The Impact of the Extracellular Matrix Environment on Sost Expression by the MLO-Y4 Osteocyte Cell Line

Bone is a dynamic organ that can adapt its structure to meet the demands of its biochemical and biophysical environment. Osteocytes form a sensory network throughout the tissue and orchestrate tissue adaptation via the release of soluble factors such as a sclerostin. Osteocyte physiology has traditionally been challenging to investigate due to the uniquely mineralized extracellular matrix (ECM) of bone leading to the development of osteocyte cell lines. Importantly, the most widely researched and utilized osteocyte cell line: the MLO-Y4, is limited by its inability to express sclerostin (Sost gene) in typical in-vitro culture. We theorised that culture in an environment closer to the in vivo osteocyte environment could impact on Sost expression. Therefore, this study investigated the role of composition and dimensionality in directing Sost expression in MLO-Y4 cells using collagen-based ECM analogues. A significant outcome of this study is that MLO-Y4 cells, when cultured on a hydroxyapatite (HA)-containing two-dimensional (2D) film analogue, expressed Sost. Moreover, three-dimensional (3D) culture within HA-containing collagen scaffolds significantly enhanced Sost expression, demonstrating the impact of ECM composition and dimensionality on MLO-Y4 behaviour. Importantly, in this bone mimetic ECM environment, Sost expression was found to be comparable to physiological levels. Lastly, MLO-Y4 cells cultured in these novel conditions responded accordingly to fluid flow stimulation with a decrease in expression. This study therefore presents a novel culture system for the MLO-Y4 osteocyte cell line, ensuring the expression of an important osteocyte specific gene, Sost, overcoming a major limitation of this model.

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Mechanobiology of Epithelia From the Perspective of Extracellular Matrix Heterogeneity

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology ◽

10.3389/fbioe.2020.596599 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksandra N. Kozyrina ◽

Teodora Piskova ◽

Jacopo Di Russo

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Cell Sheets ◽

Ecm Remodeling ◽

Cellular Behavior ◽

New Concepts ◽

Matrix Heterogeneity ◽

The Impact

Understanding the complexity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and its variability is a necessary step on the way to engineering functional (bio)materials that serve their respective purposes while relying on cell adhesion. Upon adhesion, cells receive messages which contain both biochemical and mechanical information. The main focus of mechanobiology lies in investigating the role of this mechanical coordination in regulating cellular behavior. In recent years, this focus has been additionally shifted toward cell collectives and the understanding of their behavior as a whole mechanical continuum. Collective cell phenomena very much apply to epithelia which are either simple cell-sheets or more complex three-dimensional structures. Researchers have been mostly using the organization of monolayers to observe their collective behavior in well-defined experimental setups in vitro. Nevertheless, recent studies have also reported the impact of ECM remodeling on epithelial morphogenesis in vivo. These new concepts, combined with the knowledge of ECM biochemical complexity are of key importance for engineering new interactive materials to support both epithelial remodeling and homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the structure and heterogeneity of the ECM before discussing its impact on the epithelial mechanobiology.

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Crosstalk between invadopodia and the extracellular matrix

10.1101/2020.02.26.966762 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shinji Iizuka ◽

Ronald P. Leon ◽

Kyle P. Gribbin ◽

Ying Zhang ◽

Jose Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Type I Collagen ◽

Complex Structure ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

3D Culture ◽

Model Systems ◽

Type I ◽

Extracellular Matrix Components

ABSTRACTThe scaffold protein Tks5α is required for invadopodia-mediated cancer invasion both in vitro and in vivo. We have previously also revealed a role for Tks5 in tumor cell growth using three-dimensional (3D) culture model systems and mouse transplantation experiments. Here we use both 3D and high-density fibrillar collagen (HDFC) culture to demonstrate that native type I collagen, but not a form lacking the telopeptides, stimulated Tks5-dependent growth, which was dependent on the DDR collagen receptors. We used microenvironmental microarray (MEMA) technology to determine that laminin, collagen I, fibronectin and tropoelastin also stimulated invadopodia formation. A Tks5α-specific monoclonal antibody revealed its expression both on microtubules and at invadopodia. High- and super-resolution microscopy of cells in and on collagen was then used to place Tks5α at the base of invadopodia, separated from much of the actin and cortactin, but coincident with both matrix metalloprotease and cathepsin proteolytic activity. Inhibition of the Src family kinases, cathepsins or metalloproteases all reduced invadopodia length but each had distinct effects on Tks5α localization. These studies highlight the crosstalk between invadopodia and extracellular matrix components, and reveal the invadopodium to be a spatially complex structure.

