1
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Garate X, Gómez-García PA, Merino MF, Angles MC, Zhu C, Castells-García A, Ed-Daoui I, Martin L, Ochiai H, Neguembor MV, Cosma MP. The relationship between nanoscale genome organization and gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells during pluripotency transition. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae476. [PMID: 38850157 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
During early development, gene expression is tightly regulated. However, how genome organization controls gene expression during the transition from naïve embryonic stem cells to epiblast stem cells is still poorly understood. Using single-molecule microscopy approaches to reach nanoscale resolution, we show that genome remodeling affects gene transcription during pluripotency transition. Specifically, after exit from the naïve pluripotency state, chromatin becomes less compacted, and the OCT4 transcription factor has lower mobility and is more bound to its cognate sites. In epiblast cells, the active transcription hallmark, H3K9ac, decreases within the Oct4 locus, correlating with reduced accessibility of OCT4 and, in turn, with reduced expression of Oct4 nascent RNAs. Despite the high variability in the distances between active pluripotency genes, distances between Nodal and Oct4 decrease during epiblast specification. In particular, highly expressed Oct4 alleles are closer to nuclear speckles during all stages of the pluripotency transition, while only a distinct group of highly expressed Nodal alleles are in close proximity to Oct4 when associated with a nuclear speckle in epiblast cells. Overall, our results provide new insights into the role of the spatiotemporal genome remodeling during mouse pluripotency transition and its correlation with the expression of key pluripotency genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena Garate
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Pablo Aurelio Gómez-García
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Manuel Fernández Merino
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Marta Cadevall Angles
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Chenggan Zhu
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Alvaro Castells-García
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Ilyas Ed-Daoui
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Laura Martin
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Hiroshi Ochiai
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan
| | - Maria Victoria Neguembor
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Maria Pia Cosma
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
- ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Lalanne JB, Regalado SG, Domcke S, Calderon D, Martin BK, Li X, Li T, Suiter CC, Lee C, Trapnell C, Shendure J. Multiplex profiling of developmental cis-regulatory elements with quantitative single-cell expression reporters. Nat Methods 2024; 21:983-993. [PMID: 38724692 PMCID: PMC11166576 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The inability to scalably and precisely measure the activity of developmental cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in multicellular systems is a bottleneck in genomics. Here we develop a dual RNA cassette that decouples the detection and quantification tasks inherent to multiplex single-cell reporter assays. The resulting measurement of reporter expression is accurate over multiple orders of magnitude, with a precision approaching the limit set by Poisson counting noise. Together with RNA barcode stabilization via circularization, these scalable single-cell quantitative expression reporters provide high-contrast readouts, analogous to classic in situ assays but entirely from sequencing. Screening >200 regions of accessible chromatin in a multicellular in vitro model of early mammalian development, we identify 13 (8 previously uncharacterized) autonomous and cell-type-specific developmental CREs. We further demonstrate that chimeric CRE pairs generate cognate two-cell-type activity profiles and assess gain- and loss-of-function multicellular expression phenotypes from CRE variants with perturbed transcription factor binding sites. Single-cell quantitative expression reporters can be applied in developmental and multicellular systems to quantitatively characterize native, perturbed and synthetic CREs at scale, with high sensitivity and at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel G Regalado
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Silvia Domcke
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Diego Calderon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Beth K Martin
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tony Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chase C Suiter
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Choli Lee
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
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3
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Oh SY, Na SB, Kang YK, Do JT. In Vitro Embryogenesis and Gastrulation Using Stem Cells in Mice and Humans. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13655. [PMID: 37686459 PMCID: PMC10563085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
During early mammalian embryonic development, fertilized one-cell embryos develop into pre-implantation blastocysts and subsequently establish three germ layers through gastrulation during post-implantation development. In recent years, stem cells have emerged as a powerful tool to study embryogenesis and gastrulation without the need for eggs, allowing for the generation of embryo-like structures known as synthetic embryos or embryoids. These in vitro models closely resemble early embryos in terms of morphology and gene expression and provide a faithful recapitulation of early pre- and post-implantation embryonic development. Synthetic embryos can be generated through a combinatorial culture of three blastocyst-derived stem cell types, such as embryonic stem cells, trophoblast stem cells, and extraembryonic endoderm cells, or totipotent-like stem cells alone. This review provides an overview of the progress and various approaches in studying in vitro embryogenesis and gastrulation in mice and humans using stem cells. Furthermore, recent findings and breakthroughs in synthetic embryos and gastruloids are outlined. Despite ethical considerations, synthetic embryo models hold promise for understanding mammalian (including humans) embryonic development and have potential implications for regenerative medicine and developmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jeong Tae Do
- Department of Stem Cell Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.O.); (S.B.N.); (Y.K.K.)
