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Der B, Bugacov H, Briantseva BM, McMahon AP. Cadherin Adhesion Complexes Direct Cell Aggregation in the Epithelial Transition of Wnt-Induced Nephron Progenitor Cells. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.27.555021. [PMID: 38654822 PMCID: PMC11037868 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.27.555021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In the developing mammalian kidney, nephron formation is initiated by a subset of nephron progenitor cells (NPCs). Wnt input activates a β-catenin ( Ctnnb1 )-driven, transcriptional nephrogenic program. In conjunction, induced mesenchymal NPCs transition through a pre-tubular aggregate to an epithelial renal vesicle, the precursor for each nephron. How this critical mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is regulated is unclear. In an in vitro mouse NPC culture model, activation of the Wnt pathway results in the aggregation of induced NPCs into closely-packed, cell clusters. Genetic removal of β-catenin resulted in a failure of both Wnt pathway-directed transcriptional activation and the formation of aggregated cell clusters. Modulating extracellular Ca 2+ levels showed cell-cell contacts were Ca 2+ -dependent, suggesting a role for cadherin (Cdh)-directed cell adhesion. Molecular analysis identified Cdh2 , Cdh4 and Cdh11 in uninduced NPCs and the up-regulation of Cdh3 and Cdh4 accompanying the Wnt pathway-induced MET. Genetic removal of all four cadherins, and independent removal of α-catenin, which couples Cdh-β-catenin membrane complexes to the actin cytoskeleton, abolished cell aggregation in response to Wnt pathway activation. However, the β-catenin driven inductive transcriptional program was unaltered. Together with the accompanying paper (Bugacov et al ., submitted), these data demonstrate that distinct cellular activities of β-catenin - transcriptional regulation and cell adhesion - combine in the mammalian kidney programs generating differentiated epithelial nephron precursors from mesenchymal nephron progenitors. Summary statement Our study highlights the role of Wnt-β-catenin pathway regulation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion in the mesenchymal to epithelial transition of induced nephron progenitor cells.
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Bugacov H, Der B, Kim S, Lindström NO, McMahon AP. Canonical Wnt transcriptional complexes are essential for induction of nephrogenesis but not maintenance or proliferation of nephron progenitors. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.20.554044. [PMID: 37662369 PMCID: PMC10473675 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.20.554044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Wnt regulated transcriptional programs are associated with both the maintenance of mammalian nephron progenitor cells (NPC) and their induction, initiating the process of nephrogenesis. How opposing transcriptional roles are regulated remain unclear. Using an in vitro model replicating in vivo events, we examined the requirement for canonical Wnt transcriptional complexes in NPC regulation. In canonical transcription, Lef/Tcf DNA binding proteins associate the transcriptional co-activator β-catenin. Wnt signaling is readily substituted by CHIR99021, a small molecule antagonist of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β). GSK3β inhibition blocks Gskβ-dependent turnover of β-catenin, enabling formation of Lef/Tcf/β-catenin transcriptional complexes, and enhancer-mediated transcriptional activation. Removal of β-catenin activity from NPCs under cell expansion conditions (low CHIR) demonstrated a non-transcriptional role for β-catenin in the CHIR-dependent proliferation of NPCs. In contrast, CHIR-mediated induction of nephrogenesis, on switching from low to high CHIR, was dependent on Lef/Tcf and β-catenin transcriptional activity. These studies point to a non-transcriptional mechanism for β-catenin in regulation of NPCs, and potentially other stem progenitor cell types. Further, analysis of the β-catenin-directed transcriptional response provides new insight into induction of nephrogenesis. Summary Statement The study provides a mechanistic understanding of Wnt/ β-catenin activity in self-renewal and differentiation of mammalian nephron progenitors.
