1
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Wang X, Cupo CM, Ostvar S, Countryman AD, Kasza KE. E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanical behavior before and during morphogenetic tissue flows. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.592778. [PMID: 38766260 PMCID: PMC11100719 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.592778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion between epithelial cells enables the remarkable mechanical behavior of epithelial tissues during morphogenesis. However, it remains unclear how cell-cell adhesion influences mechanics in static as well as in dynamically flowing epithelial tissues. Here, we systematically modulate E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in the Drosophila embryo and study the effects on the mechanical behavior of the germband epithelium before and during dramatic tissue remodeling and flow associated with body axis elongation. Before axis elongation, we find that increasing E-cadherin levels produces tissue comprising more elongated cells and predicted to be more fluid-like, providing reduced resistance to tissue flow. During axis elongation, we find that the dominant effect of E-cadherin is tuning the speed at which cells proceed through rearrangement events, revealing potential roles for E-cadherin in generating friction between cells. Before and during axis elongation, E-cadherin levels influence patterns of actomyosin-dependent forces, supporting the notion that E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanics in part through effects on actomyosin. Taken together, these findings reveal dual-and sometimes opposing-roles for E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in controlling tissue structure and dynamics in vivo that result in unexpected relationships between adhesion and flow.
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2
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Usami C, Inomata H. Rapalog-induced cell adhesion molecule inhibits mesoderm migration in Xenopus embryos by increasing frequency of adhesion to the ectoderm. Genes Cells 2022; 27:436-450. [PMID: 35437867 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During the gastrula stage of Xenopus laevis, mesodermal cells migrate on the blastocoel roof (BCR) toward the animal pole. In this process, mesodermal cells directly adhere to the BCR via adhesion molecules, such as cadherins, which in turn trigger a repulsive reaction through factors such as Eph/ephrin. Therefore, the mesoderm and BCR repeatedly adhere to and detach from each other, and the frequency of this adhesion is thought to control mesoderm migration. Although knockdown of cadherin or Eph/ephrin causes severe gastrulation defects, these molecules have been reported to contribute not only to boundary formation but also to the internal function of each tissue. Therefore, it is possible that the defect caused by knockdown occurs due to tissue function abnormalities. To address this problem, we developed a method to specifically induce adhesion between different tissues using rapalog (an analog of rapamycin). When adhesion between the BCR and mesoderm was specifically enhanced by rapalog, mesoderm migration was strongly suppressed. Furthermore, we confirmed that rapalog significantly increased the frequency of adhesion between the two tissues. These results support the idea that the adhesion frequency controls mesoderm migration, and demonstrate that our method effectively enhances adhesion between specific tissues in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chisa Usami
- Axial Pattern Dynamics Team, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Inomata
- Axial Pattern Dynamics Team, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
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3
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Abstract
Embryonic cells grow in environments that provide a plethora of physical cues, including mechanical forces that shape the development of the entire embryo. Despite their prevalence, the role of these forces in embryonic development and their integration with chemical signals have been mostly neglected, and scrutiny in modern molecular embryology tilted, instead, towards the dissection of molecular pathways involved in cell fate determination and patterning. It is now possible to investigate how mechanical signals induce downstream genetic regulatory networks to regulate key developmental processes in the embryo. Here, we review the insights into mechanical control of early vertebrate development, including the role of forces in tissue patterning and embryonic axis formation. We also highlight recent in vitro approaches using individual embryonic stem cells and self-organizing multicellular models of human embryos, which have been instrumental in expanding our understanding of how mechanics tune cell fate and cellular rearrangements during human embryonic development.
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4
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Barua D, Nagel M, Winklbauer R. Cell-cell contact landscapes in Xenopus gastrula tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2107953118. [PMID: 34544871 PMCID: PMC8488617 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107953118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular and structural facets of cell-cell adhesion have been extensively studied in monolayered epithelia. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of cell-cell contacts in a series of multilayered tissues in the Xenopus gastrula model. We show that intercellular contact distances range from 10 to 1,000 nm. The contact width frequencies define tissue-specific contact spectra, and knockdown of adhesion factors modifies these spectra. This allows us to reconstruct the emergence of contact types from complex interactions of the factors. We find that the membrane proteoglycan Syndecan-4 plays a dominant role in all contacts, including narrow C-cadherin-mediated junctions. Glypican-4, hyaluronic acid, paraxial protocadherin, and fibronectin also control contact widths, and unexpectedly, C-cadherin functions in wide contacts. Using lanthanum staining, we identified three morphologically distinct forms of glycocalyx in contacts of the Xenopus gastrula, which are linked to the adhesion factors examined and mediate cell-cell attachment. Our study delineates a systematic approach to examine the varied contributions of adhesion factors individually or in combinations to nondiscrete and seemingly amorphous intercellular contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanjan Barua
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Martina Nagel
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
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5
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Huebner RJ, Malmi-Kakkada AN, Sarıkaya S, Weng S, Thirumalai D, Wallingford JB. Mechanical heterogeneity along single cell-cell junctions is driven by lateral clustering of cadherins during vertebrate axis elongation. eLife 2021; 10:e65390. [PMID: 34032216 PMCID: PMC8205493 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis is governed by the interplay of molecular signals and mechanical forces across multiple length scales. The last decade has seen tremendous advances in our understanding of the dynamics of protein localization and turnover at subcellular length scales, and at the other end of the spectrum, of mechanics at tissue-level length scales. Integrating the two remains a challenge, however, because we lack a detailed understanding of the subcellular patterns of mechanical properties of cells within tissues. Here, in the context of the elongating body axis of Xenopus embryos, we combine tools from cell biology and physics to demonstrate that individual cell-cell junctions display finely-patterned local mechanical heterogeneity along their length. We show that such local mechanical patterning is essential for the cell movements of convergent extension and is imparted by locally patterned clustering of a classical cadherin. Finally, the patterning of cadherins and thus local mechanics along cell-cell junctions are controlled by Planar Cell Polarity signaling, a key genetic module for CE that is mutated in diverse human birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - Abdul Naseer Malmi-Kakkada
- Department of Chemistry, University of TexasAustinUnited States
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Augusta UniversityAugustaGeorgia
| | - Sena Sarıkaya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - Shinuo Weng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, University of TexasAustinUnited States
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of TexasAustinUnited States
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6
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Nagel M, Barua D, Damm EW, Kashef J, Hofmann R, Ershov A, Cecilia A, Moosmann J, Baumbach T, Winklbauer R. Capillarity and active cell movement at mesendoderm translocation in the Xenopus gastrula. Development 2021; 148:dev.198960. [PMID: 33674259 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During Xenopus gastrulation, leading edge mesendoderm (LEM) advances animally as a wedge-shaped cell mass over the vegetally moving blastocoel roof (BCR). We show that close contact across the BCR-LEM interface correlates with attenuated net advance of the LEM, which is pulled forward by tip cells while the remaining LEM frequently separates from the BCR. Nevertheless, lamellipodia persist on the detached LEM surface. They attach to adjacent LEM cells and depend on PDGF-A, cell-surface fibronectin and cadherin. We argue that active cell motility on the LEM surface prevents adverse capillary effects in the liquid LEM tissue as it moves by being pulled. It counters tissue surface-tension effects with oriented cell movement and bulges the LEM surface out to keep it close to the curved BCR without attaching to it. Proximity to the BCR is necessary, in turn, for the maintenance and orientation of lamellipodia that permit mass cell movement with minimal substratum contact. Together with a similar process in epithelial invagination, vertical telescoping, the cell movement at the LEM surface defines a novel type of cell rearrangement: vertical shearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nagel
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Debanjan Barua
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Erich W Damm
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Jubin Kashef
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ralf Hofmann
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany.,Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexey Ershov
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | - Julian Moosmann
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Tilo Baumbach
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada
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7