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4
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Plouhinec JL, Simon G, Vieira M, Collignon J, Sorre B. Dissecting signaling hierarchies in the patterning of the mouse primitive streak using micropatterned EpiLC colonies. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1757-1771. [PMID: 35714597 PMCID: PMC9287665 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo studies have established that the patterning of the mouse gastrula depends on a regulatory network in which the WNT, BMP, and NODAL signaling pathways cooperate, but aspects of their respective contributions remain unclear. Studying their impact on the spatial organization and developmental trajectories of micropatterned epiblast-like cell (EpiLC) colonies, we show that NODAL is required prior to BMP action to establish the mesoderm and endoderm lineages. The presence of BMP then forces NODAL and WNT to support the formation of posterior primitive streak (PS) derivatives, while its absence allows them to promote that of anterior PS derivatives. Also, a Nodal mutation elicits more severe patterning defects in vitro than in the embryo, suggesting that ligands of extra-embryonic origin can rescue them. These results support the implication of a combinatorial process in PS patterning and illustrate how the study of micropatterned EpiLC colonies can complement that of embryos. BMP or WNT cannot rescue the impact a Nodal KO has on primitive streak formation BMP exposure results in Nodal promoting posterior rather than anterior PS formation The maintenance of posterior mesodermal identities is dependent on Nodal expression Low Nodal expression does not prevent the emergence of anterior PS derivatives
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Plouhinec
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Gaël Simon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Vieira
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Benoit Sorre
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, 75013 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
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5
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Xing C, Shen W, Gong B, Li Y, Yan L, Meng A. Maternal Factors and Nodal Autoregulation Orchestrate Nodal Gene Expression for Embryonic Mesendoderm Induction in the Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:887987. [PMID: 35693948 PMCID: PMC9178097 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.887987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nodal proteins provide crucial signals for mesoderm and endoderm induction. In zebrafish embryos, the nodal genes ndr1/squint and ndr2/cyclops are implicated in mesendoderm induction. It remains elusive how ndr1 and ndr2 expression is regulated spatiotemporally. Here we investigated regulation of ndr1 and ndr2 expression using Mhwa mutants that lack the maternal dorsal determinant Hwa with deficiency in β-catenin signaling, Meomesa mutants that lack maternal Eomesodermin A (Eomesa), Meomesa;Mhwa double mutants, and the Nodal signaling inhibitor SB431542. We show that ndr1 and ndr2 expression is completely abolished in Meomesa;Mhwa mutant embryos, indicating an essential role of maternal eomesa and hwa. Hwa-activated β-catenin signaling plays a major role in activation of ndr1 expression in the dorsal blastodermal margin, while eomesa is mostly responsible for ndr1 expression in the lateroventral margin and Nodal signaling contributes to ventral expansion of the ndr1 expression domain. However, ndr2 expression mainly depends on maternal eomesa with minor or negligible contribution of maternal hwa and Nodal autoregulation. These mechanisms may help understand regulation of Nodal expression in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cencan Xing
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Daxing Research Institute, University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Shen
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Gong
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqi Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Yan
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Anming Meng
- Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Anming Meng,
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6
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Hayes K, Kim YK, Pera MF. A case for revisiting Nodal signaling in human pluripotent stem cells. STEM CELLS (DAYTON, OHIO) 2021; 39:1137-1144. [PMID: 33932319 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Nodal is a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily member that plays a number of critical roles in mammalian embryonic development. Nodal is essential for the support of the peri-implantation epiblast in the mouse embryo and subsequently acts to specify mesendodermal fate at the time of gastrulation and, later, left-right asymmetry. Maintenance of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in vitro is dependent on Nodal signaling. Because it has proven difficult to prepare a biologically active form of recombinant Nodal protein, Activin or TGFB1 are widely used as surrogates for NODAL in hPSC culture. Nonetheless, the expression of the components of an endogenous Nodal signaling pathway in hPSC provides a potential autocrine pathway for the regulation of self-renewal in this system. Here we review recent studies that have clarified the role of Nodal signaling in pluripotent stem cell populations, highlighted spatial restrictions on Nodal signaling, and shown that Nodal functions in vivo as a heterodimer with GDF3, another TGF-β superfamily member expressed by hPSC. We discuss the role of this pathway in the maintenance of the epiblast and hPSC in light of these new advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hayes
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | - Yun-Kyo Kim
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
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7
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Jayasuriya R, Ramkumar KM. Role of long non-coding RNAs on the regulation of Nrf2 in chronic diseases. Life Sci 2021; 270:119025. [PMID: 33450255 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Studies have identified dysregulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in several diseases at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Although our mechanistic knowledge on the regulation of lncRNAs is still limited, one of the mechanisms of action attributed is binding and regulating transcription factors, thus controlling gene expression and protein function. One such transcription factor is nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which plays a critical biological role in maintaining cellular homeostasis at multiple levels in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The levels of Nrf2 were found to be down-regulated in many chronic diseases, signifying that Nrf2 can be a key therapeutic target. Few lncRNAs like lncRNA ROR, ENSMUST00000125413, lncRNA ODRUL, Nrf2-lncRNA have been associated with the Nrf2 signaling pathway in response to various stimuli, including stress. This review discusses the regulation of Nrf2 in different responses and the potential role of specific lncRNA in modulating its transcriptional activities. This review further helps to enhance our knowledge on the regulatory role of the critical antioxidant transcription factor, Nrf2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravichandran Jayasuriya
- SRM Research Institute and Department of Biotechnology, School of bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kunka Mohanram Ramkumar
- SRM Research Institute and Department of Biotechnology, School of bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
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8
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Gastruloids: Embryonic Organoids from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells to Study Patterning and Development in Early Mammalian Embryos. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2258:131-147. [PMID: 33340359 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1174-6_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gastruloids are embryonic organoids made from small, defined numbers of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) aggregated in suspension culture, which over time form 3D structures that mimic many of the features of early mammalian development. Unlike embryoid bodies that are usually disorganized when grown over several days, gastruloids display distinct, well-organized gene expression domains demarcating the emergence of the three body axes, anteroposterior axial elongation, and implementation of collinear Hox transcriptional patterns over 5-7 days of culture. As such gastruloids represent a useful experimental system that is complementary to in vivo approaches in studying early developmental patterning mechanisms regulating the acquisition of cell fates. In this protocol, we describe the most recent method for generating gastruloids with high reproducibility, and provide a comprehensive list of possible challenges as well as steps for protocol optimization.
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9
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An Overview of Non-coding RNAs and Cardiovascular System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1229:3-45. [PMID: 32285403 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-1671-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease management and timely diagnosis remain a major dilemma. Delineating molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases is opening horizon in the field of molecular medicines and in the development of early diagnostic markers. Non-coding RNAs are the highly functional and vibrant nucleic acids and are known to be involved in the regulation of endothelial cells, vascular and smooth muscles cells, cardiac metabolism, ischemia, inflammation and many processes in cardiovascular system. This chapter is comprehensively focusing on the overview of the non-coding RNAs including their discovery, generation, classification and functional regulation. In addition, overview regarding different non-coding RNAs as long non-coding, siRNAs and miRNAs involvement in the cardiovascular diseases is also addressed. Detailed functional analysis of this vast group of highly regulatory molecules will be promising for shaping future drug discoveries.
