period, measured by confocal microscopy. Both PDGF-BB and TGF-β1 were slowly released from the gel, as measured using their (125)I-labeled forms, and they remained significantly present in the gel at 4 days. In the context of augmenting microfracture surgery for cartilage repair, our strategy of delivering chemotactic and proanabolic growth factors in KLD may provide the necessary local stimulus to help increase defect cellularity, providing more cells to generate repair tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Liebesny
- 1 Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sangwon Byun
- 1 Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Han-Hwa Hung
- 1 Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Keri A Mroszczyk
- 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Whitney T Young
- 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Richard T Lee
- 2 Brigham and Women's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David D Frisbie
- 4 Colorado State University , Orthopaedic Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - John D Kisiday
- 4 Colorado State University , Orthopaedic Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Alan J Grodzinsky
- 1 Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts.,3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts.,5 Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Rajasekaran B, Uriu K, Valentin G, Tinevez JY, Oates AC. Object Segmentation and Ground Truth in 3D Embryonic Imaging. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150853. [PMID: 27332860 PMCID: PMC4917178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many questions in developmental biology depend on measuring the position and movement of individual cells within developing embryos. Yet, tools that provide this data are often challenged by high cell density and their accuracy is difficult to measure. Here, we present a three-step procedure to address this problem. Step one is a novel segmentation algorithm based on image derivatives that, in combination with selective post-processing, reliably and automatically segments cell nuclei from images of densely packed tissue. Step two is a quantitative validation using synthetic images to ascertain the efficiency of the algorithm with respect to signal-to-noise ratio and object density. Finally, we propose an original method to generate reliable and experimentally faithful ground truth datasets: Sparse-dense dual-labeled embryo chimeras are used to unambiguously measure segmentation errors within experimental data. Together, the three steps outlined here establish a robust, iterative procedure to fine-tune image analysis algorithms and microscopy settings associated with embryonic 3D image data sets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bhavna Rajasekaran
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Koichiro Uriu
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Theoretical Biology Laboratory, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Guillaume Valentin
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Yves Tinevez
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew C. Oates
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Zacharias AL, Murray JI. Combinatorial decoding of the invariant C. elegans embryonic lineage in space and time. Genesis 2016; 54:182-97. [PMID: 26915329 PMCID: PMC4840027 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how a single cell, the zygote, can divide and differentiate to produce the diverse animal cell types is a central goal of developmental biology research. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans provides a system that enables a truly comprehensive understanding of this process across all cells. Its invariant cell lineage makes it possible to identify all of the cells in each individual and compare them across organisms. Recently developed methods automate the process of cell identification, allowing high-throughput gene expression characterization and phenotyping at single cell resolution. In this Review, we summarize the sequences of events that pattern the lineage including establishment of founder cell identity, the signaling pathways that diversify embryonic fate, and the regulators involved in patterning within these founder lineages before cells adopt their terminal fates. We focus on insights that have emerged from automated approaches to lineage tracking, including insights into mechanisms of robustness, context-specific regulation of gene expression, and temporal coordination of differentiation. We suggest a model by which lineage history produces a combinatorial code of transcription factors that act, often redundantly, to ensure terminal fate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Zacharias
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 USA
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Burdick J, Walton T, Preston E, Zacharias A, Raj A, Murray JI. Overlapping cell population expression profiling and regulatory inference in C. elegans. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:159. [PMID: 26926147 PMCID: PMC4772325 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2482-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding gene expression across the diverse metazoan cell types during development is critical to understanding their function and regulation. However, most cell types have not been assayed for expression genome-wide. Results We applied a novel approach we term “Profiling of Overlapping Populations of cells (POP-Seq)” to assay differential expression across all embryonic cells in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this approach, we use RNA-seq to define the transcriptome of diverse partially overlapping FACS-sorted cell populations. This identified thousands of transcripts differentially expressed across embryonic cells. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified over 100 sets of coexpressed genes corresponding to distinct patterns of cell type specific expression. We identified thousands of candidate regulators of these clusters based on enrichment of transcription factor motifs and experimentally determined binding sites. Conclusions Our analysis provides new insight into embryonic gene regulation, and provides a resource for improving our knowledge of tissue-specific expression and its regulation throughout C. elegans development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2482-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Burdick