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Epithelial Organotypic Cultures: A Viable Model to Address Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis by Epitheliotropic Viruses

Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1568026618666180410125850 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 246-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lara Termini ◽

Enrique Boccardo

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Cell Types ◽

Experimental Models ◽

Biological Research ◽

Specific Gene ◽

Specific Cell ◽

Organotypic Cultures ◽

Skin Physiology

In vitro culture of primary or established cell lines is one of the leading techniques in many areas of basic biological research. The use of pure or highly enriched cultures of specific cell types obtained from different tissues and genetics backgrounds has greatly contributed to our current understanding of normal and pathological cellular processes. Cells in culture are easily propagated generating an almost endless source of material for experimentation. Besides, they can be manipulated to achieve gene silencing, gene overexpression and genome editing turning possible the dissection of specific gene functions and signaling pathways. However, monolayer and suspension cultures of cells do not reproduce the cell type diversity, cell-cell contacts, cell-matrix interactions and differentiation pathways typical of the three-dimensional environment of tissues and organs from where they were originated. Therefore, different experimental animal models have been developed and applied to address these and other complex issues in vivo. However, these systems are costly and time consuming. Most importantly the use of animals in scientific research poses moral and ethical concerns facing a steadily increasing opposition from different sectors of the society. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of alternative in vitro experimental models that accurately reproduce the events observed in vivo to reduce the use of animals. Organotypic cultures combine the flexibility of traditional culture systems with the possibility of culturing different cell types in a 3D environment that reproduces both the structure and the physiology of the parental organ. Here we present a summarized description of the use of epithelial organotypic for the study of skin physiology, human papillomavirus biology and associated tumorigenesis.

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Human Adipose-Derived Stromal/Stem Cell Culture and Analysis Methods for Adipose Tissue Modeling In Vitro: A Systematic Review

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10061378 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1378

Author(s):

Peyton Gibler ◽

Jeffrey Gimble ◽

Katie Hamel ◽

Emma Rogers ◽

Michael Henderson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Adipose Tissue ◽

Drug Discovery ◽

3D Culture ◽

Human Adipose Tissue ◽

Culture Methods ◽

Adipose Tissue Engineering ◽

The Impact

Human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (hASC) are widely used for in vitro modeling of physiologically relevant human adipose tissue. These models are useful for the development of tissue constructs for soft tissue regeneration and 3-dimensional (3D) microphysiological systems (MPS) for drug discovery. In this systematic review, we report on the current state of hASC culture and assessment methods for adipose tissue engineering using 3D MPS. Our search efforts resulted in the identification of 184 independent records, of which 27 were determined to be most relevant to the goals of the present review. Our results demonstrate a lack of consensus on methods for hASC culture and assessment for the production of physiologically relevant in vitro models of human adipose tissue. Few studies have assessed the impact of different 3D culture conditions on hASC adipogenesis. Additionally, there has been a limited use of assays for characterizing the functionality of adipose tissue in vitro. Results from this study suggest the need for more standardized culture methods and further analysis on in vitro tissue functionality. These will be necessary to validate the utility of 3D MPS as an in vitro model to reduce, refine, and replace in vivo experiments in the drug discovery regulatory process.

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A rhabdomyosarcoma hydrogel model to unveil cell-extracellular matrix interactions

Biomaterials Science ◽

10.1039/d1bm00929j ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mattia Saggioro ◽

Stefania D'Agostino ◽

Anna Gallo ◽

Sara Crotti ◽

Sara D'Aronco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Culture ◽

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

3D Culture ◽

3D Cell Culture ◽

Culture Systems ◽

Matrix Interactions ◽

In Vitro Systems ◽

Extracellular Matrix Interactions

Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems are progressively getting attention given their potential in overcoming limitations of the classical 2D in vitro systems. Among different supports for 3D cell culture, hydrogels (HGs)...