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10
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van den Brink SC, Alemany A, van Batenburg V, Moris N, Blotenburg M, Vivié J, Baillie-Johnson P, Nichols J, Sonnen KF, Martinez Arias A, van Oudenaarden A. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal somitogenesis in gastruloids. Nature 2020; 582:405-409. [PMID: 32076263 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Gastruloids are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic stem cells that display key features of mammalian development after implantation, including germ-layer specification and axial organization1-3. To date, the expression pattern of only a small number of genes in gastruloids has been explored with microscopy, and the extent to which genome-wide expression patterns in gastruloids mimic those in embryos is unclear. Here we compare mouse gastruloids with mouse embryos using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. We identify various embryonic cell types that were not previously known to be present in gastruloids, and show that key regulators of somitogenesis are expressed similarly between embryos and gastruloids. Using live imaging, we show that the somitogenesis clock is active in gastruloids and has dynamics that resemble those in vivo. Because gastruloids can be grown in large quantities, we performed a small screen that revealed how reduced FGF signalling induces a short-tail phenotype in embryos. Finally, we demonstrate that embedding in Matrigel induces gastruloids to generate somites with the correct rostral-caudal patterning, which appear sequentially in an anterior-to-posterior direction over time. This study thus shows the power of gastruloids as a model system for exploring development and somitogenesis in vitro in a high-throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne C van den Brink
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna Alemany
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent van Batenburg
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marloes Blotenburg
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Vivié
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katharina F Sonnen
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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11
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Sandomenico A, Ruvo M. Targeting Nodal and Cripto-1: Perspectives Inside Dual Potential Theranostic Cancer Biomarkers. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:1994-2050. [PMID: 30207211 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180912104707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elucidating the mechanisms of recurrence of embryonic signaling pathways in tumorigenesis has led to the discovery of onco-fetal players which have physiological roles during normal development but result aberrantly re-activated in tumors. In this context, Nodal and Cripto-1 are recognized as onco-developmental factors, which are absent in normal tissues but are overexpressed in several solid tumors where they can serve as theranostic agents. OBJECTIVE To collect, review and discuss the most relevant papers related to the involvement of Nodal and Cripto-1 in the development, progression, recurrence and metastasis of several tumors where they are over-expressed, with a particular attention to their occurrence on the surface of the corresponding sub-populations of cancer stem cells (CSC). RESULTS We have gathered, rationalized and discussed the most interesting findings extracted from some 370 papers related to the involvement of Cripto-1 and Nodal in all tumor types where they have been detected. Data demonstrate the clear connection between Nodal and Cripto-1 presence and their multiple oncogenic activities across different tumors. We have also reviewed and highlighted the potential of targeting Nodal, Cripto-1 and the complexes that they form on the surface of tumor cells, especially of CSC, as an innovative approach to detect and suppress tumors with molecules that block one or more mechanisms that they regulate. CONCLUSION Overall, Nodal and Cripto-1 represent two innovative and effective biomarkers for developing potential theranostic anti-tumor agents that target normal as well as CSC subpopulations and overcome both pharmacological resistance and tumor relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Sandomenico
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBB-CNR), via Mezzocannone, 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Menotti Ruvo
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBB-CNR), via Mezzocannone, 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
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12
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Edri S, Hayward P, Jawaid W, Martinez Arias A. Neuro-mesodermal progenitors (NMPs): a comparative study between pluripotent stem cells and embryo-derived populations. Development 2019; 146:dev180190. [PMID: 31152001 PMCID: PMC6602346 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian embryo's caudal lateral epiblast (CLE) harbours bipotent progenitors, called neural mesodermal progenitors (NMPs), that contribute to the spinal cord and the paraxial mesoderm throughout axial elongation. Here, we performed a single cell analysis of different in vitro NMP populations produced either from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) and compared them with E8.25 CLE mouse embryos. In our analysis of this region, our findings challenge the notion that NMPs can be defined by the exclusive co-expression of Sox2 and T at mRNA level. We analyse the in vitro NMP-like populations using a purpose-built support vector machine (SVM) based on the embryo CLE and use it as a classification model to compare the in vivo and in vitro populations. Our results show that NMP differentiation from ESCs leads to heterogeneous progenitor populations with few NMP-like cells, as defined by the SVM algorithm, whereas starting with EpiSCs yields a high proportion of cells with the embryo NMP signature. We find that the population from which the Epi-NMPs are derived in culture contains a node-like population, which suggests that this population probably maintains the expression of T in vitro and thereby a source of NMPs. In conclusion, differentiation of EpiSCs into NMPs reproduces events in vivo and suggests a sequence of events for the emergence of the NMP population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Edri
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Penelope Hayward
- Department of Genetics, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Wajid Jawaid
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2XY, UK
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
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13
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Novo CL, Javierre BM, Cairns J, Segonds-Pichon A, Wingett SW, Freire-Pritchett P, Furlan-Magaril M, Schoenfelder S, Fraser P, Rugg-Gunn PJ. Long-Range Enhancer Interactions Are Prevalent in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Are Reorganized upon Pluripotent State Transition. Cell Rep 2019. [PMID: 29514091 PMCID: PMC5863031 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancers, including super-enhancers (SEs), form physical interactions with promoters to regulate cell-type-specific gene expression. SEs are characterized by high transcription factor occupancy and large domains of active chromatin, and they are commonly assigned to target promoters using computational predictions. How promoter-SE interactions change upon cell state transitions, and whether transcription factors maintain SE interactions, have not been reported. Here, we used promoter-capture Hi-C to identify promoters that interact with SEs in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We found that SEs form complex, spatial networks in which individual SEs contact multiple promoters, and a rewiring of promoter-SE interactions occurs between pluripotent states. We also show that long-range promoter-SE interactions are more prevalent in ESCs than in epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) or Nanog-deficient ESCs. We conclude that SEs form cell-type-specific interaction networks that are partly dependent on core transcription factors, thereby providing insights into the gene regulatory organization of pluripotent cells. Promoter-capture Hi-C identifies 3D interactions in mouse pluripotent cells Super-enhancers (SEs) form complex spatial networks contacting multiple promoters Rewiring of promoter-SE interactions between ESC and EpiSC pluripotent states Long-range SE interactions are a hallmark of mouse ESCs
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Lopes Novo
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | | | - Jonathan Cairns
- Nuclear Dynamics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | | | - Steven W Wingett
- Bioinformatics Group, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | | | | | | | - Peter Fraser
- Nuclear Dynamics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Peter J Rugg-Gunn
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.