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Travis Walton
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Elicia Preston
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Amanda Zacharias
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 437A Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Santella A, Kovacevic I, Herndon LA, Hall DH, Du Z, Bao Z. Digital development: a database of cell lineage differentiation in C. elegans with lineage phenotypes, cell-specific gene functions and a multiscale model. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:D781-5. [PMID: 26503254 PMCID: PMC4702815 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental systems biology is poised to exploit large-scale data from two approaches: genomics and live imaging. The combination of the two offers the opportunity to map gene functions and gene networks in vivo at single-cell resolution using cell tracking and quantification of cellular phenotypes. Here we present Digital Development (http://www.digital-development.org), a database of cell lineage differentiation with curated phenotypes, cell-specific gene functions and a multiscale model. The database stores data from recent systematic studies of cell lineage differentiation in the C. elegans embryo containing ∼ 200 conserved genes, 1400 perturbed cell lineages and 600,000 digitized single cells. Users can conveniently browse, search and download four categories of phenotypic and functional information from an intuitive web interface. This information includes lineage differentiation phenotypes, cell-specific gene functions, differentiation landscapes and fate choices, and a multiscale model of lineage differentiation. Digital Development provides a comprehensive, curated, multidimensional database for developmental biology. The scale, resolution and richness of biological information presented here facilitate exploration of gene-specific and systems-level mechanisms of lineage differentiation in Metazoans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David H Hall
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Zhuo Du
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Christensen RP, Bokinsky A, Santella A, Wu Y, Marquina-Solis J, Guo M, Kovacevic I, Kumar A, Winter PW, Tashakkori N, McCreedy E, Liu H, McAuliffe M, Mohler W, Colón-Ramos DA, Bao Z, Shroff H. Untwisting the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26633880 PMCID: PMC4764590 DOI: 10.7554/elife.10070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses a simple embryonic nervous system with few enough neurons that the growth of each cell could be followed to provide a systems-level view of development. However, studies of single cell development have largely been conducted in fixed or pre-twitching live embryos, because of technical difficulties associated with embryo movement in late embryogenesis. We present open-source untwisting and annotation software (http://mipav.cit.nih.gov/plugin_jws/mipav_worm_plugin.php) that allows the investigation of neurodevelopmental events in late embryogenesis and apply it to track the 3D positions of seam cell nuclei, neurons, and neurites in multiple elongating embryos. We also provide a tutorial describing how to use the software (Supplementary file 1) and a detailed description of the untwisting algorithm (Appendix). The detailed positional information we obtained enabled us to develop a composite model showing movement of these cells and neurites in an 'average' worm embryo. The untwisting and cell tracking capabilities of our method provide a foundation on which to catalog C. elegans neurodevelopment, allowing interrogation of developmental events in previously inaccessible periods of embryogenesis. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10070.001 Understanding how the brain and nervous system develops from a few cells into complex, interconnected networks is a key goal for neuroscientists. Although researchers have identified many of the genes involved in this process, how these work together to form an entire brain remains unknown. A simple worm called Caenorhabiditis elegans is commonly used to study brain development because it has only about 300 neurons, simplifying the study of its nervous system. The worms are easy to grow in the laboratory and are transparent, allowing scientists to observe how living worms develop using a microscope. Researchers have learned a great deal about the initial growth of the nervous system in C. elegans embryos. However, it has been difficult to study the embryos once their muscles have formed because they constantly twist, fold, and move, making it hard to track the cells. Now, Christensen, Bokinsky, Santella, Wu et al. have developed a computer program that allows scientists to virtually untwist the embryos and follow the development of the nervous system from its beginning to when the embryo hatches. First, images are taken of worm embryos that produce fluorescent proteins marking certain body parts. The program, with user input, labels the fluorescent cells in the images, which indicates how the embryo is bending and allows the program to straighten the worm. The program can also track how cells move around the embryo during development and show the positional relationships between different cells at different stages of development. Christensen et al. have made the program freely available for other researchers to use. The next step is to increase automation, making the software faster and more straightforward for users. Ultimately, the software could help in the challenge to comprehensively examine the development of each neuron in the worm. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10070.002