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Interaction between vascular endothelial cells and vascular intimal spindle-shaped cells in vitro

Journal of Cell Science ◽

10.1242/jcs.60.1.89 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 89-102

Author(s):

D de Bono ◽

C. Green

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Endothelial Cells ◽

Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Vascular Endothelial ◽

Pure Cultures ◽

Species Specific ◽

Endothelial Growth Factor

The interactions between human or bovine vascular endothelial cells and fibroblast-like vascular intimal spindle-shaped cells have been studied in vitro, using species-specific antibodies to identify the different components in mixed cultures. Pure cultures of endothelial cells grow as uniform, nonoverlapping monolayers, but this growth pattern is lost after the addition of spindle cells, probably because the extracellular matrix secreted by the latter causes the endothelial cells to modify the way they are attached to the substrate. The result is a network of tubular aggregates of endothelial cells in a three-dimensional ‘polylayer’ of spindle-shaped cells. On the other hand, endothelial cells added to growth-inhibited cultures of spindle-shaped cells will grow in sheets over the surface of the culture. Human endothelial cells grown in contact with spindle-shaped cells have a reduced requirement for a brain-derived endothelial growth factor. The interactions of endothelial cells and other connective tissue cells in vitro may be relevant to the mechanisms of endothelial growth and blood vessel formation in vivo, and emphasize the potential importance of extracellular matrix in controlling endothelial cell behaviour.

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The Impact of Two Embryo Culture Media, SOF and Commercial BO, on Pre- and Post-Implantation Development of Cloned Sannen Goat Embryos

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33195/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mehdi Hajian ◽

Farnoosh Jafarpour ◽

Sayed Morteza Aghamiri ◽

Shiva Rouhollahi Varnosfaderani ◽

Mohsen Rahimi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Embryo Culture ◽

Culture Media ◽

Specific Gene ◽

Limited Information ◽

Major Drawback ◽

Animal Cloning ◽

The Impact ◽

Post Implantation

Abstract Background: The ingredients of embryo culture media developed by different companies are disclosed. Thus, it is impossible to determine which ingredients might be responsible for differences in pre-and post-implantation embryo development. To address this gap, we performed an experiment to compare two embryo culture media, namely, SOF and commercial BO, on pre- and post-implantation development of cloned Sannen goat embryos. Cumulus oocyte complexes derived from slaughterhouse ovaries were used for in vitro embryo production . In vitro development of IVF, parthenogenetic and SCNT embryos were assessed in both BO and SOF media. The expression of 16 genes, including AKT , OCT4 , SOX2 , BMPR1 , FGFR4 , CDC25 , CDX2 , GCN5 , PCAF , FOXD3 , SMAD5 , FZD , LIFR1 , CTNNB , ERK1 , and IFNT , belonging to 7 important pathways, i.e. pluripotency, FGF, TGFβ, cell cycle and proliferation, histone transferase, trophectoderm, and WNT, were examined in the goat SCNT and IVF blastocysts from both BO and SOF media. Results: The blastocyst rate in BO medium was significantly higher than that of the SOF medium in SCNT embryos ( P < 0.05). All of the genes examined showed increased expression levels in SCNT embryos compared to IVF embryos. In the IVF group, OCT4 , BMPR1 , and GCN5 showed significantly higher expression in the SOF medium compared to the BO medium. In this group, AKT , FGFR4 , SOX2 showed significantly lower expression in the SOF medium compared to the BO medium. In the SCNT group, FGFR4 , GCN5 , FZD , CTNNB , BMPR1 , and FGFR4 showed significantly higher expression in SOF medium compared to BO medium. In vivo development did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: Based on these results, we concluded that the limited information available on the allocations of ICM and TE cells in SCNT embryos and embryo-specific gene expression may be the major drawback IVC medium and an impediment to successful animal cloning.