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14
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Greenberg M, Teissandier A, Walter M, Noordermeer D, Bourc'his D. Dynamic enhancer partitioning instructs activation of a growth-related gene during exit from naïve pluripotency. eLife 2019; 8:44057. [PMID: 30990414 PMCID: PMC6488298 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During early mammalian development, the chromatin landscape undergoes profound transitions. The Zdbf2 gene—involved in growth control—provides a valuable model to study this window: upon exit from naïve pluripotency and prior to tissue differentiation, it undergoes a switch from a distal to a proximal promoter usage, accompanied by a switch from polycomb to DNA methylation occupancy. Using a mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) system to mimic this period, we show here that four enhancers contribute to the Zdbf2 promoter switch, concomitantly with dynamic changes in chromatin architecture. In ESCs, the locus is partitioned to facilitate enhancer contacts with the distal Zdbf2 promoter. Relieving the partition enhances proximal Zdbf2 promoter activity, as observed during differentiation or with genetic mutants. Importantly, we show that 3D regulation occurs upstream of the polycomb and DNA methylation pathways. Our study reveals the importance of multi-layered regulatory frameworks to ensure proper spatio-temporal activation of developmentally important genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Greenberg
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Marius Walter
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Deborah Bourc'his
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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15
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Baillie-Johnson P, Voiculescu O, Hayward P, Steventon B. The Chick Caudolateral Epiblast Acts as a Permissive Niche for Generating Neuromesodermal Progenitor Behaviours. Cells Tissues Organs 2018; 205:320-330. [PMID: 30517924 PMCID: PMC6469839 DOI: 10.1159/000494769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromesodermal progenitors (NMps) are a population of bipotent progenitors that maintain competence to generate both spinal cord and paraxial mesoderm throughout the elongation of the posterior body axis. Recent studies have generated populations of NMp-like cells in culture, which have been shown to differentiate to both neural and mesodermal cell fates when transplanted into either mouse or chick embryos. Here, we aim to compare the potential of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived progenitor populations to generate NMp behaviour against both undifferentiated and differentiated populations. We define NMp behaviour as the ability of cells to: (i) contribute to a significant proportion of the anterior-posterior body axis, (ii) enter into both posterior neural and somitic compartments, and (iii) retain a proportion of the progenitor population within the posterior growth zone. We compare previously identified ES cell-derived NMp-like populations to undifferentiated mouse ES cells and find that they all display similar potentials to generate NMp behaviour in vivo. To assess whether this competence is lost upon further differentiation, we generated anterior and posterior embryonic cell types through the generation of 3D gastruloids and show that NMp competence is lost within the anterior (Brachyury-negative) portion of the gastruloid. Together this suggests that in vitro-derived NMp-like cells maintain an ability to contribute to multiple germ layers that is also present within pluripotent ES cells, rather than acquiring a neuromesodermal competent state through differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Baillie-Johnson
- Wellcome - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Octavian Voiculescu
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Penny Hayward
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Steventon
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
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16
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Multi-axial self-organization properties of mouse embryonic stem cells into gastruloids. Nature 2018; 562:272-276. [PMID: 30283134 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multiple axes is an essential element in the establishment of the mammalian body plan. This process takes place shortly after implantation of the embryo within the uterus and relies on the activity of gene regulatory networks that coordinate transcription in space and time. Whereas genetic approaches have revealed important aspects of these processes1, a mechanistic understanding is hampered by the poor experimental accessibility of early post-implantation stages. Here we show that small aggregates of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), when stimulated to undergo gastrulation-like events and elongation in vitro, can organize a post-occipital pattern of neural, mesodermal and endodermal derivatives that mimic embryonic spatial and temporal gene expression. The establishment of the three major body axes in these 'gastruloids'2,3 suggests that the mechanisms involved are interdependent. Specifically, gastruloids display the hallmarks of axial gene regulatory systems as exemplified by the implementation of collinear Hox transcriptional patterns along an extending antero-posterior axis. These results reveal an unanticipated self-organizing capacity of aggregated ESCs and suggest that gastruloids could be used as a complementary system to study early developmental events in the mammalian embryo.
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17
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Blin G, Wisniewski D, Picart C, Thery M, Puceat M, Lowell S. Geometrical confinement controls the asymmetric patterning of brachyury in cultures of pluripotent cells. Development 2018; 145:dev166025. [PMID: 30115626 PMCID: PMC6176930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.166025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Diffusible signals are known to orchestrate patterning during embryogenesis, yet diffusion is sensitive to noise. The fact that embryogenesis is remarkably robust suggests that additional layers of regulation reinforce patterning. Here, we demonstrate that geometrical confinement orchestrates the spatial organisation of initially randomly positioned subpopulations of spontaneously differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells. We use micropatterning in combination with pharmacological manipulations and quantitative imaging to dissociate the multiple effects of geometry. We show that the positioning of a pre-streak-like population marked by brachyury (T) is decoupled from the size of its population, and that breaking radial symmetry of patterns imposes polarised patterning. We provide evidence for a model in which the overall level of diffusible signals together with the history of the cell culture define the number of T+ cells, whereas geometrical constraints guide patterning in a multi-step process involving a differential response of the cells to multicellular spatial organisation. Our work provides a framework for investigating robustness of patterning and provides insights into how to guide symmetry-breaking events in aggregates of pluripotent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Blin
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Darren Wisniewski
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Catherine Picart
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Manuel Thery
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire and Végétale, UMR5168, CytoMorpho Lab, 38054 Grenoble, France
- Univ. Paris Diderot, CEA, INSERM, Hôpital Saint Louis, Institut Universitaire d'Hematologie, UMRS1160, CytoMorpho Lab, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Michel Puceat
- INSERM U1251, Université Aix-Marseille, MMG, 13885 Marseille, France
| | - Sally Lowell
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
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18
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Self-assembly of embryonic and two extra-embryonic stem cell types into gastrulating embryo-like structures. Nat Cell Biol 2018; 20:979-989. [PMID: 30038254 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-018-0147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells can be incorporated into the developing embryo and its germ line, but, when cultured alone, their ability to generate embryonic structures is restricted. They can interact with trophoblast stem cells to generate structures that break symmetry and specify mesoderm, but their development is limited as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastrulation cannot occur. Here, we describe a system that allows assembly of mouse embryonic, trophoblast and extra-embryonic endoderm stem cells into structures that acquire the embryo's architecture with all distinct embryonic and extra-embryonic compartments. Strikingly, such embryo-like structures develop to undertake the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, leading to mesoderm and then definitive endoderm specification. Spatial transcriptomic analyses demonstrate that these morphological transformations are underpinned by gene expression patterns characteristic of gastrulating embryos. This demonstrates the remarkable ability of three stem cell types to self-assemble in vitro into gastrulating embryo-like structures undertaking spatio-temporal events of the gastrulating mammalian embryo.