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Patrick Christensen
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Alexandra Bokinsky
- Biomedical Imaging Research Services Section, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Yicong Wu
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Javier Marquina-Solis
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Min Guo
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ismar Kovacevic
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Peter W Winter
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Nicole Tashakkori
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Evan McCreedy
- Biomedical Imaging Research Services Section, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Huafeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Matthew McAuliffe
- Biomedical Imaging Research Services Section, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - William Mohler
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, United States
| | - Daniel A Colón-Ramos
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Hari Shroff
- Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Chiang M, Hallman S, Cinquin A, de Mochel NR, Paz A, Kawauchi S, Calof AL, Cho KW, Fowlkes CC, Cinquin O. Analysis of in vivo single cell behavior by high throughput, human-in-the-loop segmentation of three-dimensional images. BMC Bioinformatics 2015; 16:397. [PMID: 26607933 PMCID: PMC4659165 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-015-0814-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Analysis of single cells in their native environment is a powerful method to address key questions in developmental systems biology. Confocal microscopy imaging of intact tissues, followed by automatic image segmentation, provides a means to conduct cytometric studies while at the same time preserving crucial information about the spatial organization of the tissue and morphological features of the cells. This technique is rapidly evolving but is still not in widespread use among research groups that do not specialize in technique development, perhaps in part for lack of tools that automate repetitive tasks while allowing experts to make the best use of their time in injecting their domain-specific knowledge. RESULTS Here we focus on a well-established stem cell model system, the C. elegans gonad, as well as on two other model systems widely used to study cell fate specification and morphogenesis: the pre-implantation mouse embryo and the developing mouse olfactory epithelium. We report a pipeline that integrates machine-learning-based cell detection, fast human-in-the-loop curation of these detections, and running of active contours seeded from detections to segment cells. The procedure can be bootstrapped by a small number of manual detections, and outperforms alternative pieces of software we benchmarked on C. elegans gonad datasets. Using cell segmentations to quantify fluorescence contents, we report previously-uncharacterized cell behaviors in the model systems we used. We further show how cell morphological features can be used to identify cell cycle phase; this provides a basis for future tools that will streamline cell cycle experiments by minimizing the need for exogenous cell cycle phase labels. CONCLUSIONS High-throughput 3D segmentation makes it possible to extract rich information from images that are routinely acquired by biologists, and provides insights - in particular with respect to the cell cycle - that would be difficult to derive otherwise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chiang
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Sam Hallman
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Department of Computer Science, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Amanda Cinquin
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Nabora Reyes de Mochel
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Adrian Paz
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Shimako Kawauchi
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Anne L Calof
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Ken W Cho
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Charless C Fowlkes
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Department of Computer Science, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Olivier Cinquin
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA. .,Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zacharias AL, Walton T, Preston E, Murray JI. Quantitative Differences in Nuclear β-catenin and TCF Pattern Embryonic Cells in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005585. [PMID: 26488501 PMCID: PMC4619327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway plays a conserved role during animal development in transcriptional regulation of distinct targets in different developmental contexts but it remains unclear whether quantitative differences in the nuclear localization of effector proteins TCF and β-catenin contribute to context-specific regulation. We investigated this question in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos by quantifying nuclear localization of fluorescently tagged SYS-1/β-catenin and POP-1/TCF and expression of Wnt ligands at cellular resolution by time-lapse microscopy and automated lineage tracing. We identified reproducible, quantitative differences that generate a subset of Wnt-signaled cells with a significantly higher nuclear concentration of the TCF/β-catenin activating complex. Specifically, β-catenin and TCF are preferentially enriched in nuclei of daughter cells whose parents also had high nuclear levels of that protein, a pattern that could influence developmental gene expression. Consistent with this, we found