scholarly journals Metabolic determinants of embryonic development and stem cell fate

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford D. L. Folmes ◽  
Andre Terzic

Decoding stem cell metabolism has implicated a tight linkage between energy metabolism and cell fate regulation, a dynamic interplay vital in the execution of developmental and differentiation programs. The inherent plasticity in energy metabolism enables prioritisation of metabolic pathways in support of stage-specific demands. Beyond traditional support of energetic needs, intermediate metabolism may also dictate cell fate choices through regulation of cellular signalling and epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The notion of a ‘metabolism-centric’ control of stem cell differentiation has been informed by developmental embryogenesis based upon an on-demand paradigm paramount in defining diverse developmental behaviours, from a post-fertilisation nascent zygote to complex organogenesis leading to adequate tissue formation and maturation. Monitored through natural or bioengineered stem cell surrogates, nutrient-responsive metabolites are identified as mediators of cross-talk between metabolic flux, cell signalling and epigenetic regulation charting, collectively, whether a cell will self-renew to maintain progenitor pools, lineage specify to ensure tissue (re)generation or remain quiescent to curb stress damage. Thus, bioenergetics are increasingly recognised as integral in governing stemness and associated organogenic decisions, paving the way for metabolism-defined targets in control of embryology, stem cell biology and tissue regeneration.

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergi Junyent ◽  
Joshua C Reeves ◽  
James LA Szczerkowski1 ◽  
Clare L Garcin ◽  
Tung-Jui Trieu ◽  
...  

The Wnt-pathway is part of a signalling network that regulates many aspects of cell biology. Recently we discovered crosstalk between AMPA/Kainate-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and the Wnt-pathway during the initial Wnt3a-interaction at the cytonemes of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Here, we demonstrate that this crosstalk persists throughout the Wnt3a-response in ESCs. Both AMPA- and Kainate-receptors regulate early Wnt3a-recruitment, dynamics on the cell membrane, and orientation of the spindle towards a Wnt3a-source at mitosis. AMPA-receptors specifically are required for segregating cell fate components during Wnt3a-mediated asymmetric cell division (ACD). Using Wnt-pathway component knockout lines, we determine that Wnt co-receptor Lrp6 has particular functionality over Lrp5 in cytoneme formation, and in facilitating ACD. Both Lrp5 and 6, alongside pathway effector β-catenin act in concert to mediate the positioning of the dynamic interaction with, and spindle orientation to, a localized Wnt3a-source. Wnt-iGluR crosstalk may prove pervasive throughout embryonic and adult stem cell signalling.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Ryan S. Stowers

In the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, stem cells offer vast potential for treating or replacing diseased and damaged tissue. Much progress has been made in understanding stem cell biology, yielding protocols for directing stem cell differentiation toward the cell type of interest for a specific application. One particularly interesting and powerful signaling cue is the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding stem cells, a network of biopolymers that, along with cells, makes up what we define as a tissue. The composition, structure, biochemical features, and mechanical properties of the ECM are varied in different tissues and developmental stages, and serve to instruct stem cells toward a specific lineage. By understanding and recapitulating some of these ECM signaling cues through engineered ECM-mimicking hydrogels, stem cell fate can be directed in vitro. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in material systems to guide stem cell fate, highlighting innovative methods to capture ECM functionalities and how these material systems can be used to provide basic insight into stem cell biology or make progress toward therapeutic objectives.


Author(s):  
Caojie Liu ◽  
Ning Kang ◽  
Yuchen Guo ◽  
Ping Gong

Background: Regulation of gene expression is critical for stem cell differentiation, tissue development, and human health maintenance. Recently, epigenetic modifications of histone and chromatin remodeling have been verified as key controllers of gene expression and human diseases.Objective: In this study, we review the role of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD) proteins in stem cell differentiation, cell fate decision, and several known human developmental disorders and cancers.Conclusion: CHD proteins play a crucial role in stem cell differentiation and human diseases.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Vanhaelen

AbstractSignaling pathways and gene regulatory networks (GRNs) play a central role in the signal trans-duction and regulation of biochemical processes occurring within the cellular environment. Under-standing their mechanisms and dynamics is of major interest in various areas of life sciences and biological sciences. For example controlling stem cell fate decision requires a comprehension of the dynamical behavior of the networks involved in stem cell differentiation and pluripotency mainte-nance. In addition to analytical mathematical methods which are applicable for small or medium sized systems, there are many computational approaches to model and analyze the behavior of larger systems. However, from a dynamical point of view, modeling a combination of signaling pathways and GRNs present several challenges. Indeed, in addition to being of large dimensionality, these systems have specific dynamical features. Among the most commonly encountered is that the signal transduction controlled by the signaling pathways occurs at a different time scale than the transcription and translation processes. Also, stochasticity is known to strongly impact the regulation of gene expression. In this paper, we describe a simple implementation of an optimized version of the Gille-spie algorithm for simulating relatively large biological networks which include delayed reactions. The implementation presented herein comes with a script for automatically generating the different data structures and source files of the algorithm using standardized input files.Code availabilityThe Fortran90 implementation of the code and the R script described here as well as the tutorial with practical instructions are stored on the following github repository qvhaelen/ typhon


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maike Stahlhut ◽  
Teng Cheong Ha ◽  
Ekaterina Takmakova ◽  
Michael A. Morgan ◽  
Adrian Schwarzer ◽  
...  