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19
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A Requirement for Zic2 in the Regulation of Nodal Expression Underlies the Establishment of Left-Sided Identity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10439. [PMID: 29992973 PMCID: PMC6041270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28714-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
ZIC2 mutation is known to cause holoprosencephaly (HPE). A subset of ZIC2 HPE probands harbour cardiovascular and visceral anomalies suggestive of laterality defects. 3D-imaging of novel mouse Zic2 mutants uncovers, in addition to HPE, laterality defects in lungs, heart, vasculature and viscera. A strong bias towards right isomerism indicates a failure to establish left identity in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), a phenotype that cannot be explained simply by the defective ciliogenesis previously noted in Zic2 mutants. Gene expression analysis showed that the left-determining NODAL-dependent signalling cascade fails to be activated in the LPM, and that the expression of Nodal at the node, which normally triggers this event, is itself defective in these embryos. Analysis of ChiP-seq data, in vitro transcriptional assays and mutagenesis reveals a requirement for a low-affinity ZIC2 binding site for the activation of the Nodal enhancer HBE, which is normally active in node precursor cells. These data show that ZIC2 is required for correct Nodal expression at the node and suggest a model in which ZIC2 acts at different levels to establish LR asymmetry, promoting both the production of the signal that induces left side identity and the morphogenesis of the cilia that bias its distribution.
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20
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Abstract
TGF-β family ligands function in inducing and patterning many tissues of the early vertebrate embryonic body plan. Nodal signaling is essential for the specification of mesendodermal tissues and the concurrent cellular movements of gastrulation. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling patterns tissues along the dorsal-ventral axis and simultaneously directs the cell movements of convergence and extension. After gastrulation, a second wave of Nodal signaling breaks the symmetry between the left and right sides of the embryo. During these processes, elaborate regulatory feedback between TGF-β ligands and their antagonists direct the proper specification and patterning of embryonic tissues. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the function and regulation of TGF-β family signaling in these processes. Although we cover principles that are involved in the development of all vertebrate embryos, we focus specifically on three popular model organisms: the mouse Mus musculus, the African clawed frog of the genus Xenopus, and the zebrafish Danio rerio, highlighting the similarities and differences between these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Zinski
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Benjamin Tajer
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Mary C Mullins
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
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21
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Huang X, Balmer S, Yang F, Fidalgo M, Li D, Guallar D, Hadjantonakis AK, Wang J. Zfp281 is essential for mouse epiblast maturation through transcriptional and epigenetic control of Nodal signaling. eLife 2017; 6:33333. [PMID: 29168693 PMCID: PMC5708896 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotency is defined by a cell's potential to differentiate into any somatic cell type. How pluripotency is transited during embryo implantation, followed by cell lineage specification and establishment of the basic body plan, is poorly understood. Here we report the transcription factor Zfp281 functions in the exit from naive pluripotency occurring coincident with pre-to-post-implantation mouse embryonic development. By characterizing Zfp281 mutant phenotypes and identifying Zfp281 gene targets and protein partners in developing embryos and cultured pluripotent stem cells, we establish critical roles for Zfp281 in activating components of the Nodal signaling pathway and lineage-specific genes. Mechanistically, Zfp281 cooperates with histone acetylation and methylation complexes at target gene enhancers and promoters to exert transcriptional activation and repression, as well as epigenetic control of epiblast maturation leading up to anterior-posterior axis specification. Our study provides a comprehensive molecular model for understanding pluripotent state progressions in vivo during mammalian embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Huang
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Sophie Balmer
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Fan Yang
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Miguel Fidalgo
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Departamento de Fisioloxia, Centro de Investigacion en Medicina Molecular e Enfermidades Cronicas, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Dan Li
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Diana Guallar
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Jianlong Wang
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.,The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
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22
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Turner DA, Girgin M, Alonso-Crisostomo L, Trivedi V, Baillie-Johnson P, Glodowski CR, Hayward PC, Collignon J, Gustavsen C, Serup P, Steventon B, P Lutolf M, Arias AM. Anteroposterior polarity and elongation in the absence of extra-embryonic tissues and of spatially localised signalling in gastruloids: mammalian embryonic organoids. Development 2017; 144:3894-3906. [PMID: 28951435 PMCID: PMC5702072 DOI: 10.1242/dev.150391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of the anteroposterior (AP) axis is a crucial step during animal embryo development. In mammals, genetic studies have shown that this process relies on signals spatiotemporally deployed in the extra-embryonic tissues that locate the position of the head and the onset of gastrulation, marked by T/Brachyury (T/Bra) at the posterior of the embryo. Here, we use gastruloids, mESC-based organoids, as a model system with which to study this process. We find that gastruloids localise T/Bra expression to one end and undergo elongation similar to the posterior region of the embryo, suggesting that they develop an AP axis. This process relies on precisely timed interactions between Wnt/β-catenin and Nodal signalling, whereas BMP signalling is dispensable. Additionally, polarised T/Bra expression occurs in the absence of extra-embryonic tissues or localised sources of signals. We suggest that the role of extra-embryonic tissues in the mammalian embryo might not be to induce the axes but to bias an intrinsic ability of the embryo to initially break symmetry. Furthermore, we suggest that Wnt signalling has a separable activity involved in the elongation of the axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Turner
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Mehmet Girgin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luz Alonso-Crisostomo
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Peter Baillie-Johnson
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Cherise R Glodowski
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Penelope C Hayward
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris-Diderot, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Carsten Gustavsen
- Danish Stem Cell Center, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Palle Serup
- Danish Stem Cell Center, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Steventon
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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23
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Fernandez-Alonso R, Davidson L, Hukelmann J, Zengerle M, Prescott AR, Lamond A, Ciulli A, Sapkota GP, Findlay GM. Brd4-Brd2 isoform switching coordinates pluripotent exit and Smad2-dependent lineage specification. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:1108-1122. [PMID: 28588073 PMCID: PMC5494510 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold great clinical potential, as they possess the capacity to differentiate into fully specialised tissues such as pancreas, liver, neurons and cardiac muscle. However, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate pluripotent exit with lineage specification remain poorly understood. To address this question, we perform a small molecule screen to systematically identify novel regulators of the Smad2 signalling network, a key determinant of PSC fate. We reveal an essential function for BET family bromodomain proteins in Smad2 activation, distinct from the role of Brd4 in pluripotency maintenance. Mechanistically, BET proteins specifically engage Nodal gene regulatory elements (NREs) to promote Nodal signalling and Smad2 developmental responses. In pluripotent cells, Brd2‐Brd4 occupy NREs, but only Brd4 is required for pluripotency gene expression. Brd4 downregulation facilitates pluripotent exit and drives enhanced Brd2 NRE occupancy, thereby unveiling a specific function for Brd2 in differentiative Nodal‐Smad2 signalling. Therefore, distinct BET functionalities and Brd4‐Brd2 isoform switching at NREs coordinate pluripotent exit with lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Fernandez-Alonso
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Lindsay Davidson
- Pluripotent Stem Cell Facility, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Jens Hukelmann
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Michael Zengerle
- Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Alan R Prescott
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Angus Lamond
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Alessio Ciulli
- Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Gopal P Sapkota
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Greg M Findlay
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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24
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Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation by Long Non-coding RNA. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2017; 15:177-186. [PMID: 28529100 PMCID: PMC5487525 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 566] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genomics technology over recent years have led to the surprising discovery that the genome is far more pervasively transcribed than was previously appreciated. Much of the newly-discovered transcriptome appears to represent long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), a heterogeneous group of largely uncharacterised transcripts. Understanding the biological function of these molecules represents a major challenge and in this review we discuss some of the progress made to date. One major theme of lncRNA biology seems to be the existence of a network of interactions with microRNA (miRNA) pathways. lncRNA has been shown to act as both a source and an inhibitory regulator of miRNA. At the transcriptional level, a model is emerging whereby lncRNA bridges DNA and protein by binding to chromatin and serving as a scaffold for modifying protein complexes. Such a mechanism can bridge promoters to enhancers or enhancer-like non-coding genes by regulating chromatin looping, as well as conferring specificity on histone modifying complexes by directing them to specific loci.