that expression of synthetic reporters of POP-1-dependent activation is biased towards cells that had high nuclear SYS-1 in consecutive divisions. We identified new genes whose embryonic expression patterns depend on pop-1. Most of these require POP-1 for either transcriptional activation or repression, and targets requiring POP-1 for activation are more likely to be expressed in the cells with high nuclear SYS-1 in consecutive divisions than those requiring POP-1 for repression. Taken together, these results indicate that SYS-1 and POP-1 levels are influenced by the parent cell’s SYS-1/POP-1 levels and this may provide an additional mechanism by which POP-1 regulates distinct targets in different developmental contexts. The Wnt signaling pathway is active during the development of all multi-cellular animals and also improperly re-activated in many cancers. Here, we use time-lapse microscopy to quantify the nuclear localization of several proteins in response to Wnt signaling throughout early embryonic development in the nematode worm, C. elegans. We find that cells that received a Wnt signal in the previous division respond more strongly to a Wnt signal in the next division, in part by localizing more of the regulator β-catenin to the nucleus. This causes the relative enrichment of Wnt pathway proteins in the nuclei of repeatedly signaled cells, which we show likely impacts the activation of Wnt target genes. This represents a novel mechanism for the regulation of Wnt pathway targets in development and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Zacharias
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Travis Walton
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elicia Preston
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Targeting autocrine HB-EGF signaling with specific ADAM12 inhibition using recombinant ADAM12 prodomain. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15150. [PMID: 26477568 PMCID: PMC4609913 DOI: 10.1038/srep15150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of ErbB-family signaling underlies numerous pathologies and has been therapeutically targeted through inhibiting ErbB-receptors themselves or their cognate ligands. For the latter, “decoy” antibodies have been developed to sequester ligands including heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF); however, demonstrating sufficient efficacy has been difficult. Here, we hypothesized that this strategy depends on properties such as ligand-receptor binding affinity, which varies widely across the known ErbB-family ligands. Guided by computational modeling, we found that high-affinity ligands such as HB-EGF are more difficult to target with decoy antibodies compared to low-affinity ligands such as amphiregulin (AREG). To address this issue, we developed an alternative method for inhibiting HB-EGF activity by targeting its cleavage from the cell surface. In a model of the invasive disease endometriosis, we identified A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) as a protease implicated in HB-EGF shedding. We designed a specific inhibitor of ADAM12 based on its recombinant prodomain (PA12), which selectively inhibits ADAM12 but not ADAM10 or ADAM17. In endometriotic cells, PA12 significantly reduced HB-EGF shedding and resultant cellular migration. Overall, specific inhibition of ligand shedding represents a possible alternative to decoy antibodies, especially for ligands such as HB-EGF that exhibit high binding affinity and localized signaling.
Collapse
|
43
|
Du Z, Santella A, He F, Shah PK, Kamikawa Y, Bao Z. The Regulatory Landscape of Lineage Differentiation in a Metazoan Embryo. Dev Cell 2015; 34:592-607. [PMID: 26321128 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the mechanism of cell lineage differentiation is critical for our understanding of development and fate manipulation. Here we combined systematic perturbation and direct lineaging to map the regulatory landscape of lineage differentiation in early C. elegans embryogenesis. High-dimensional phenotypic analysis of 204 essential genes in 1,368 embryos revealed that cell lineage differentiation follows a canalized landscape with barriers shaped by lineage distance and genetic robustness. We assigned function to 201 genes in regulating lineage differentiation, including 175 switches of binary fate choices. We generated a multiscale model that connects gene networks and cells to the experimentally mapped landscape. Simulations showed that the landscape topology determines the propensity of differentiation and regulatory complexity. Furthermore, the model allowed us to identify the chromatin assembly complex CAF-1 as a context-specific repressor of Notch signaling. Our study presents a systematic survey of the regulatory landscape of lineage differentiation of a metazoan embryo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Du
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Anthony Santella
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fei He
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pavak K Shah
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yuko Kamikawa
