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Schulz M, Teissandier A, De La Mata Santaella E, Armand M, Iranzo J, El Marjou F, Gestraud P, Walter M, Kinston S, Göttgens B, Greenberg MVC, Bourc'his D. DNA methylation restricts coordinated germline and neural fates in embryonic stem cell differentiation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:102-114. [PMID: 38177678 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01162-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
As embryonic stem cells (ESCs) transition from naive to primed pluripotency during early mammalian development, they acquire high DNA methylation levels. During this transition, the germline is specified and undergoes genome-wide DNA demethylation, while emergence of the three somatic germ layers is preceded by acquisition of somatic DNA methylation levels in the primed epiblast. DNA methylation is essential for embryogenesis, but the point at which it becomes critical during differentiation and whether all lineages equally depend on it is unclear. Here, using culture modeling of cellular transitions, we found that DNA methylation-free mouse ESCs with triple DNA methyltransferase knockout (TKO) progressed through the continuum of pluripotency states but demonstrated skewed differentiation abilities toward neural versus other somatic lineages. More saliently, TKO ESCs were fully competent for establishing primordial germ cell-like cells, even showing temporally extended and self-sustained capacity for the germline fate. By mapping chromatin states, we found that neural and germline lineages are linked by a similar enhancer dynamic upon exit from the naive state, defined by common sets of transcription factors, including methyl-sensitive ones, that fail to be decommissioned in the absence of DNA methylation. We propose that DNA methylation controls the temporality of a coordinated neural-germline axis of the preferred differentiation route during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Schulz
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Aurélie Teissandier
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | | | - Mélanie Armand
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Julian Iranzo
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Fatima El Marjou
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Gestraud
- INSERM U900, MINES ParisTech, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | | | - Sarah Kinston
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Berthold Göttgens
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Deborah Bourc'his
- INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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Naitou Y, Nagamatsu G, Hamazaki N, Shirane K, Hayashi M, Hayashi M, Kobayashi S, Hayashi K. Dual role of Ovol2 on the germ cell lineage segregation during gastrulation in mouse embryogenesis. Development 2022; 149:274415. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In mammals, primordial germ cells (PGCs), the origin of the germ line, are specified from the epiblast at the posterior region where gastrulation simultaneously occurs, yet the functional relationship between PGC specification and gastrulation remains unclear. Here, we show that OVOL2, a transcription factor conserved across the animal kingdom, balances these major developmental processes by repressing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that drives gastrulation and the upregulation of genes associated with PGC specification. Ovol2a, a splice variant encoding a repressor domain, directly regulates EMT-related genes and, consequently, induces re-acquisition of potential pluripotency during PGC specification, whereas Ovol2b, another splice variant missing the repressor domain, directly upregulates genes associated with PGC specification. Taken together, these results elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying allocation of the germ line among epiblast cells differentiating into somatic cells through gastrulation.
This article has an associated ‘The people behind the papers’ interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Naitou
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Go Nagamatsu
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Hamazaki
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Shirane
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masafumi Hayashi
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Makoto Hayashi
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Hayashi
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Department of Germline Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
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Kagiwada S, Aramaki S, Wu G, Shin B, Kutejova E, Obridge D, Adachi K, Wrana JL, Hübner K, Schöler HR. YAP establishes epiblast responsiveness to inductive signals for germ cell fate. Development 2021; 148:272520. [PMID: 34528691 PMCID: PMC8571999 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The germ cell lineage in mammals is induced by the stimulation of pluripotent epiblast cells by signaling molecules. Previous studies have suggested that the germ cell differentiation competence or responsiveness of epiblast cells to signaling molecules is established and maintained in epiblast cells of a specific differentiation state. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process has not been well defined. Here, using the differentiation model of mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), we have shown that two defined EpiSC lines have robust germ cell differentiation competence. However, another defined EpiSC line has no competence. By evaluating the molecular basis of EpiSCs with distinct germ cell differentiation competence, we identified YAP, an intracellular mediator of the Hippo signaling pathway, as crucial for the establishment of germ cell induction. Strikingly, deletion of YAP severely affected responsiveness to inductive stimuli, leading to a defect in WNT target activation and germ cell differentiation. In conclusion, we propose that the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway creates a potential for germ cell fate induction via mesodermal WNT signaling in pluripotent epiblast cells. Summary: YAP, an intracellular mediator of the Hippo signaling pathway, establishes epiblast competency for germ cell differentiation through activation of the WNT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saya Kagiwada
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Shinya Aramaki
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Guangming Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany.,Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Luoxuan Avenue, Haizhu District, 510320 Guangzhou, PRC
| | - Borami Shin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Eva Kutejova
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - David Obridge
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Kenjiro Adachi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Jeffrey L Wrana
- Department of Cancer Biology, Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Karin Hübner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany.,Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster 48149, Germany
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Hong TK, Song JH, Lee SB, Do JT. Germ Cell Derivation from Pluripotent Stem Cells for Understanding In Vitro Gametogenesis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10081889. [PMID: 34440657 PMCID: PMC8394365 DOI: 10.3390/cells10081889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have developed considerably in recent years; however, they cannot rectify germ cell aplasia, such as non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and oocyte maturation failure syndrome. In vitro gametogenesis is a promising technology to overcome infertility, particularly germ cell aplasia. Early germ cells, such as primordial germ cells, can be relatively easily derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs); however, further progression to post-meiotic germ cells usually requires a gonadal niche and signals from gonadal somatic cells. Here, we review the recent advances in in vitro male and female germ cell derivation from PSCs and discuss how this technique is used to understand the biological mechanism of gamete development and gain insight into its application in infertility.
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Aramaki S, Kagiwada S, Wu G, Obridge D, Adachi K, Kutejova E, Lickert H, Hübner K, Schöler HR. Residual pluripotency is required for inductive germ cell segregation. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52553. [PMID: 34156139 PMCID: PMC8344911 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fine‐tuned dissolution of pluripotency is critical for proper cell differentiation. Here we show that the mesodermal transcription factor, T, globally affects the properties of pluripotency through binding to Oct4 and to the loci of other pluripotency regulators. Strikingly, lower T levels coordinately affect naïve pluripotency, thereby directly activating the germ cell differentiation program, in contrast to the induction of germ cell fate of primed models. Contrary to the effect of lower T levels, higher T levels more severely affect the pluripotency state, concomitantly enhancing the somatic differentiation program and repressing the germ cell differentiation program. Consistent with such in vitro findings, nascent germ cells in vivo are detected in the region of lower T levels at the posterior primitive streak. Furthermore, T and core pluripotency regulators co‐localize at the loci of multiple germ cell determinants responsible for germ cell development. In conclusion, our findings indicate that residual pluripotency establishes the earliest and fundamental regulatory mechanism for inductive germline segregation from somatic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Aramaki
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Saya Kagiwada
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Guangming Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - David Obridge
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Kenjiro Adachi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Eva Kutejova
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Heiko Lickert
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karin Hübner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.,Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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