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Kim S, Uroz M, Bays JL, Chen CS. Harnessing Mechanobiology for Tissue Engineering. Dev Cell 2021; 56:180-191. [PMID: 33453155 PMCID: PMC7855912 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A primary challenge in tissue engineering is to recapitulate both the structural and functional features of whole tissues and organs. In vivo, patterning of the body plan and constituent tissues emerges from the carefully orchestrated interactions between the transcriptional programs that give rise to cell types and the mechanical forces that drive the bending, twisting, and extensions critical to morphogenesis. Substantial recent progress in mechanobiology-understanding how mechanics regulate cell behaviors and what cellular machineries are responsible-raises the possibility that one can begin to use these insights to help guide the strategy and design of functional engineered tissues. In this perspective, we review and propose the development of different approaches, from providing appropriate extracellular mechanical cues to interfering with cellular mechanosensing machinery, to aid in controlling cell and tissue structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudong Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marina Uroz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bays
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher S Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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8
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Tse JD, Moore R, Meng Y, Tao W, Smith ER, Xu XX. Dynamic conversion of cell sorting patterns in aggregates of embryonic stem cells with differential adhesive affinity. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2021; 21:2. [PMID: 33407086 PMCID: PMC7788919 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-020-00234-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian early development comprises the proliferation, differentiation, and self-assembly of the embryonic cells. The classic experiment undertaken by Townes and Holtfreter demonstrated the ability of dissociated embryonic cells to sort and self-organize spontaneously into the original tissue patterns. Here, we further explored the principles and mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of spontaneous tissue organization by studying aggregation and sorting of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells with differential adhesive affinity in culture. RESULTS As observed previously, in aggregates of wild-type and E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, the cell assemblies exhibited an initial sorting pattern showing wild-type cells engulfed by less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, which fits the pattern predicted by the differential adhesive hypothesis proposed by Malcom Steinberg. However, in further study of more mature cell aggregates, the initial sorting pattern reversed, with the highly adhesive wild-type ES cells forming an outer shell enveloping the less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient cells, contradicting Steinberg's sorting principle. The outer wild-type cells of the more mature aggregates did not differentiate into endoderm, which is known to be able to sort to the exterior from previous studies. In contrast to the naive aggregates, the mature aggregates presented polarized, highly adhesive cells at the outer layer. The surface polarity was observed as an actin cap contiguously spanning across the apical surface of multiple adjacent cells, though independent of the formation of tight junctions. CONCLUSIONS Our experimental findings suggest that the force of differential adhesive affinity can be overcome by even subtle polarity generated from strong bilateral ligation of highly adhesive cells in determining cell sorting patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Tse
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Robert Moore
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Yue Meng
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Wensi Tao
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Smith
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Xiang-Xi Xu
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
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9
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Iijima N, Sato K, Kuranaga E, Umetsu D. Differential cell adhesion implemented by Drosophila Toll corrects local distortions of the anterior-posterior compartment boundary. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6320. [PMID: 33303753 PMCID: PMC7729853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20118-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining lineage restriction boundaries in proliferating tissues is vital to animal development. A long-standing thermodynamics theory, the differential adhesion hypothesis, attributes cell sorting phenomena to differentially expressed adhesion molecules. However, the contribution of the differential adhesion system during tissue morphogenesis has been unsubstantiated despite substantial theoretical support. Here, we report that Toll-1, a transmembrane receptor protein, acts as a differentially expressed adhesion molecule that straightens the fluctuating anteroposterior compartment boundary in the abdominal epidermal epithelium of the Drosophila pupa. Toll-1 is expressed across the entire posterior compartment under the control of the selector gene engrailed and displays a sharp expression boundary that coincides with the compartment boundary. Toll-1 corrects local distortions of the boundary in the absence of cable-like Myosin II enrichment along the boundary. The reinforced adhesion of homotypic cell contacts, together with pulsed cell contraction, achieves a biased vertex sliding action by resisting the separation of homotypic cell contacts in boundary cells. This work reveals a self-organizing system that integrates a differential adhesion system with pulsed contraction of cells to maintain lineage restriction boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Iijima
- Laboratory for Histogenetic Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Sato
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
- Global Station for Soft Matter, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Erina Kuranaga
- Laboratory for Histogenetic Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Daiki Umetsu
- Laboratory for Histogenetic Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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10
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11
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Herrera-Perez RM, Kasza KE. Manipulating the Patterns of Mechanical Forces That Shape Multicellular Tissues. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 34:381-391. [PMID: 31577169 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00018.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, spatial and temporal patterns of mechanical forces help to transform unstructured groups of cells into complex, functional tissue architectures. Here, we review emerging approaches to manipulate these patterns of forces to investigate the mechanical mechanisms that shape multicellular tissues, with a focus on recent experimental studies of epithelial tissue sheets in the embryo of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
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12
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Sahu P, Sussman DM, Rübsam M, Mertz AF, Horsley V, Dufresne ER, Niessen CM, Marchetti MC, Manning ML, Schwarz JM. Small-scale demixing in confluent biological tissues. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:3325-3337. [PMID: 32196025 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01084j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Surface tension governed by differential adhesion can drive fluid particle mixtures to sort into separate regions, i.e., demix. Does the same phenomenon occur in confluent biological tissues? We begin to answer this question for epithelial monolayers with a combination of theory via a vertex model and experiments on keratinocyte monolayers. Vertex models are distinct from particle models in that the interactions between the cells are shape-based, as opposed to distance-dependent. We investigate whether a disparity in cell shape or size alone is sufficient to drive demixing in bidisperse vertex model fluid mixtures. Surprisingly, we observe that both types of bidisperse systems robustly mix on large lengthscales. On the other hand, shape disparity generates slight demixing over a few cell diameters, a phenomenon we term micro-demixing. This result can be understood by examining the differential energy barriers for neighbor exchanges (T1 transitions). Experiments with mixtures of wild-type and E-cadherin-deficient keratinocytes on a substrate are consistent with the predicted phenomenon of micro-demixing, which biology may exploit to create subtle patterning. The robustness of mixing at large scales, however, suggests that despite some differences in cell shape and size, progenitor cells can readily mix throughout a developing tissue until acquiring means of recognizing cells of different types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sahu
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Syracuse, Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
| | - Daniel M Sussman
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Syracuse, Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. and Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Matthias Rübsam
- Department of Dermatology, CECAD Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Aaron F Mertz
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Valerie Horsley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Eric R Dufresne
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA and Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA and Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Carien M Niessen
- Department of Dermatology, CECAD Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - M Cristina Marchetti
- Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - M Lisa Manning
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Syracuse, Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
| | - J M Schwarz
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Syracuse, Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. and Indian Creek Farm, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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13
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14