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Vidal B, Santella A, Serrano-Saiz E, Bao Z, Chuang CF, Hobert O. C. elegans SoxB genes are dispensable for embryonic neurogenesis but required for terminal differentiation of specific neuron types. Development 2015; 142:2464-77. [PMID: 26153233 DOI: 10.1242/dev.125740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis involves deeply conserved patterning molecules, such as the proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Sox proteins and specifically members of the SoxB and SoxC groups are another class of conserved transcription factors with an important role in neuronal fate commitment and differentiation in various species. In this study, we examine the expression of all five Sox genes of the nematode C. elegans and analyze the effect of null mutant alleles of all members of the SoxB and SoxC groups on nervous system development. Surprisingly, we find that, unlike in other systems, neither of the two C. elegans SoxB genes sox-2 (SoxB1) and sox-3 (SoxB2), nor the sole C. elegans SoxC gene sem-2, is broadly expressed throughout the embryonic or adult nervous system and that all three genes are mostly dispensable for embryonic neurogenesis. Instead, sox-2 is required to maintain the developmental potential of blast cells that are generated in the embryo but divide only postembryonically to give rise to differentiated neuronal cell types. Moreover, sox-2 and sox-3 have selective roles in the terminal differentiation of specific neuronal cell types. Our findings suggest that the common themes of SoxB gene function across phylogeny lie in specifying developmental potential and, later on, in selectively controlling terminal differentiation programs of specific neuron types, but not in broadly controlling neurogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Berta Vidal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Esther Serrano-Saiz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chiou-Fen Chuang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ho VWS, Wong MK, An X, Guan D, Shao J, Ng HCK, Ren X, He K, Liao J, Ang Y, Chen L, Huang X, Yan B, Xia Y, Chan LLH, Chow KL, Yan H, Zhao Z. Systems-level quantification of division timing reveals a common genetic architecture controlling asynchrony and fate asymmetry. Mol Syst Biol 2015; 11:814. [PMID: 26063786 PMCID: PMC4501849 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20145857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordination of cell division timing is crucial for proper cell fate specification and tissue growth. However, the differential regulation of cell division timing across or within cell types during metazoan development remains poorly understood. To elucidate the systems-level genetic architecture coordinating division timing, we performed a high-content screening for genes whose depletion produced a significant reduction in the asynchrony of division between sister cells (ADS) compared to that of wild-type during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis. We quantified division timing using 3D time-lapse imaging followed by computer-aided lineage analysis. A total of 822 genes were selected for perturbation based on their conservation and known roles in development. Surprisingly, we find that cell fate determinants are not only essential for establishing fate asymmetry, but also are imperative for setting the ADS regardless of cellular context, indicating a common genetic architecture used by both cellular processes. The fate determinants demonstrate either coupled or separate regulation between the two processes. The temporal coordination appears to facilitate cell migration during fate specification or tissue growth. Our quantitative dataset with cellular resolution provides a resource for future analyses of the genetic control of spatial and temporal coordination during metazoan development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincy Wing Sze Ho
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ming-Kin Wong
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaomeng An
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daogang Guan
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiaofang Shao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon Chun Kaoru Ng
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoliang Ren
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kan He
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China Center for Stem Cell and Translational Medicine, School of Life Sciences Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Jinyue Liao
- Division of Life Science and Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yingjin Ang
- Division of Life Science and Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaotai Huang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bin Yan
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yiji Xia
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Leanne Lai Hang Chan
- Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - King Lau Chow
- Division of Life Science and Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hong Yan
- Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhan M, Crane MM, Entchev EV, Caballero A, Fernandes de Abreu DA, Ch’ng Q, Lu H. Automated Processing of Imaging Data through Multi-tiered Classification of Biological Structures Illustrated Using Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004194. [PMID: 25910032 PMCID: PMC4409145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative imaging has become a vital technique in biological discovery and clinical diagnostics; a plethora of tools have recently been developed to enable new and accelerated forms of biological investigation. Increasingly, the capacity for high-throughput experimentation provided by new imaging modalities, contrast techniques, microscopy tools, microfluidics and computer controlled systems shifts the experimental bottleneck from the level of physical manipulation and raw data collection to automated recognition and data processing. Yet, despite their broad importance, image analysis solutions to address these needs have been narrowly tailored. Here, we present a generalizable formulation for autonomous identification of specific biological structures that is applicable for many problems. The process flow architecture we present here utilizes standard image processing techniques and the multi-tiered application of classification models such as support vector machines (SVM). These low-level functions are readily available in a large array of image processing software packages and programming languages. Our framework is thus both easy to implement at the modular level and provides specific high-level architecture to guide the solution of more complicated image-processing problems. We demonstrate the utility of