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25
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Houston DW. Vertebrate Axial Patterning: From Egg to Asymmetry. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 953:209-306. [PMID: 27975274 PMCID: PMC6550305 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46095-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of the bilateral embryonic body axis from a symmetrical egg has been a long-standing question in developmental biology. Historical and modern experiments point to an initial symmetry-breaking event leading to localized Wnt and Nodal growth factor signaling and subsequent induction and formation of a self-regulating dorsal "organizer." This organizer forms at the site of notochord cell internalization and expresses primarily Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) growth factor antagonists that establish a spatiotemporal gradient of BMP signaling across the embryo, directing initial cell differentiation and morphogenesis. Although the basics of this model have been known for some time, many of the molecular and cellular details have only recently been elucidated and the extent that these events remain conserved throughout vertebrate evolution remains unclear. This chapter summarizes historical perspectives as well as recent molecular and genetic advances regarding: (1) the mechanisms that regulate symmetry-breaking in the vertebrate egg and early embryo, (2) the pathways that are activated by these events, in particular the Wnt pathway, and the role of these pathways in the formation and function of the organizer, and (3) how these pathways also mediate anteroposterior patterning and axial morphogenesis. Emphasis is placed on comparative aspects of the egg-to-embryo transition across vertebrates and their evolution. The future prospects for work regarding self-organization and gene regulatory networks in the context of early axis formation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Houston
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, 257 BB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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26
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Menchero S, Rayon T, Andreu MJ, Manzanares M. Signaling pathways in mammalian preimplantation development: Linking cellular phenotypes to lineage decisions. Dev Dyn 2016; 246:245-261. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Menchero
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC); Madrid Spain
| | - Teresa Rayon
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC); Madrid Spain
| | - Maria Jose Andreu
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC); Madrid Spain
| | - Miguel Manzanares
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC); Madrid Spain
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Bodenstine TM, Chandler GS, Seftor REB, Seftor EA, Hendrix MJC. Plasticity underlies tumor progression: role of Nodal signaling. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2016; 35:21-39. [PMID: 26951550 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-016-9605-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily member Nodal is an established regulator of early embryonic development, with primary roles in endoderm induction, left-right asymmetry, and primitive streak formation. Nodal signals through TGFβ family receptors at the plasma membrane and induces signaling cascades leading to diverse transcriptional regulation. While conceptually simple, the regulation of Nodal and its molecular effects are profoundly complex and context dependent. Pioneering work by developmental biologists has characterized the signaling pathways, regulatory components, and provided detailed insight into the mechanisms by which Nodal mediates changes at the cellular and organismal levels. Nodal is also an important factor in maintaining pluripotency of embryonic stem cells through regulation of core transcriptional programs. Collectively, this work has led to an appreciation for Nodal as a powerful morphogen capable of orchestrating multiple cellular phenotypes. Although Nodal is not active in most adult tissues, its reexpression and signaling have been linked to multiple types of human cancer, and Nodal has emerged as a driver of tumor growth and cellular plasticity. In vitro and in vivo experimental evidence has demonstrated that inhibition of Nodal signaling reduces cancer cell aggressive characteristics, while clinical data have established associations with Nodal expression and patient outcomes. As a result, there is great interest in the potential targeting of Nodal activity in a therapeutic setting for cancer patients that may provide new avenues for suppressing tumor growth and metastasis. In this review, we evaluate our current understanding of the complexities of Nodal function in cancer and highlight recent experimental evidence that sheds light on the therapeutic potential of its inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Bodenstine
- Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 222, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Grace S Chandler
- Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 222, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Richard E B Seftor
- Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 222, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Seftor
- Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 222, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Mary J C Hendrix
- Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 222, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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Sauvegarde C, Paul D, Bridoux L, Jouneau A, Degrelle S, Hue I, Rezsohazy R, Donnay I. Dynamic Pattern of HOXB9 Protein Localization during Oocyte Maturation and Early Embryonic Development in Mammals. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165898. [PMID: 27798681 PMCID: PMC5087947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We previously showed that the homeodomain transcription factor HOXB9 is expressed in mammalian oocytes and early embryos. However, a systematic and exhaustive study of the localization of the HOXB9 protein, and HOX proteins in general, during mammalian early embryonic development has so far never been performed. Results The distribution of HOXB9 proteins in oocytes and the early embryo was characterized by immunofluorescence from the immature oocyte stage to the peri-gastrulation period in both the mouse and the bovine. HOXB9 was detected at all studied stages with a dynamic expression pattern. Its distribution was well conserved between the two species until the blastocyst stage and was mainly nuclear. From that stage on, trophoblastic cells always showed a strong nuclear staining, while the inner cell mass and the derived cell lines showed important dynamic variations both in staining intensity and in intra-cellular localization. Indeed, HOXB9 appeared to be progressively downregulated in epiblast cells and only reappeared after gastrulation had well progressed. The protein was also detected in the primitive endoderm and its derivatives with a distinctive presence in apical vacuoles of mouse visceral endoderm cells. Conclusions Together, these results could suggest the existence of unsuspected functions for HOXB9 during early embryonic development in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Sauvegarde
- Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Animale (AMCB), Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Delphine Paul
- Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Animale (AMCB), Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Laure Bridoux
- Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Animale (AMCB), Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alice Jouneau
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Séverine Degrelle
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR-S1139, U767, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- PremUp Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Hue
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - René Rezsohazy
- Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Animale (AMCB), Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Donnay
- Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Animale (AMCB), Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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29