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Pukhlyakova EA, Kirillova AO, Kraus YA, Zimmermann B, Technau U. A cadherin switch marks germ layer formation in the diploblastic sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Development 2019; 146:dev.174623. [PMID: 31540916 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Morphogenesis is a shape-building process during development of multicellular organisms. During this process, the establishment and modulation of cell-cell contacts play an important role. Cadherins, the major cell adhesion molecules, form adherens junctions connecting epithelial cells. Numerous studies of Bilateria have shown that cadherins are associated with the regulation of cell differentiation, cell shape changes, cell migration and tissue morphogenesis. To date, the role of cadherins in non-bilaterians is unknown. Here, we study the expression and function of two paralogous classical cadherins, Cadherin 1 and Cadherin 3, in a diploblastic animal, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis We show that a cadherin switch accompanies the formation of germ layers. Using specific antibodies, we show that both cadherins are localized to adherens junctions at apical and basal positions in ectoderm and endoderm. During gastrulation, partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of endodermal cells is marked by stepwise downregulation of Cadherin 3 and upregulation of Cadherin 1. Knockdown experiments show that both cadherins are required for maintenance of tissue integrity and tissue morphogenesis. Thus, both sea anemones and bilaterians use independently duplicated cadherins combinatorially for tissue morphogenesis and germ layer differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A Pukhlyakova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anastasia O Kirillova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia A Kraus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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15
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Winklbauer R. Dynamic cell–cell adhesion mediated by pericellular matrix interaction – a hypothesis. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:132/16/jcs231597. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.231597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Cell–cell adhesion strength, measured as tissue surface tension, spans an enormous 1000-fold range when different cell types are compared. However, the examination of basic mechanical principles of cell adhesion indicates that cadherin-based and related mechanisms are not able to promote the high-strength adhesion experimentally observed in many late embryonic or malignant tissues. Therefore, the hypothesis is explored that the interaction of the pericellular matrices of cells generates strong adhesion by a mechanism akin to the self-adhesion/self-healing of dynamically cross-linked hydrogels. Quantitative data from biofilm matrices support this model. The mechanism links tissue surface tension to pericellular matrix stiffness. Moreover, it explains the wide, matrix-filled spaces around cells in liquid-like, yet highly cohesive, tissues, and it rehabilitates aspects of the original interpretation of classical cell sorting experiments, as expressed in Steinberg's differential adhesion hypothesis: that quantitative differences in adhesion energies between cells are sufficient to drive sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada
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16
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Nagel M, Winklbauer R. PDGF-A suppresses contact inhibition during directional collective cell migration. Development 2018; 145:dev.162651. [PMID: 29884673 DOI: 10.1242/dev.162651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The leading-edge mesendoderm (LEM) of the Xenopus gastrula moves as an aggregate by collective migration. However, LEM cells on fibronectin in vitro show contact inhibition of locomotion by quickly retracting lamellipodia upon mutual contact. We found that a fibronectin-integrin-syndecan module acts between p21-activated kinase 1 upstream and ephrin B1 downstream to promote the contact-induced collapse of lamellipodia. To function in this module, fibronectin has to be present as puncta on the surface of LEM cells. To overcome contact inhibition in LEM cell aggregates, PDGF-A deposited in the endogenous substratum of LEM migration blocks the fibronectin-integrin-syndecan module at the integrin level. This stabilizes lamellipodia preferentially in the direction of normal LEM movement and supports cell orientation and the directional migration of the coherent LEM cell mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nagel
- University of Toronto, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto M5S 3G5, ON, Canada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- University of Toronto, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto M5S 3G5, ON, Canada
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17
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Huang Y, Winklbauer R. Cell migration in the Xenopus gastrula. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e325. [PMID: 29944210 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Xenopus gastrulation movements are in large part based on the rearrangement of cells by differential cell-on-cell migration within multilayered tissues. Different patterns of migration-based cell intercalation drive endoderm and mesoderm internalization and their positioning along their prospective body axes. C-cadherin, fibronectin, integrins, and focal contact components are expressed in all gastrula cells and play putative roles in cell-on-cell migration, but their actual functions in this respect are not yet understood. The gastrula can be subdivided into two motility domains, and in the vegetal, migratory domain, two modes of cell migration are discerned. Vegetal endoderm cells show ingression-type migration, a variant of amoeboid migration characterized by the lack of locomotory protrusions and by macropinocytosis as a mechanism of trailing edge resorption. Mesendoderm and prechordal mesoderm cells use lamellipodia in a mesenchymal mode of migration. Gastrula cell motility can be dissected into traits, such as cell polarity, adhesion, mobility, or protrusive activity, which are controlled separately yet in complex, combinatorial ways. Cells can instantaneously switch between different combinations of traits, showing plasticity as they respond to substratum properties. This article is categorized under: Early Embryonic Development > Gastrulation and Neurulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Huang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Chen Z, Zou Y. A multiscale model for heterogeneous tumor spheroid in vitro. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2018; 15:361-392. [PMID: 29161840 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2018016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, a novel multiscale method is proposed for the study of heterogeneous tumor spheroid growth in vitro. The entire tumor spheroid is described by an ellipsoid-based model while nutrient and other environmental factors are treated as continua. The ellipsoid-based discrete component is capable of incorporating mechanical effects and deformability, while keeping a minimum set of free variables to describe complex shape variations. Moreover, our purely cell-based description of tumor avoids the complex mutual conversion between a cell-based model and continuum model within a tumor, such as force and mass transformation. This advantage makes it highly suitable for the study of tumor spheroids in vitro whose size are normally less than 800 μm in diameter. In addition, our numerical scheme provides two computational options depending on tumor size. For a small or medium tumor spheroid, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model can be directly applied. For a large spheroid, we suggest the use of a 3D-adapted 2D cross section configuration, which has not yet been explored in the literature, as an alternative for the theoretical investigation to bridge the gap between the 2D and 3D models. Our model and its implementations have been validated and applied to various studies given in the paper. The simulation results fit corresponding in vitro experimental observations very well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Chen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460, United States
| | - Yuting Zou
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460, United States
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19
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Dong JJ, Klumpp S. Simulation of colony pattern formation under differential adhesion and cell proliferation. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:1908-1916. [PMID: 29468230 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02451g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Proliferation of individual cells is one of the hallmarks of living systems, and collectively the cells within a colony or tissue form highly structured patterns, influencing the properties at the population level. We investigate the joint effect of proliferation in the form of cell division and cell sorting due to differential adhesion using a cellular automaton model. Through simulations and theoretical analysis akin to interface growth, we show that this model gives rise to slower than exponential growth in the case of a single cell type as well as novel colony patterns in the case of two cell types. In particular, engulfment of one cell type by the other is strongly enhanced compared to the prediction from the differential adhesion hypothesis in the absence of proliferation. These observations provide new insights in predicting and characterizing colony morphology using experimentally accessible information such as single cell growth rate and cell adhesion strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Dong
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
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20
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Javaherian S, D'Arcangelo E, Slater B, Londono C, Xu B, McGuigan AP. Modulation of cellular polarization and migration by ephrin/Eph signal-mediated boundary formation. Integr Biol (Camb) 2017; 9:934-946. [PMID: 29120470 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00176b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Compartment boundaries are essential for ensuring proper cell organization during embryo development and in adult tissues, yet the mechanisms underlying boundary establishment are not completely understood. A number of mechanisms, including (i) differential adhesion, (ii) differential tension, and (iii) cell signaling-mediated cell repulsion, are known to contribute and likely a context-dependent balance of each of these dictates boundary implementation. The ephrin/Eph signaling pathway is known to impact boundary formation in higher animals. In different contexts, ephrin/Eph signaling is known to modulate adhesive properties and migratory behavior of cells. Furthermore it has been proposed that ephrin/Eph signaling may modulate cellular tensile properties, leading to boundary implementation. It remains unclear however, whether, in different contexts, ephrin/Eph act through distinct dominant action modes (e.g. differential adhesion vs. cell repulsion), or whether ephrin/Eph signaling elicits multiple cellular changes simultaneously. Here, using micropatterning of cells over-expressing either EphB3 or ephrinB1, we assess the contribution of each these factors in one model. We show that in this system ephrinB1/EphB3-mediated boundaries are accompanied by modulation of tissue-level architecture and polarization of cell migration. These changes are associated with changes in cell shape and cytoskeletal organization also suggestive of altered cellular tension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Javaherian
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada.