the classification routine by developing two specific classifiers as a toolset for automation and cell identification in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. To serve a common need for automated high-resolution imaging and behavior applications in the C. elegans research community, we contribute a ready-to-use classifier for the identification of the head of the animal under bright field imaging. Furthermore, we extend our framework to address the pervasive problem of cell-specific identification under fluorescent imaging, which is critical for biological investigation in multicellular organisms or tissues. Using these examples as a guide, we envision the broad utility of the framework for diverse problems across different length scales and imaging methods. New technologies have increased the size and content-richness of biological imaging datasets. As a result, automated image processing is increasingly necessary to extract relevant data in an objective, consistent and time-efficient manner. While image processing tools have been developed for general problems that affect large communities of biologists, the diversity of biological research questions and experimental techniques have left many problems unaddressed. Moreover, there is no clear way in which non-computer scientists can immediately apply a large body of computer vision and image processing techniques to address their specific problems or adapt existing tools to their needs. Here, we address this need by demonstrating an adaptable framework for image processing that is capable of accommodating a large range of biological problems with both high accuracy and computational efficiency. Moreover, we demonstrate the utilization of this framework for disparate problems by solving two specific image processing challenges in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition to contributions to the C. elegans community, the solutions developed here provide both useful concepts and adaptable image-processing modules for other biological problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zhan
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Matthew M. Crane
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Eugeni V. Entchev
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Caballero
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - QueeLim Ch’ng
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hang Lu
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Walton T, Preston E, Nair G, Zacharias AL, Raj A, Murray JI. The Bicoid class homeodomain factors ceh-36/OTX and unc-30/PITX cooperate in C. elegans embryonic progenitor cells to regulate robust development. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005003. [PMID: 25738873 PMCID: PMC4349592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
While many transcriptional regulators of pluripotent and terminally differentiated states have been identified, regulation of intermediate progenitor states is less well understood. Previous high throughput cellular resolution expression studies identified dozens of transcription factors with lineage-specific expression patterns in C. elegans embryos that could regulate progenitor identity. In this study we identified a broad embryonic role for the C. elegans OTX transcription factor ceh-36, which was previously shown to be required for the terminal specification of four neurons. ceh-36 is expressed in progenitors of over 30% of embryonic cells, yet is not required for embryonic viability. Quantitative phenotyping by computational analysis of time-lapse movies of ceh-36 mutant embryos identified cell cycle or cell migration defects in over 100 of these cells, but most defects were low-penetrance, suggesting redundancy. Expression of ceh-36 partially overlaps with that of the PITX transcription factor unc-30. unc-30 single mutants are viable but loss of both ceh-36 and unc-30 causes 100% lethality, and double mutants have significantly higher frequencies of cellular developmental defects in the cells where their expression normally overlaps. These factors are also required for robust expression of the downstream developmental regulator mls-2/HMX. This work provides the first example of genetic redundancy between the related yet evolutionarily distant OTX and PITX families of bicoid class homeodomain factors and demonstrates the power of quantitative developmental phenotyping in C. elegans to identify developmental regulators acting in progenitor cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis Walton
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elicia Preston
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gautham Nair
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Zacharias
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - John Isaac Murray
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ng EX, Miller MA, Jing T, Lauffenburger DA, Chen CH. Low-volume multiplexed proteolytic activity assay and inhibitor analysis through a pico-injector array. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:1153-1159. [PMID: 25553996 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01162g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Secreted active proteases, from families of enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloproteinases), participate in diverse pathological processes. To simultaneously measure multiple specific protease activities, a series of parallel enzyme reactions combined with a series of inhibitor analyses for proteolytic activity matrix analysis (PrAMA) are essential but limited due to the sample quantity requirements and the complexity of performing multiple reactions. To address these issues, we developed a pico-injector array to generate 72 different reactions in picoliter-volume droplets by controlling the sequence of combinational injections, which allowed simultaneous recording of a wide range of multiple enzyme reactions and measurement of inhibitor effects using small sample volumes (~10 μL). Multiple MMP activities were simultaneously determined by 9 different substrates and 2 inhibitors using injections from a pico-injector array. Due to the advantages of inhibitor analysis, the MMP/ADAM activities of MDA-MB-231, a breast cancer cell line, were characterized with high MMP-2, MMP-3 and ADAM-10 activity. This platform could be customized for a wide range of applications that also require multiple reactions with inhibitor analysis to enhance the sensitivity by encapsulating different chemical sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ee Xien Ng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117575, Singapore.