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Der B, Bugacov H, Singh M, Mcmahon A. The cadherin-catenin complex is crucial for the initial step of nephron formation. Eur Urol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/s0302-2838(23)00241-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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Farmer DT, Mlcochova H, Zhou Y, Koelling N, Wang G, Ashley N, Bugacov H, Chen HJ, Parvez R, Tseng KC, Merrill AE, Maxson RE, Wilkie AOM, Crump JG, Twigg SRF. The developing mouse coronal suture at single-cell resolution. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4797. [PMID: 34376651 PMCID: PMC8355337 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24917-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sutures separate the flat bones of the skull and enable coordinated growth of the brain and overlying cranium. The coronal suture is most commonly fused in monogenic craniosynostosis, yet the unique aspects of its development remain incompletely understood. To uncover the cellular diversity within the murine embryonic coronal suture, we generated single-cell transcriptomes and performed extensive expression validation. We find distinct pre-osteoblast signatures between the bone fronts and periosteum, a ligament-like population above the suture that persists into adulthood, and a chondrogenic-like population in the dura mater underlying the suture. Lineage tracing reveals an embryonic Six2+ osteoprogenitor population that contributes to the postnatal suture mesenchyme, with these progenitors being preferentially affected in a Twist1+/-; Tcf12+/- mouse model of Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome. This single-cell atlas provides a resource for understanding the development of the coronal suture and the mechanisms for its loss in craniosynostosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D'Juan T Farmer
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Hana Mlcochova
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Yan Zhou
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nils Koelling
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Guanlin Wang
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Neil Ashley
- Single cell facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Helena Bugacov
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Hung-Jhen Chen
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Riana Parvez
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Kuo-Chang Tseng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Amy E Merrill
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Robert E Maxson
- Department of Biochemistry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Andrew O M Wilkie
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - J Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Stephen R F Twigg
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
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Guo Q, Kim AD, Li B, Ransick A, Bugacov H, Chen X, Lindström NO, Brown A, Oxburgh L, Ren B, McMahon AP. Correction: A β-catenin-driven switch in TCF/LEF transcription factor binding to DNA target sites promotes commitment of mammalian nephron progenitor cells. eLife 2021; 10:69853. [PMID: 33913807 PMCID: PMC8084526 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Guo Q, Kim A, Li B, Ransick A, Bugacov H, Chen X, Lindström N, Brown A, Oxburgh L, Ren B, McMahon AP. A β-catenin-driven switch in TCF/LEF transcription factor binding to DNA target sites promotes commitment of mammalian nephron progenitor cells. eLife 2021; 10:64444. [PMID: 33587034 PMCID: PMC7924951 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical Wnt pathway transcriptional co-activator β-catenin regulates self-renewal and differentiation of mammalian nephron progenitor cells (NPCs). We modulated β-catenin levels in NPC cultures using the GSK3 inhibitor CHIR99021 (CHIR) to examine opposing developmental actions of β-catenin. Low CHIR-mediated maintenance and expansion of NPCs are independent of direct engagement of TCF/LEF/β-catenin transcriptional complexes at low CHIR-dependent cell-cycle targets. In contrast, in high CHIR, TCF7/LEF1/β-catenin complexes replaced TCF7L1/TCF7L2 binding on enhancers of differentiation-promoting target genes. Chromosome confirmation studies showed pre-established promoter–enhancer connections to these target genes in NPCs. High CHIR-associated de novo looping was observed in positive transcriptional feedback regulation to the canonical Wnt pathway. Thus, β-catenin’s direct transcriptional role is restricted to the induction of NPCs, where rising β-catenin levels switch inhibitory TCF7L1/TCF7L2 complexes to activating LEF1/TCF7 complexes at primed gene targets poised for rapid initiation of a nephrogenic program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyu Guo
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Albert Kim
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Bin Li
- The Rogosin Institute, New York, United States
| | - Andrew Ransick
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Helena Bugacov
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Nils Lindström
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Aaron Brown
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, United States
| | | | - Bing Ren
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Andrew P McMahon
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
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