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21
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Covell AD, Zeng Z, Mabe T, Wei J, Adamson A, LaJeunesse DR. Alternative SiO 2 Surface Direct MDCK Epithelial Behavior. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:3307-3317. [PMID: 33445372 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical interactions of cells are mediated through adhesive interactions. In this study, we examined the growth, cellular behavior, and adhesion of MDCK epithelial cells on three different SiO2 substrates: amorphous glass coverslips and the silicon oxide layers that grow on ⟨111⟩ and ⟨100⟩ wafers. While compositionally all three substrates are almost similar, differences in surface energy result in dramatic differences in epithelial cell morphology, cell-cell adhesion, cell-substrate adhesion, actin organization, and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression. We also observe striking differences in ECM protein binding to the various substrates due to the hydrogen bond interactions. Our results demonstrate that MDCK cells have a robust response to differences in substrates that is not obviated by nanotopography or surface composition and that a cell's response may manifest through subtle differences in surface energies of the materials. This work strongly suggests that other properties of a material other than composition and topology should be considered when interpreting and controlling interactions of cells with a substrate, whether it is synthetic or natural.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Covell
- Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
| | - Zheng Zeng
- Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
| | - Taylor Mabe
- Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
| | - Jianjun Wei
- Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
| | - Amy Adamson
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 201 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402, United States
| | - Dennis R LaJeunesse
- Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2907 East Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
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22
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Chiou K, Collins EMS. Why we need mechanics to understand animal regeneration. Dev Biol 2017; 433:155-165. [PMID: 29179947 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical forces are an important contributor to cell fate specification and cell migration during embryonic development in animals. Similarities between embryogenesis and regeneration, particularly with regards to pattern formation and large-scale tissue movements, suggest similarly important roles for physical forces during regeneration. While the influence of the mechanical environment on stem cell differentiation in vitro is being actively exploited in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, comparatively little is known about the role of stresses and strains acting during animal regeneration. In this review, we summarize published work on the role of physical principles and mechanical forces in animal regeneration. Novel experimental techniques aimed at addressing the role of mechanics in embryogenesis have greatly enhanced our understanding at scales from the subcellular to the macroscopic - we believe the time is ripe for the field of regeneration to similarly leverage the tools of the mechanobiological research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chiou
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eva-Maria S Collins
- Physics Department, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Section of Cell&Developmental Biology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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23
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Giger FA, David NB. Endodermal germ-layer formation through active actin-driven migration triggered by N-cadherin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:10143-10148. [PMID: 28874564 PMCID: PMC5617292 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708116114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ-layer formation during gastrulation is both a fundamental step of development and a paradigm for tissue formation and remodeling. However, the cellular and molecular basis of germ-layer segregation is poorly understood, mostly because of the lack of direct in vivo observations. We used mosaic zebrafish embryos to investigate the formation of the endoderm. High-resolution live imaging and functional analyses revealed that endodermal cells reach their characteristic innermost position through an active, oriented, and actin-based migration dependent on Rac1, which contrasts with the previously proposed differential adhesion cell sorting. Rather than being attracted to their destination, the yolk syncytial layer, cells appear to migrate away from their neighbors. This migration depends on N-cadherin that, when imposed in ectodermal cells, is sufficient to trigger their internalization without affecting their fate. Overall, these results lead to a model of germ-layer formation in which, upon N-cadherin expression, endodermal cells actively migrate away from their epiblastic neighbors to reach their internal position, revealing cell-contact avoidance as an unexplored mechanism driving germ-layer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence A Giger
- CNRS UMR8197, F-75005 Paris, France
- INSERM U1024, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas B David
- CNRS UMR8197, F-75005 Paris, France;
- INSERM U1024, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, F-75005 Paris, France
- Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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24
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Barua D, Parent SE, Winklbauer R. Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. II. Gap Characteristics in Xenopus Embryonic Ectoderm. Biophys J 2017; 113:923-936. [PMID: 28834728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ectoderm of the Xenopus embryo is permeated by a network of channels that appear in histological sections as interstitial gaps. We characterized this interstitial space by measuring gap sizes, angles formed between adjacent cells, and curvatures of cell surfaces at gaps. From these parameters, and from surface-tension values measured previously, we estimated the values of critical mechanical variables that determine gap sizes and shapes in the ectoderm, using a general model of interstitial gap mechanics. We concluded that gaps of 1-4 μm side length can be formed by the insertion of extracellular matrix fluid at three-cell junctions such that cell adhesion is locally disrupted and a tension difference between cell-cell contacts and the free cell surface at gaps of 0.003 mJ/m2 is generated. Furthermore, a cell hydrostatic pressure of 16.8 ± 1.7 Pa and an interstitial pressure of 3.9 ± 3.6 Pa, relative to the central blastocoel cavity of the embryo, was found to be consistent with the observed gap size and shape distribution. Reduction of cell adhesion by the knockdown of C-cadherin increased gap volume while leaving intracellular and interstitial pressures essentially unchanged. In both normal and adhesion-reduced ectoderm, cortical tension of the free cell surfaces at gaps does not return to the high values characteristic of the free surface of the whole tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanjan Barua
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Serge E Parent
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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25
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Hopyan S. Biophysical regulation of early limb bud morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2017; 429:429-433. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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26
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Wen JWH, Winklbauer R. Ingression-type cell migration drives vegetal endoderm internalisation in the Xenopus gastrula. eLife 2017; 6:e27190. [PMID: 28826499 PMCID: PMC5589415 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During amphibian gastrulation, presumptive endoderm is internalised as part of vegetal rotation, a large-scale movement that encompasses the whole vegetal half of the embryo. It has been considered a gastrulation process unique to amphibians, but we show that at the cell level, endoderm internalisation exhibits characteristics reminiscent of bottle cell formation and ingression, known mechanisms of germ layer internalisation. During ingression proper, cells leave a single-layered epithelium. In vegetal rotation, the process occurs in a multilayered cell mass; we refer to it as ingression-type cell migration. Endoderm cells move by amoeboid shape changes, but in contrast to other instances of amoeboid migration, trailing edge retraction involves ephrinB1-dependent macropinocytosis and trans-endocytosis. Moreover, although cells are separated by wide gaps, they are connected by filiform protrusions, and their migration depends on C-cadherin and the matrix protein fibronectin. Cells move in the same direction but at different velocities, to rearrange by differential migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason WH Wen
- Department of Cell and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
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27
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Canty L, Zarour E, Kashkooli L, François P, Fagotto F. Sorting at embryonic boundaries requires high heterotypic interfacial tension. Nat Commun 2017; 8:157. [PMID: 28761157 PMCID: PMC5537356 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of sharp boundaries is essential for segregation of embryonic tissues during development, but the underlying mechanism of cell sorting has remained unclear. Opposing hypotheses have been proposed, either based on global tissue adhesive or contractile properties or on local signalling through cell contact cues. Here we use ectoderm-mesoderm separation in Xenopus to directly evaluate the role of these various parameters. We find that ephrin-Eph-based repulsion is very effective at inducing and maintaining separation, whereas differences in adhesion or contractility have surprisingly little impact. Computer simulations support and generalise our experimental results, showing that a high heterotypic interfacial tension between tissues is key to their segregation. We propose a unifying model, in which conditions of sorting previously considered as driven by differential adhesion/tension should be viewed as suboptimal cases of heterotypic interfacial tension.The mechanisms that cause different cells to segregate into distinct tissues are unclear. Here the authors show in Xenopus that formation of a boundary between two tissues is driven by local tension along the interface rather than by global differences in adhesion or cortical contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Canty
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A1B1
| | - Eleyine Zarour
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A1B1
| | - Leily Kashkooli
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A1B1
- CRBM, CNRS, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Paul François
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A1B1
- Dept. of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A2T8
| | - François Fagotto
- Dept. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A1B1.
