RESUMO
The blueprint of the mammalian body plan is laid out during gastrulation, when a trilaminar embryo is formed. This process entails a burst of proliferation, the ingression of embryonic epiblast cells at the primitive streak, and their priming toward primitive streak fates. How these different events are coordinated remains unknown. Here, we developed and characterized a 3D culture of self-renewing mouse embryonic cells that captures the main transcriptional and architectural features of the early gastrulating mouse epiblast. Using this system in combination with microfabrication and in vivo experiments, we found that proliferation-induced crowding triggers delamination of cells that express high levels of the apical polarity protein aPKC. Upon delamination, cells become more sensitive to Wnt signaling and upregulate the expression of primitive streak markers such as Brachyury. This mechanistic coupling between ingression and differentiation ensures that the right cell types become specified at the right place during embryonic development.
Assuntos
Diferenciação Celular , Gastrulação , Camadas Germinativas , Animais , Camundongos , Camadas Germinativas/citologia , Camadas Germinativas/metabolismo , Proteínas com Domínio T/metabolismo , Proteínas com Domínio T/genética , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/citologia , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Linha Primitiva/citologia , Linha Primitiva/metabolismo , Proteínas Fetais/metabolismo , Proteínas Fetais/genética , Via de Sinalização Wnt , Proliferação de Células , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Embrião de Mamíferos/citologia , Embrião de Mamíferos/metabolismoRESUMO
In recent years, there have been notable advancements in the ability to programme human cell identity, enabling us to design and manipulate cell function in a Petri dish. However, current protocols for generating target cell types often lack efficiency and precision, resulting in engineered cells that do not fully replicate the desired identity or functional output. This applies to different methods of cell programming, which face similar challenges that hinder progress and delay the achievement of a more favourable outcome. However, recent technological and analytical breakthroughs have provided us with unprecedented opportunities to advance the way we programme cell fate. The Company of Biologists' 2023 workshop on 'Novel Technologies for Programming Human Cell Fate' brought together experts in human cell fate engineering and experts in single-cell genomics, manipulation and characterisation of cells on a single (sub)cellular level. Here, we summarise the main points that emerged during the workshop's themed discussions. Furthermore, we provide specific examples highlighting the current state of the field as well as its trajectory, offering insights into the potential outcomes resulting from the application of these breakthrough technologies in precisely engineering the identity and function of clinically valuable human cells.