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Conserved and divergent expression patterns of markers of axial development in the laboratory opossum,Monodelphis domestica. Dev Dyn 2016; 245:1176-1188. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Yeo S, Hodgkinson CA, Zhou Z, Jung J, Leung M, Yuan Q, Goldman D. The abundance of cis-acting loci leading to differential allele expression in F1 mice and their relationship to loci harboring genes affecting complex traits. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:620. [PMID: 27515598 PMCID: PMC4982227 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2922-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide surveys have detected cis-acting quantitative trait loci altering levels of RNA transcripts (RNA-eQTLs) by associating SNV alleles to transcript levels. However, the sensitivity and specificity of detection of cis- expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) by genetic approaches, reliant as it is on measurements of transcript levels in recombinant inbred strains or offspring from arranged crosses, is unknown, as is their relationship to QTL’s for complex phenotypes. Results We used transcriptome-wide differential allele expression (DAE) to detect cis-eQTLs in forebrain and kidney from reciprocal crosses between three mouse inbred strains, 129S1/SvlmJ, DBA/2J, and CAST/EiJ and C57BL/6 J. Two of these crosses were previously characterized for cis-eQTLs and QTLs for various complex phenotypes by genetic analysis of recombinant inbred (RI) strains. 5.4 %, 1.9 % and 1.5 % of genes assayed in forebrain of B6/129SF1, B6/DBAF1, and B6/CASTF1 mice, respectively, showed differential allelic expression, indicative of cis-acting alleles at these genes. Moreover, the majority of DAE QTLs were observed to be tissue-specific with only a small fraction showing cis-effects in both tissues. Comparing DAE QTLs in F1 mice to cis-eQTLs previously mapped in RI strains we observed that many of the cis-eQTLs were not confirmed by DAE. Additionally several novel DAE-QTLs not identified as cis-eQTLs were identified suggesting that there are differences in sensitivity and specificity for QTL detection between the two methodologies. Strain specific DAE QTLs in B6/DBAF1 mice were located in excess at candidate genes for alcohol use disorders, seizures, and angiogenesis previously implicated by genetic linkage in C57BL/6J × DBA/2JF2 mice or BXD RI strains. Conclusions Via a survey for differential allele expression in F1 mice, a substantial proportion of genes were found to have alleles altering expression in cis-acting fashion. Comparing forebrain and kidney, many or most of these alleles were tissue-specific in action. The identification of strain specific DAE QTLs, can assist in assessment of candidate genes located within the large intervals associated with trait QTLs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2922-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungeun Yeo
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Colin A Hodgkinson
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Zhifeng Zhou
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jeesun Jung
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Ming Leung
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Qiaoping Yuan
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA.
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Souilhol C, Perea-Gomez A, Camus A, Beck-Cormier S, Vandormael-Pournin S, Escande M, Collignon J, Cohen-Tannoudji M. NOTCH activation interferes with cell fate specification in the gastrulating mouse embryo. Development 2016; 142:3649-60. [PMID: 26534985 DOI: 10.1242/dev.121145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
NOTCH signalling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway involved in intercellular communication essential for cell fate choices during development. Although dispensable for early aspects of mouse development, canonical RBPJ-dependent NOTCH signalling has been shown to influence lineage commitment during embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation. NOTCH activation in ESCs promotes the acquisition of a neural fate, whereas its suppression favours their differentiation into cardiomyocytes. This suggests that NOTCH signalling is implicated in the acquisition of distinct embryonic fates at early stages of mammalian development. In order to investigate in vivo such a role for NOTCH signalling in shaping cell fate specification, we use genetic approaches to constitutively activate the NOTCH pathway in the mouse embryo. Early embryonic development, including the establishment of anterior-posterior polarity, is not perturbed by forced NOTCH activation. By contrast, widespread NOTCH activity in the epiblast triggers dramatic gastrulation defects. These are fully rescued in a RBPJ-deficient background. Epiblast-specific NOTCH activation induces acquisition of neurectoderm identity and disrupts the formation of specific mesodermal precursors including the derivatives of the anterior primitive streak, the mouse organiser. In addition, we show that forced NOTCH activation results in misregulation of NODAL signalling, a major determinant of early embryonic patterning. Our study reveals a previously unidentified role for canonical NOTCH signalling during mammalian gastrulation. It also exemplifies how in vivo studies can shed light on the mechanisms underlying cell fate specification during in vitro directed differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Souilhol
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique Fonctionnelle de la Souris, Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, 25 rue du docteur Roux, Paris F-75015, France CNRS URA 2578, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Aitana Perea-Gomez
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, UMR7592, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris F-75205, France
| | - Anne Camus
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, UMR7592, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris F-75205, France
| | - Sarah Beck-Cormier
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique Fonctionnelle de la Souris, Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, 25 rue du docteur Roux, Paris F-75015, France CNRS URA 2578, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Sandrine Vandormael-Pournin
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique Fonctionnelle de la Souris, Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, 25 rue du docteur Roux, Paris F-75015, France CNRS URA 2578, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Marie Escande
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique Fonctionnelle de la Souris, Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, 25 rue du docteur Roux, Paris F-75015, France CNRS URA 2578, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, UMR7592, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris F-75205, France
| | - Michel Cohen-Tannoudji
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique Fonctionnelle de la Souris, Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, 25 rue du docteur Roux, Paris F-75015, France CNRS URA 2578, Paris F-75015, France
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Findlay SD, Postovit LM. Brief Report: Common Genetic Variation in Chromosome 10 q22.1 Shows a Strong Sex Bias in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines and Directly Controls the Novel Alternative Splicing of Human NODAL which is Associated with XIST Expression in Female Cell Lines. Stem Cells 2015; 34:791-6. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.2258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott D. Findlay
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
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Chromatin Dynamics in Lineage Commitment and Cellular Reprogramming. Genes (Basel) 2015; 6:641-61. [PMID: 26193323 PMCID: PMC4584322 DOI: 10.3390/genes6030641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic structural properties of chromatin play an essential role in defining cell identity and function. Transcription factors and chromatin modifiers establish and maintain cell states through alteration of DNA accessibility and histone modifications. This activity is focused at both gene-proximal promoter regions and distally located regulatory elements. In the three-dimensional space of the nucleus, distal elements are localized in close physical proximity to the gene-proximal regulatory sequences through the formation of chromatin loops. These looping features in the genome are highly dynamic as embryonic stem cells differentiate and commit to specific lineages, and throughout reprogramming as differentiated cells reacquire pluripotency. Identifying these functional distal regulatory regions in the genome provides insight into the regulatory processes governing early mammalian development and guidance for improving the protocols that generate induced pluripotent cells.