- CRBM, CNRS, Montpellier, 34293, France.
- Dept. of Biology, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, 34095, France.
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28
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Krens SFG, Veldhuis JH, Barone V, Čapek D, Maître JL, Brodland GW, Heisenberg CP. Interstitial fluid osmolarity modulates the action of differential tissue surface tension in progenitor cell segregation during gastrulation. Development 2017; 144:1798-1806. [PMID: 28512197 PMCID: PMC5450835 DOI: 10.1242/dev.144964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The segregation of different cell types into distinct tissues is a fundamental process in metazoan development. Differences in cell adhesion and cortex tension are commonly thought to drive cell sorting by regulating tissue surface tension (TST). However, the role that differential TST plays in cell segregation within the developing embryo is as yet unclear. Here, we have analyzed the role of differential TST for germ layer progenitor cell segregation during zebrafish gastrulation. Contrary to previous observations that differential TST drives germ layer progenitor cell segregation in vitro, we show that germ layers display indistinguishable TST within the gastrulating embryo, arguing against differential TST driving germ layer progenitor cell segregation in vivo We further show that the osmolarity of the interstitial fluid (IF) is an important factor that influences germ layer TST in vivo, and that lower osmolarity of the IF compared with standard cell culture medium can explain why germ layers display differential TST in culture but not in vivo Finally, we show that directed migration of mesendoderm progenitors is required for germ layer progenitor cell segregation and germ layer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Gabriel Krens
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jim H Veldhuis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Vanessa Barone
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Daniel Čapek
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jean-Léon Maître
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - G Wayne Brodland
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
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29
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Heisenberg CP. D'Arcy Thompson's 'on Growth and form': From soap bubbles to tissue self-organization. Mech Dev 2017; 145:32-37. [PMID: 28442367 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Tissues are thought to behave like fluids with a given surface tension. Differences in tissue surface tension (TST) have been proposed to trigger cell sorting and tissue envelopment. D'Arcy Thompson in his seminal book 'On Growth and Form' has introduced this concept of differential TST as a key physical mechanism dictating tissue formation and organization within the developing organism. Over the past century, many studies have picked up the concept of differential TST and analyzed the role and cell biological basis of TST in development, underlining the importance and influence of this concept in developmental biology.
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30
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Winklbauer R, Parent SE. Forces driving cell sorting in the amphibian embryo. Mech Dev 2017; 144:81-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Actomyosin-generated tension on cadherin is similar between dividing and non-dividing epithelial cells in early Xenopus laevis embryos. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45058. [PMID: 28327558 PMCID: PMC5361196 DOI: 10.1038/srep45058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelia represent a unique situation where polarized cells must maintain sufficiently strong cell-cell contacts to guarantee the epithelial integrity indispensable for barrier functions. Nevertheless, epithelia must also keep sufficient plasticity which is crucial during development and morphogenesis. Adherens junctions and mechanical forces produced by the actomyosin cytoskeleton are major players for epithelial integrity maintenance and plasticity regulations. To understand how the epithelium is able to meet such a challenge, it is indispensable to determine how cellular junctions and mechanical forces acting at adherens junctions are regulated. Here, we investigate the tensile forces acting on adherens junctions via cadherin during cell division in the Xenopus embryos epithelium. Using the recently developed E-cadherin FRET tension sensor and a fastFLIM prototype microscope, we were able to measure mechanical forces applied on cadherin at cell-cell junctions. We have shown that the Xenopus epithelium is under tension, approximately 3 pN which remains stable, indicating that tensile forces acting on cadherin at the adherens junction are at equilibrium. Unexpectedly, mechanical tension across cadherin was similar between dividing and non-dividing epithelial cells.