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Three-Dimensional Spheroids as In Vitro Preclinical Models for Cancer Research

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics12121186 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1186

Author(s):

Bárbara Pinto ◽

Ana C. Henriques ◽

Patrícia M. A. Silva ◽

Hassan Bousbaa

Keyword(s):

Cancer Research ◽

Low Cost ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

3D Culture ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

Culture Techniques ◽

Drug Candidates ◽

In Vivo Testing

Most cancer biologists still rely on conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture techniques to test in vitro anti-tumor drugs prior to in vivo testing. However, the vast majority of promising preclinical drugs have no or weak efficacy in real patients with tumors, thereby delaying the discovery of successful therapeutics. This is because 2D culture lacks cell–cell contacts and natural tumor microenvironment, important in tumor signaling and drug response, thereby resulting in a reduced malignant phenotype compared to the real tumor. In this sense, three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cancer cells that better recapitulate in vivo cell environments emerged as scientifically accurate and low cost cancer models for preclinical screening and testing of new drug candidates before moving to expensive and time-consuming animal models. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of 3D tumor systems and highlight the strategies for spheroid construction and evaluation tools of targeted therapies, focusing on their applicability in cancer research. Examples of the applicability of 3D culture for the evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicines are discussed.

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The Secretome Analysis of Activated Human Renal Fibroblasts Revealed Beneficial Effect of the Modulation of the Secreted Peptidyl-Prolyl Cis-Trans Isomerase A in Kidney Fibrosis

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells9071724 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 1724

Author(s):

Gry H. Dihazi ◽

Marwa Eltoweissy ◽

Olaf Jahn ◽

Björn Tampe ◽

Michael Zeisberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Renal Fibrosis ◽

Cell Activation ◽

Cell Transformation ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

3D Cell Culture ◽

Kidney Fibrosis ◽

Matrix Accumulation ◽

The Impact

The secretome is an important mediator in the permanent process of reciprocity between cells and their environment. Components of secretome are involved in a large number of physiological mechanisms including differentiation, migration, and extracellular matrix modulation. Alteration in secretome composition may therefore trigger cell transformation, inflammation, and diseases. In the kidney, aberrant protein secretion plays a central role in cell activation and transition and in promoting renal fibrosis onset and progression. Using comparative proteomic analyses, we investigated in the present study the impact of cell transition on renal fibroblast cells secretome. Human renal cell lines were stimulated with profibrotic hormones and cytokines, and alterations in secretome were investigated using proteomic approaches. We identified protein signatures specific for the fibrotic phenotype and investigated the impact of modeling secretome proteins on extra cellular matrix accumulation. The secretion of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A (PPIA) was demonstrated to be associated with fibrosis phenotype. We showed that the in-vitro inhibition of PPIA with ciclosporin A (CsA) resulted in downregulation of PPIA and fibronectin (FN1) expression and significantly reduced their secretion. Knockdown studies of PPIA in a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model significantly impaired the secretion and accumulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), suggesting a positive therapeutic effect on renal fibrosis progression.

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VIP17/MAL expression modulates epithelial cyst formation and ciliogenesis

AJP Cell Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpcell.00338.2011 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 303 (8) ◽

pp. C862-C871 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Vinita Takiar ◽

Kavita Mistry ◽

Monica Carmosino ◽

Nicole Schaeren-Wiemers ◽

Michael J. Caplan

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cells ◽

Primary Cilium ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

3D Culture ◽

Cyst Formation ◽

Unknown Etiology ◽

Development In Vitro ◽

Renal Cystic Diseases

The polarized organization of epithelial cells is required for vectorial solute transport and may be altered in renal cystic diseases. Vesicle integral protein of 17 kDa (VIP17/MAL) is involved in apical vesicle transport. VIP17/MAL overexpression in vivo results in renal cystogenesis of unknown etiology. Renal cystogenesis can occur as a consequence of defects of the primary cilium. To explore the role of VIP17/MAL in renal cystogenesis and ciliogenesis, we examined the polarization and ciliary morphology of wild-type and VIP17/MAL overexpressing Madin-Darby canine kidney renal epithelial cells grown in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cyst culture. VIP17/MAL is apically localized when expressed in cells maintained in 2D and 3D culture. VIP17/MAL overexpressing cells produce more multilumen cysts compared with controls. While the distributions of basolateral markers are not affected, VIP17/MAL expression results in aberrant sorting of the apical marker gp135 to the primary cilium. VIP17/MAL overexpression is also associated with shortened or absent cilia. Immunofluorescence analysis performed on kidney sections from VIP17/MAL transgenic mice also demonstrates fewer and shortened cilia within dilated lumens ( P < 0.01). These studies demonstrate that VIP17/MAL overexpression results in abnormal cilium and cyst development, in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that VIP17/MAL overexpressing mice may develop cysts secondary to a ciliary defect.

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