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Khairy K, Lemon WC, Amat F, Keller PJ. Light sheet-based imaging and analysis of early embryogenesis in the fruit fly. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1189:79-97. [PMID: 25245688 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1164-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The fruit fly is an excellent model system for investigating the sequence of epithelial tissue invaginations constituting the process of gastrulation. By combining recent advancements in light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and image processing, the three-dimensional fly embryo morphology and relevant gene expression patterns can be accurately recorded throughout the entire process of embryogenesis. LSFM provides exceptionally high imaging speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, low level of photoinduced damage, and good optical penetration depth. This powerful combination of capabilities makes LSFM particularly suitable for live imaging of the fly embryo.The resulting high-information-content image data are subsequently processed to obtain the outlines of cells and cell nuclei, as well as the geometry of the whole embryo tissue by image segmentation. Furthermore, morphodynamics information is extracted by computationally tracking objects in the image. Towards that goal we describe the successful implementation of a fast fitting strategy of Gaussian mixture models.The data obtained by image processing is well-suited for hypothesis testing of the detailed biomechanics of the gastrulating embryo. Typically this involves constructing computational mechanics models that consist of an objective function providing an estimate of strain energy for a given morphological configuration of the tissue, and a numerical minimization mechanism of this energy, achieved by varying morphological parameters.In this chapter, we provide an overview of in vivo imaging of fruit fly embryos using LSFM, computational tools suitable for processing the resulting images, and examples of computational biomechanical simulations of fly embryo gastrulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Khairy
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Du Z, He F, Yu Z, Bowerman B, Bao Z. E3 ubiquitin ligases promote progression of differentiation during C. elegans embryogenesis. Dev Biol 2014; 398:267-79. [PMID: 25523393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Regulated choice between cell fate maintenance and differentiation provides decision points in development to progress toward more restricted cell fates or to maintain the current one. Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis follows an invariant cell lineage where cell fate is generally more restricted upon each cell division. EMS is a progenitor cell in the four-cell embryo that gives rise to the endomesoderm. We recently found that when ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation is compromised, the anterior daughter of EMS, namely MS, reiterates the EMS fate. This observation demonstrates an essential function of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation in driving the progression of EMS-to-MS differentiation. Here we report a genome-wide screen of the ubiquitin pathway and extensive lineage analyses. The results suggest a broad role of E3 ligases in driving differentiation progression. First, we identified three substrate-binding proteins for two Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL) E3 complexes that promote the progression from the EMS fate to MS, namely LIN-23/β-TrCP and FBXB-3 for the CRL1/SCF complex and ZYG-11/ZYG-11B for the CRL2 complex. Genetic analyses suggest these E3 ligases function through a multifunctional protein OMA-1 and the endomesoderm lineage specifier SKN-1 to drive differentiation. Second, we found that depletion of components of the CRL1/SCF complex induces fate reiteration in all major founder cell lineages. These data suggest that regulated choice between self-renewal and differentiation is widespread during C. elegans embryogenesis as in organisms with regulative development, and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation drives the choice towards differentiation. Finally, bioinformatic analysis of time series gene expression data showed that expression of E3 genes is transiently enriched during time windows of developmental stage transitions. Transcription factors show similar enrichment, but not other classes of regulatory genes. Based on these findings we propose that ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, like many transcription factors, function broadly as regulators driving developmental progression during embryogenesis in C. elegans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Du
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave. New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Fei He
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave. New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Zidong Yu
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave. New York, NY 10065, United States; School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212003, China
| | - Bruce Bowerman
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave. New York, NY 10065, United States.
| |
Collapse
|