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32
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Simunovic M, Brivanlou AH. Embryoids, organoids and gastruloids: new approaches to understanding embryogenesis. Development 2017; 144:976-985. [PMID: 28292844 PMCID: PMC5358114 DOI: 10.1242/dev.143529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cells have an intrinsic ability to self-assemble and self-organize into complex and functional tissues and organs. By taking advantage of this ability, embryoids, organoids and gastruloids have recently been generated in vitro, providing a unique opportunity to explore complex embryological events in a detailed and highly quantitative manner. Here, we examine how such approaches are being used to answer fundamental questions in embryology, such as how cells self-organize and assemble, how the embryo breaks symmetry, and what controls timing and size in development. We also highlight how further improvements to these exciting technologies, based on the development of quantitative platforms to precisely follow and measure subcellular and molecular events, are paving the way for a more complete understanding of the complex events that help build the human embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijo Simunovic
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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33
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McGuigan AP, Javaherian S. Tissue Patterning: Translating Design Principles from In Vivo to In Vitro. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2016; 18:1-24. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-083115-032943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison P. McGuigan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada;
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34
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Zhang Z, Rankin SA, Zorn AM. Syndecan4 coordinates Wnt/JNK and BMP signaling to regulate foregut progenitor development. Dev Biol 2016; 416:187-199. [PMID: 27235146 PMCID: PMC5293220 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Temporally and spatially dynamic Wnt and BMP signals are essential to pattern foregut endoderm progenitors that give rise to the liver, pancreas and lungs, but how these two signaling pathways are coordinated in the extracellular space is unknown. Here we identify the transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan Syndecan-4 (Sdc4), as a key regulator of both non-canonical Wnt and BMP signaling in the Xenopus foregut. Foregut-specific Sdc4 depletion results in a disrupted Fibronectin (Fn1) matrix, reduced cell adhesion, and failure to maintain foregut gene expression ultimately leading to foregut organ hypoplasia. Sdc4 is required to maintain robust Wnt/JNK and BMP/Smad1 signaling in the hhex+ foregut progenitors. Pathway analysis suggests that Sdc4 functionally interacts with Fzd7 to promote Wnt/JNK signaling, which maintains foregut identity and cell adhesion. In addition, the Sdc4 ectodomain is required to support Fn1 matrix assembly, which is essential for the robust BMP signaling that promotes foregut gene expression. This work sheds lights on how the extracellular matrix can coordinate different signaling pathways during organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Scott A Rankin
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Aaron M Zorn
- Perinatal Institute, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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35
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Bruce AE. Zebrafish epiboly: Spreading thin over the yolk. Dev Dyn 2015; 245:244-58. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E.E. Bruce
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
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36
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Anais Tiberghien M, Lebreton G, Cribbs D, Benassayag C, Suzanne M. The Hox gene Dfd controls organogenesis by shaping territorial border through regulation of basal DE-Cadherin distribution. Dev Biol 2015. [PMID: 26206615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Hox genes are highly conserved selector genes controlling tissue identity and organogenesis. Recent work indicates that Hox genes also controls cell segregation and segmental boundary in various species, however the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in this function are poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, the Hox gene Deformed (Dfd) is required for specification and organogenesis of the adult Maxillary (Mx) palp. Here, we demonstrate that differential Dfd expression control Mx morphogenesis through the formation of a physical boundary separating the Mx field and the Peripodial Epithelium (PE). We show that this boundary relies on DE-cadherin (DE-cad) basal accumulation in Mx cells controlled by differential Dfd expression. Indeed, Dfd controls boundary formation through cell autonomous basal redistribution of DE-cad which leads to subsequent fold at the Dfd expression border. Finally, the loss of Mx DE-cad basal accumulation and hence of Mx-PE folding is sufficient to prevent Mx organogenesis thus revealing the crucial role of boundaries in organ differentiation. Altogether, these results reveal that Hox coordination of tissue morphogenesis relies on boundary fold formation through the modulation of DE-cad positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anais Tiberghien
- LBCMCP, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS UMR 5088 Bâtiment 4R3-B1, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France
| | - Gaelle Lebreton
- IBV-Institut de Biologie Valrose, Bâtiment de biochimie, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice cedex, France
| | - David Cribbs
- CBD, Université Paul Sabatier, UMR5547 Batiment 4R3-B3, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France
| | - Corinne Benassayag
- LBCMCP, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS UMR 5088 Bâtiment 4R3-B1, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.
| | - Magali Suzanne
- LBCMCP, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS UMR 5088 Bâtiment 4R3-B1, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France
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37
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McMillen P, Holley SA. Integration of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion in vertebrate morphogenesis. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2015; 36:48-53. [PMID: 26189063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we highlight recent re-evaluations of the classical cell sorting models and their application to understanding embryonic morphogenesis. Modern genetic and biophysical techniques reveal that tissue self-assembly is not solely a result of differential adhesion, but rather incorporates dynamic cytoskeletal tension and extracellular matrix assembly. There is growing evidence that these biomechanical modules cooperate to organize developing tissues. We describe the contributions of Cadherins and Integrins to tissue assembly and propose a model in which these very different adhesive regimes affect the same outcome through separate but convergent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick McMillen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Scott A Holley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
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38
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Luu O, Damm EW, Parent SE, Barua D, Smith THL, Wen JWH, Lepage SE, Nagel M, Ibrahim-Gawel H, Huang Y, Bruce AEE, Winklbauer R. PAPC mediates self/non-self-distinction during Snail1-dependent tissue separation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 208:839-56. [PMID: 25778923 PMCID: PMC4362454 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201409026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In Xenopus and zebrafish gastrulae, PAPC attenuates planar cell polarity signaling and controls formation of an adhesive, yet flexible, contact at the ectoderm–mesoderm boundary. Cleft-like boundaries represent a type of cell sorting boundary characterized by the presence of a physical gap between tissues. We studied the cleft-like ectoderm–mesoderm boundary in Xenopus laevis and zebrafish gastrulae. We identified the transcription factor Snail1 as being essential for tissue separation, showed that its expression in the mesoderm depends on noncanonical Wnt signaling, and demonstrated that it enables paraxial protocadherin (PAPC) to promote tissue separation through two novel functions. First, PAPC attenuates planar cell polarity signaling at the ectoderm–mesoderm boundary to lower cell adhesion and facilitate cleft formation. Second, PAPC controls formation of a distinct type of adhesive contact between mesoderm and ectoderm cells that shows properties of a cleft-like boundary at the single-cell level. It consists of short stretches of adherens junction–like contacts inserted between intermediate-sized contacts and large intercellular gaps. These roles of PAPC constitute a self/non–self-recognition mechanism that determines the site of boundary formation at the interface between PAPC-expressing and -nonexpressing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Luu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Erich W Damm
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Serge E Parent
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Debanjan Barua
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Tamara H L Smith
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Jason W H Wen
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Stephanie E Lepage
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Martina Nagel
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | | | - Yunyun Huang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Ashley E E Bruce
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
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39
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Kashef J, Franz CM. Quantitative methods for analyzing cell–cell adhesion in development. Dev Biol 2015; 401:165-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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40
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Shawky JH, Davidson LA. Tissue mechanics and adhesion during embryo development. Dev Biol 2015; 401:152-64. [PMID: 25512299 PMCID: PMC4402132 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