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Papanayotou C, Collignon J. Activin/Nodal signalling before implantation: setting the stage for embryo patterning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0539. [PMID: 25349448 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activins and Nodal are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family of growth factors. Their Smad2/3-dependent signalling pathway is well known for its implication in the patterning of the embryo after implantation. Although this pathway is active early on at preimplantation stages, embryonic phenotypes for loss-of-function mutations of prominent components of the pathway are not detected before implantation. It is only fairly recently that an understanding of the role of the Activin/Nodal signalling pathway at these stages has started to emerge, notably from studies detailing how it controls the expression of target genes in embryonic stem cells. We review here what is currently known of the TGF-β-related ligands that determine the activity of Activin/Nodal signalling at preimplantation stages, and recent advances in the elucidation of the Smad2/3-dependent mechanisms underlying developmental progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costis Papanayotou
- Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, 75205 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Collignon
- Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, 75205 Paris, France
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Kumar A, Lualdi M, Lyozin GT, Sharma P, Loncarek J, Fu XY, Kuehn MR. Nodal signaling from the visceral endoderm is required to maintain Nodal gene expression in the epiblast and drive DVE/AVE migration. Dev Biol 2014; 400:1-9. [PMID: 25536399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the early mouse embryo, a specialized population of extraembryonic visceral endoderm (VE) cells called the distal VE (DVE) arises at the tip of the egg cylinder stage embryo and then asymmetrically migrates to the prospective anterior, recruiting additional distal cells. Upon migration these cells, called the anterior VE (AVE), establish the anterior posterior (AP) axis by restricting gastrulation-inducing signals to the opposite pole. The Nodal-signaling pathway has been shown to have a critical role in the generation and migration of the DVE/AVE. The Nodal gene is expressed in both the VE and in the pluripotent epiblast, which gives rise to the germ layers. Previous findings have provided conflicting evidence as to the relative importance of Nodal signaling from the epiblast vs. VE for AP patterning. Here we show that conditional mutagenesis of the Nodal gene specifically within the VE leads to reduced Nodal expression levels in the epiblast and incomplete or failed DVE/AVE migration. These results support a required role for VE Nodal to maintain normal levels of expression in the epiblast, and suggest signaling from both VE and epiblast is important for DVE/AVE migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Margaret Lualdi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, SAIC-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, United States
| | - George T Lyozin
- Department of Pediatrics (Neonatology), The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Prashant Sharma
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Jadranka Loncarek
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States
| | - Xin-Yuan Fu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Michael R Kuehn
- Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States.
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Arai D, Hayakawa K, Ohgane J, Hirosawa M, Nakao Y, Tanaka S, Shiota K. An epigenetic regulatory element of the Nodal gene in the mouse and human genomes. Mech Dev 2014; 136:143-54. [PMID: 25528267 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Nodal signaling plays critical roles during embryonic development. The Nodal gene is not expressed in adult tissues but is frequently activated in cancer cells, contributing to progression toward malignancy. Although several regulatory elements of the Nodal gene have been identified, the epigenetic mechanisms by which Nodal expression is regulated over the long term remain unclear. We found a region exhibiting dynamic changes in DNA methylation at approximately -3.0 kb to -0.4 kb upstream from the transcriptional start site (TSS) that we termed the epigenetic regulatory element (ERE). The ERE was unmethylated in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) but became increasingly methylated in differentiated cells and tissues, concomitant with the downregulation of Nodal mRNA expression. In vitro reporter assays identified an Oct3/4 binding motif within the ERE, indicating that the ERE is responsible for the activation of Nodal in mESCs. Furthermore, the ERE was a target of differentiation-associated Polycomb silencing, and the chromatin condensed when mESCs differentiated to embryoid bodies (EBs). Pharmacological inhibition of PRC2 led to the reactivation of Nodal expression in EBs and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). The ERE was also targeted by PRC2 in normal human cells. In NODAL-expressing human cancer cells, accumulation of EZH2 and trimethylation of H3K27 at the ERE were diminished. In conclusion, Nodal is epigenetically controlled through the ERE in the mouse embryo and human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Arai
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ohkubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Koji Hayakawa
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Jun Ohgane
- Laboratory of Genomic Function Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Japan
| | - Mitsuko Hirosawa
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yoichi Nakao
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ohkubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kunio Shiota
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
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Halstead AM, Wright CVE. Disrupting Foxh1-Groucho interaction reveals robustness of nodal-based embryonic patterning. Mech Dev 2014; 136:155-65. [PMID: 25511461 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The winged-helix transcription factor Foxh1 is an essential regulator of Nodal signaling during the key developmental processes of gastrulation, anterior-posterior (A-P) patterning, and the derivation of left-right (L-R) asymmetry. Current models have Foxh1 bound to phospho-Smad2/3 (pSmad2/3) as a central transcriptional activator for genes targeted by Nodal signaling including Nodal itself, the feedback inhibitor Lefty2, and the positive transcriptional effector Pitx2. However, the conserved Engrailed homology-1 (EH1) motif present in Foxh1 suggests that modulated interaction with Groucho (Grg) co-repressors would allow Foxh1 to function as a transcriptional switch, toggling between transcriptional on and off states via pSmad2-Grg protein-switching, to ensure the properly timed initiation and suppression, and/or amplitude, of expression of Nodal and its target genes. We minimally mutated the Foxh1 EH1 motif, creating a novel Foxh1(mEH1) allele to test directly the contribution of Foxh1-Grg-mediated repression on the transient, dynamic pattern of Nodal signaling in mice. All aspects of Nodal and its target gene expression in Foxh1(mEH1/mEH1) embryos were equivalent to wild type. A-P patterning and organ situs in homozygous embryos and adult mice were also unaffected. The finding that Foxh1-Grg-mediated repression is not essential for Nodal expression during mouse embryogenesis suggests that other regulators compensate for the loss of repressive regulatory input that is mediated by Grg interactions. We suggest that the pervasive inductive properties of Nodal signaling exist within the context of a strongly buffered regulatory system that contributes to resilience and accuracy of its dynamic expression pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Halstead
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Program in Developmental Biology, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, 2213 Garland Ave., Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Christopher V E Wright
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Program in Developmental Biology, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, 2213 Garland Ave., Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
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