AbstractRegulation of haematopoietic stem cell fate through conditional gene expression could improve understanding of healthy haematopoietic and leukaemia initiating cell (LIC) biology. We established conditionally immortalised myeloid progenitor cell lines co-expressing constitutive Hoxa9.EGFP and inducible Meis1.dTomato (H9M-ciMP) to study growth behaviour, immunophenotype and morphology under different cytokine/microenvironmental conditions ex vivo upon doxycycline (DOX) induction or removal. The vector design and drug-dependent selection approach identified new retroviral insertion (RVI) sites that potentially collaborate with Meis1/Hoxa9 and define H9M-ciMP fate. For most cell lines, myelomonocytic conditions supported reversible H9M-ciMP differentiation into neutrophils and macrophages with DOX-dependent modulation of Hoxa9/Meis1 and CD11b/Gr-1 expression. Here, up-regulation of Meis1/Hoxa9 promoted reconstitution of exponential expansion of immature H9M-ciMPs after DOX reapplication. Stem cell maintaining conditions supported selective H9M-ciMP exponential growth. H9M-ciMPs that had Ninj2 RVI and were cultured under myelomonocytic or stem cell maintaining conditions revealed the development of DOX-dependent acute myeloid leukaemia in a murine transplantation model. Transcriptional dysregulation of Ninj2 and distal genes surrounding RVI (Rad52, Kdm5a) was detected. All studied H9M-ciMPs demonstrated adaptation to T-lymphoid microenvironmental conditions while maintaining immature myelomonocytic features. Thus, the established system is relevant to leukaemia and stem cell biology.


Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miruna Mihaela Micheu ◽  
Alina Ioana Scarlatescu ◽  
Alexandru Scafa-Udriste ◽  
Maria Dorobantu

Despite significant progress in treating ischemic cardiac disease and succeeding heart failure, there is still an unmet need to develop effective therapeutic strategies given the persistent high-mortality rate. Advances in stem cell biology hold great promise for regenerative medicine, particularly for cardiac regeneration. Various cell types have been used both in preclinical and clinical studies to repair the injured heart, either directly or indirectly. Transplanted cells may act in an autocrine and/or paracrine manner to improve the myocyte survival and migration of remote and/or resident stem cells to the site of injury. Still, the molecular mechanisms regulating cardiac protection and repair are poorly understood. Stem cell fate is directed by multifaceted interactions between genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Decoding stem cells’ “panomic” data would provide a comprehensive picture of the underlying mechanisms, resulting in patient-tailored therapy. This review offers a critical analysis of omics data in relation to stem cell survival and differentiation. Additionally, the emerging role of stem cell-derived exosomes as “cell-free” therapy is debated. Last but not least, we discuss the challenges to retrieve and analyze the huge amount of publicly available omics data.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira Allmeroth ◽  
Christine S. Kim ◽  
Andrea Annibal ◽  
Andromachi Pouikli ◽  
Carlos Andrés Chacón-Martínez ◽  
...  

AbstractStem cell differentiation is accompanied by an increase in mRNA translation. The rate of protein biosynthesis is influenced by the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine that are essential for cell growth and stem cell maintenance. However, the role of polyamines as endogenous effectors of stem cell fate and whether they act through translational control remains obscure. Here, we investigated the function of polyamines in stem cell fate decisions using hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) organoids. HFSCs showed lower translation rates than progenitor cells, and a forced suppression of translation by direct targeting of the ribosome or through specific depletion of natural polyamines elevated stemness. In addition, we identified N1-acetylspermidine as a novel parallel regulator of cell fate decisions, increasing proliferation without reducing translation. Overall, this study delineates the diverse routes of polyamine metabolism-mediated regulation of stem cell fate decisions.Key PointsLow mRNA translation rates characterize hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) stateDepletion of natural polyamines enriches HFSCs via reduced translationN1-acetylspermidine promotes HFSC state without reducing translationN1-acetylspermidine expands the stem cell pool through elevated proliferation


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Rico ◽  
Aleixandre Rodrigo-Navarro ◽  
Laura Sánchez Pérez ◽  
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez

AbstractThe intrinsic properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) make them ideal candidates for tissue engineering applications as they are regulated by the different signals present in the stem cell niche. Considerable efforts have been made to control stem cell behavior by designing material system approaches to engineer synthetic extracellular matrices and/or include soluble factors in the media. This work proposes a novel and simple approach based on ion-channel stimulation to determine stem cell fate that avoids the use of growth factors (GFs). We used boron ion - essential item in cell metabolism - transported inside cells by the NaBC1-channel. Addition of boron alone enhanced MSC adhesion and contractility, promoted osteogenesis and inhibited adipogenesis. The stimulated NaBC1 promoted osteogenesis via activation of the BMP canonical pathway (comprising Smad1 and YAP nucleus translocation and osteopontin expression) through a mechanism that involves simultaneous NaBC1/BMPR1A and NaBC1/α5β1/αvβ3 co-localization,. We describe a novel function for NaBC1 as a mechanosensitive ion-channel capable of interacting and stimulating GF receptors and fibronectin-binding integrins. Our results open up new biomaterial engineering approaches for biomedical applications by a cost-effective strategy that avoids the use of soluble GFs.


Toxicology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 324 ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorien A.M. van Dartel ◽  
Sjors H. Schulpen ◽  
Peter T. Theunissen ◽  
Annelies Bunschoten ◽  
Aldert H. Piersma ◽  
...  

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1477
Author(s):  
Guangdun Peng ◽  
Jing-Dong J. Han

Embryonic development and stem cell differentiation, during which coordinated cell fate specification takes place in a spatial and temporal context, serve as a paradigm for studying the orderly assembly of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and the fundamental mechanism of GRNs in driving lineage determination. However, knowledge of reliable GRN annotation for dynamic development regulation, particularly for unveiling the complex temporal and spatial architecture of tissue stem cells, remains inadequate. With the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing technology, elucidating GRNs in development and stem cell processes poses both new challenges and unprecedented opportunities. This review takes a snapshot of some of this work and its implication in the regulative nature of early mammalian development and specification of the distinct cell types during embryogenesis.


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