During development cells interact mechanically with their microenvironment through cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions. Many proteins involved in these adhesions serve both mechanical and signaling roles. In this review we will focus on the mechanical roles of these proteins and their complexes in transmitting force or stress from cell to cell or from cell to the extracellular matrix. As forces operate against tissues they establish tissue architecture, extracellular matrix assembly, and pattern cell shapes. As tissues become more established, adhesions play a major role integrating cells with the mechanics of their local environment. Adhesions may serve as both a molecular-specific glue, holding defined populations of cells together, and as a lubricant, allowing tissues to slide past one another. We review the biophysical principles and experimental tools used to study adhesion so that we may aid efforts to understand how adhesions guide these movements and integrate their signaling functions with mechanical function. As we conclude we review efforts to develop predictive models of adhesion that can be used to interpret experiments and guide future efforts to control and direct the process of tissue self-assembly during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Shawky
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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41
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Vroomans RMA, Hogeweg P, ten Tusscher KHWJ. Segment-specific adhesion as a driver of convergent extension. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004092. [PMID: 25706823 PMCID: PMC4338282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Convergent extension, the simultaneous extension and narrowing of tissues, is a crucial event in the formation of the main body axis during embryonic development. It involves processes on multiple scales: the sub-cellular, cellular and tissue level, which interact via explicit or intrinsic feedback mechanisms. Computational modelling studies play an important role in unravelling the multiscale feedbacks underlying convergent extension. Convergent extension usually operates in tissue which has been patterned or is currently being patterned into distinct domains of gene expression. How such tissue patterns are maintained during the large scale tissue movements of convergent extension has thus far not been investigated. Intriguingly, experimental data indicate that in certain cases these tissue patterns may drive convergent extension rather than requiring safeguarding against convergent extension. Here we use a 2D Cellular Potts Model (CPM) of a tissue prepatterned into segments, to show that convergent extension tends to disrupt this pre-existing segmental pattern. However, when cells preferentially adhere to cells of the same segment type, segment integrity is maintained without any reduction in tissue extension. Strikingly, we demonstrate that this segment-specific adhesion is by itself sufficient to drive convergent extension. Convergent extension is enhanced when we endow our in silico cells with persistence of motion, which in vivo would naturally follow from cytoskeletal dynamics. Finally, we extend our model to confirm the generality of our results. We demonstrate a similar effect of differential adhesion on convergent extension in tissues that can only extend in a single direction (as often occurs due to the inertia of the head region of the embryo), and in tissues prepatterned into a sequence of domains resulting in two opposing adhesive gradients, rather than alternating segments. The process of convergent extension is a major contributor to the formation of the anterior-posterior body axis in the early embryo. Convergent extension refers to the directed movement of cells that leads to the extension of tissue in one direction and narrowing of the tissue in the perpendicular direction. Often, convergent extension occurs in tissue which already contains distinct domains of gene expression such as segments, and it is unclear how these patterns are maintained despite extensive cell movement. Interestingly, experimental evidence suggests that these tissue patterns may drive rather than be compromised by convergent extension. However, existing computational models aimed at unravelling the mechanisms of convergent extension have thus far only studied the process in homogeneous tissues. With our model, we demonstrate that in a segmented tissue, preferential adhesion of cells to other cells within the same segment type is required to maintain the tissue pattern during convergent extension. Furthermore, such segment-specific adhesion is by itself capable of driving convergent extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renske M. A. Vroomans
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Paulien Hogeweg
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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42
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Deimling SJ, Halabi RR, Grover SA, Wang JH, Drysdale TA. Understanding early organogenesis using a simplified in situ hybridization protocol in Xenopus. J Vis Exp 2015:e51526. [PMID: 25651461 DOI: 10.3791/51526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Organogenesis is the study of how organs are specified and then acquire their specific shape and functions during development. The Xenopuslaevis embryo is very useful for studying organogenesis because their large size makes them very suitable for identifying organs at the earliest steps in organogenesis. At this time, the primary method used for identifying a specific organ or primordium is whole mount in situ hybridization with labeled antisense RNA probes specific to a gene that is expressed in the organ of interest. In addition, it is relatively easy to manipulate genes or signaling pathways in Xenopus and in situ hybridization allows one to then assay for changes in the presence or morphology of a target organ. Whole mount in situ hybridization is a multi-day protocol with many steps involved. Here we provide a simplified protocol with reduced numbers of steps and reagents used that works well for routine assays. In situ hybridization robots have greatly facilitated the process and we detail how and when we utilize that technology in the process. Once an in situ hybridization is complete, capturing the best image of the result can be frustrating. We provide advice on how to optimize imaging of in situ hybridization results. Although the protocol describes assessing organogenesis in Xenopus laevis, the same basic protocol can almost certainly be adapted to Xenopus tropicalis and other model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rami R Halabi
- Children's Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario
| | | | - Jean H Wang
- Children's Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario; Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Ontario
| | - Thomas A Drysdale
- Children's Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario; Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Ontario;
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43
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Javaherian S, D'Arcangelo E, Slater B, Zulueta-Coarasa T, Fernandez-Gonzalez R, McGuigan AP. An in vitro model of tissue boundary formation for dissecting the contribution of different boundary forming mechanisms. Integr Biol (Camb) 2015; 7:298-312. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ib00272e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Separation of phenotypically distinct cell populations is necessary to ensure proper organization and function of tissues and organs therefore understanding fundamental mechanisms that drive this cell segregation is important. In this work, authors present an in vivo model system that accurately recapitulates important aspects of cell segregation in vivo and allows dissection of cell behaviours driving cell segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Javaherian
- University of Toronto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
- Toronto
- Canada
| | - Elisa D'Arcangelo
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
- University of Toronto
- Toronto
- Canada
| | - Benjamin Slater
- University of Toronto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
- Toronto
- Canada
| | | | | | - Alison P. McGuigan
- University of Toronto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
- Toronto
- Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
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44
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Fagotto F. Regulation of Cell Adhesion and Cell Sorting at Embryonic Boundaries. Curr Top Dev Biol 2015; 112:19-64. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2014.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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45
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Cayuso J, Xu Q, Wilkinson DG. Mechanisms of boundary formation by Eph receptor and ephrin signaling. Dev Biol 2014; 401:122-31. [PMID: 25448699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The formation of sharp borders, across which cell intermingling is restricted, has a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of organized tissues. Signaling of Eph receptors and ephrins underlies formation of a number of boundaries between and within tissues during vertebrate development. Eph-ephrin signaling can regulate several types of cell response-adhesion, repulsion and tension-that can in principle underlie the segregation of cells and formation of sharp borders. Recent studies have implicated each of these cell responses as having important roles at different boundaries: repulsion at the mesoderm-ectoderm border, decreased adhesion at the notochord-presomitic mesoderm border, and tension at boundaries within the hindbrain and forebrain. These distinct responses to Eph receptor and ephrin activation may in part be due to the adhesive properties of the tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Cayuso
- Division of Developmental Neurobiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Qiling Xu
- Division of Developmental Neurobiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - David G Wilkinson
- Division of Developmental Neurobiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom.
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46
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Abstract
The subdivision of the embryo into physically distinct regions is one of the most fundamental processes in development. General hypotheses for tissue separation based on differential adhesion or tension have been proposed in the past, but with little experimental support. During the last decade, the field has experienced a strong revival, largely driven by renewed interest in biophysical modeling of development. Here, I will discuss the various models of boundary formation and summarize recent studies that have shifted our understanding of the process from the simple juxtaposition of global tissue properties to the characterization of local cellular reactions. Current evidence favors a model whereby separation is controlled by cell surface cues, which, upon cell-cell contact, generate acute changes in cytoskeletal and adhesive properties to inhibit cell mixing, and whereby the integration of multiple local cues may dictate both the global morphogenetic properties of a tissue and its separation from adjacent cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Fagotto
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada
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47
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Variable combinations of specific ephrin ligand/Eph receptor pairs control embryonic tissue separation. PLoS Biol 2014; 12:e1001955. [PMID: 25247423 PMCID: PMC4172438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate embryonic cells recognize self from non-self, thus restricting repulsion at tissue boundaries, through a combination of multiple ephrins and Eph receptors, simply based on binding selectivity and asymmetric expression. Ephrins and Eph receptors are involved in the establishment of vertebrate tissue boundaries. The complexity of the system is puzzling, however in many instances, tissues express multiple ephrins and Ephs on both sides of the boundary, a situation that should in principle cause repulsion between cells within each tissue. Although co-expression of ephrins and Eph receptors is widespread in embryonic tissues, neurons, and cancer cells, it is still unresolved how the respective signals are integrated into a coherent output. We present a simple explanation for the confinement of repulsion to the tissue interface: Using the dorsal ectoderm–mesoderm boundary of the Xenopus embryo as a model, we identify selective functional interactions between ephrin–Eph pairs that are expressed in partial complementary patterns. The combined repulsive signals add up to be strongest across the boundary, where they reach sufficient intensity to trigger cell detachments. The process can be largely explained using a simple model based exclusively on relative ephrin and Eph concentrations and binding affinities. We generalize these findings for the ventral ectoderm–mesoderm boundary and the notochord boundary, both of which appear to function on the same principles. These results provide a paradigm for how developmental systems may integrate multiple cues to generate discrete local outcomes. How embryonic tissues separate from each other to shape the developing organism is a fundamental question in developmental biology. In vertebrates, this process relies on local repulsive reactions specifically generated at contacts between cells of different types. These reactions are triggered by typical repulsive cell surface cues, the ephrin ligands, and Eph receptors. However, the expression of multiple ephrins and the Eph receptors by each cell type represents a puzzle: Why is repulsion observed only at the tissue interface and not within the tissue itself? By studying three cases of separation in the early amphibian embryo, we uncover a surprisingly simple logic underlying this phenomenon, which can be explained by the selectivity of ligand–receptor interactions and by their asymmetric distribution. The system is set such that, despite generalized interactions throughout the tissues, it is only at contacts between different cell types that the overall repulsive output is sufficiently strong to overcome cell–cell adhesion. Our study may serve as paradigm for how systematic dissection of complex cellular systems can reduce them to simple laws and make them intelligible.
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48
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David R, Luu O, Damm EW, Wen JWH, Nagel M, Winklbauer R. Tissue cohesion and the mechanics of cell rearrangement. Development 2014; 141:3672-82. [PMID: 25249459 DOI: 10.1242/dev.104315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Morphogenetic processes often involve the rapid rearrangement of cells held together by mutual adhesion. The dynamic nature of this adhesion endows tissues with liquid-like properties, such that large-scale shape changes appear as tissue flows. Generally, the resistance to flow (tissue viscosity) is expected to depend on the cohesion of a tissue (how strongly its cells adhere to each other), but the exact relationship between these parameters is not known. Here, we analyse the link between cohesion and viscosity to uncover basic mechanical principles of cell rearrangement. We show that for vertebrate and invertebrate tissues, viscosity varies in proportion to cohesion over a 200-fold range of values. We demonstrate that this proportionality is predicted by a cell-based model of tissue viscosity. To do so, we analyse cell adhesion in Xenopus embryonic tissues and determine a number of parameters, including tissue surface tension (as a measure of cohesion), cell contact fluctuation and cortical tension. In the tissues studied, the ratio of surface tension to viscosity, which has the dimension of a velocity, is 1.8 µm/min. This characteristic velocity reflects the rate of cell-cell boundary contraction during rearrangement, and sets a limit to rearrangement rates. Moreover, we propose that, in these tissues, cell movement is maximally efficient. Our approach to cell rearrangement mechanics links adhesion to the resistance of a tissue to plastic deformation, identifies the characteristic velocity of the process, and provides a basis for the comparison of tissues with mechanical properties that may vary by orders of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert David
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Olivia Luu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Erich W Damm
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Jason W H Wen
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Martina Nagel
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
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49
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Poh YC, Chen J, Hong Y, Yi H, Zhang S, Chen J, Wu DC, Wang L, Jia Q, Singh R, Yao W, Tan Y, Tajik A, Tanaka TS, Wang N. Generation of organized germ layers from a single mouse embryonic stem cell. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4000. [PMID: 24873804 PMCID: PMC4050279 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian inner cell mass cells undergo lineage-specific differentiation into germ
layers of endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm during gastrulation. It has been a
long-standing challenge in developmental biology to replicate these organized germ
layer patterns in culture. Here we present a method of generating organized germ
layers from a single mouse embryonic stem cell cultured in a soft fibrin matrix.
Spatial organization of germ layers is regulated by cortical tension of the colony,
matrix dimensionality and softness, and cell–cell adhesion. Remarkably,
anchorage of the embryoid colony from the 3D matrix to collagen-1-coated 2D
substrates of ~1 kPa results in self-organization of all three
germ layers: ectoderm on the outside layer, mesoderm in the middle and endoderm at
the centre of the colony, reminiscent of generalized gastrulating chordate embryos.
These results suggest that mechanical forces via cell–matrix and
cell–cell interactions are crucial in spatial organization of germ layers
during mammalian gastrulation. This new in vitro method could be used to gain
insights on the mechanisms responsible for the regulation of germ layer
formation. The three germ layers are formed from the inner cell mass of the
mammalian embryo during gastrulation. Here, the authors present a method by which a
single mouse embryonic stem cell, derived from inner cell mass, differentiates into the
three germ layers in a self-organized manner when cultured in soft fibrin gel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeh-Chuin Poh
- 1] Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China [2] Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Junwei Chen
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Ying Hong
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Haiying Yi
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Junjian Chen
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Douglas C Wu
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Lili Wang
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Qiong Jia
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Rishi Singh
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wenting Yao
- Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Youhua Tan
- 1] Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China [2] Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Arash Tajik
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Tetsuya S Tanaka
- 1] Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA [2] Department of Biological Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- 1] Laboratory for Cell Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China [2] Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Prin F, Serpente P, Itasaki N, Gould AP. Hox proteins drive cell segregation and non-autonomous apical remodelling during hindbrain segmentation. Development 2014; 141:1492-502. [PMID: 24574009 PMCID: PMC3957373 DOI: 10.1242/dev.098954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Hox genes encode a conserved family of homeodomain transcription factors regulating development along the major body axis. During embryogenesis, Hox proteins are expressed in segment-specific patterns and control numerous different segment-specific cell fates. It has been unclear, however, whether Hox proteins drive the epithelial cell segregation mechanism that is thought to initiate the segmentation process. Here, we investigate the role of vertebrate Hox proteins during the partitioning of the developing hindbrain into lineage-restricted units called rhombomeres. Loss-of-function mutants and ectopic expression assays reveal that Hoxb4 and its paralogue Hoxd4 are necessary and sufficient for cell segregation, and for the most caudal rhombomere boundary (r6/r7). Hox4 proteins regulate Eph/ephrins and other cell-surface proteins, and can function in a non-cell-autonomous manner to induce apical cell enlargement on both sides of their expression border. Similarly, other Hox proteins expressed at more rostral rhombomere interfaces can also regulate Eph/ephrins, induce apical remodelling and drive cell segregation in ectopic expression assays. However, Krox20, a key segmentation factor expressed in odd rhombomeres (r3 and r5), can largely override Hox proteins at the level of regulation of a cell surface target, Epha4. This study suggests that most, if not all, Hox proteins share a common potential to induce cell segregation but in some contexts this is masked or modulated by other transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Prin
- Division of Physiology and Metabolism, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Patricia Serpente
- Division of Physiology and Metabolism, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Nobue Itasaki
- Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Alex P. Gould
- Division of Physiology and Metabolism, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
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