Parasitic helminths induce fetal-like reversion in the intestinal stem cell niche.

Epithelial surfaces form critical barriers to the outside world and are continuously renewed by adult stem cells1. Whereas dynamics of epithelial stem cells during homeostasis are increasingly well understood, how stem cells are redirected from a tissue-maintenance program to initiate repair after injury remains unclear. Here we examined infection by Heligmosomoides polygyrus, a co-evolved pathosymbiont of mice, to assess the epithelial response to disruption of the mucosal barrier. H. polygyrus disrupts tissue integrity by penetrating the duodenal mucosa, where it develops while surrounded by a multicellular granulomatous infiltrate2. Crypts overlying larvae-associated granulomas did not express intestinal stem cell markers, including Lgr53, in spite of continued epithelial proliferation. Granuloma-associated Lgr5- crypt epithelium activated an interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-dependent transcriptional program, highlighted by Sca-1 expression, and IFN-γ-producing immune cells were found in granulomas. A similar epithelial response accompanied systemic activation of immune cells, intestinal irradiation, or ablation of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells. When cultured in vitro, granuloma-associated crypt cells formed spheroids similar to those formed by fetal epithelium, and a sub-population of H. polygyrus-induced cells activated a fetal-like transcriptional program, demonstrating that adult intestinal tissues can repurpose aspects of fetal development. Therefore, re-initiation of the developmental program represents a fundamental mechanism by which the intestinal crypt can remodel itself to sustain function after injury.

Publisher Correction: Parasitic helminths induce fetal-like reversion in the intestinal stem cell niche.

In this Letter, the received date should have been 23 March 2017 instead of 13 April 2018. Authors R.M.K. and O.D.K. were incorrectly denoted as 'equally contributing' authors. The labels for 'control' and 'IFNγ' in Extended Data Fig. 4g were reversed. These have been corrected online.

Prominin-1 controls stem cell activation by orchestrating ciliary dynamics.

Proper temporal and spatial activation of stem cells relies on highly coordinated cell signaling. The primary cilium is the sensory organelle that is responsible for transmitting extracellular signals into a cell. Primary cilium size, architecture, and assembly-disassembly dynamics are under rigid cell cycle-dependent control. Using mouse incisor tooth epithelia as a model, we show that ciliary dynamics in stem cells require the proper functions of a cholesterol-binding membrane glycoprotein, Prominin-1 (Prom1/CD133), which controls sequential recruitment of ciliary membrane components, histone deacetylase, and transcription factors. Nuclear translocation of Prom1 and these molecules is particularly evident in transit amplifying cells, the immediate derivatives of stem cells. The absence of Prom1 impairs ciliary dynamics and abolishes the growth stimulation effects of sonic hedgehog (SHH) treatment, resulting in the disruption of stem cell quiescence maintenance and activation. We propose that Prom1 is a key regulator ensuring appropriate response of stem cells to extracellular signals, with important implications for development, regeneration, and diseases.

SPRY4-dependent ERK negative feedback demarcates functional adult stem cells in the male mouse germline†.

Niche-derived growth factors support self-renewal of mouse spermatogonial stem and progenitor cells through ERK MAPK signaling and other pathways. At the same time, dysregulated growth factor-dependent signaling has been associated with loss of stem cell activity and aberrant differentiation. We hypothesized that growth factor signaling through the ERK MAPK pathway in spermatogonial stem cells is tightly regulated within a narrow range through distinct intracellular negative feedback regulators. Evaluation of candidate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-responsive genes known to dampen downstream signaling revealed robust induction of specific negative feedback regulators, including Spry4, in cultured mouse spermatogonial stem cells in response to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor or fibroblast growth factor 2. Undifferentiated spermatogonia in vivo exhibited high levels of Spry4 mRNA. Quantitative single-cell analysis of ERK MAPK signaling in spermatogonial stem cell cultures revealed both dynamic signaling patterns in response to growth factors and disruption of such effects when Spry4 was ablated, due to dysregulation of ERK MAPK downstream of RAS. Whereas negative feedback regulator expression decreased during differentiation, loss of Spry4 shifted cell fate toward early differentiation with concomitant loss of stem cell activity. Finally, a mouse Spry4 reporter line revealed that the adult spermatogonial stem cell population in vivo is demarcated by strong Spry4 promoter activity. Collectively, our data suggest that negative feedback-dependent regulation of ERK MAPK is critical for preservation of spermatogonial stem cell fate within the mammalian testis.

Cell fate specification in the lingual epithelium is controlled by antagonistic activities of Sonic hedgehog and retinoic acid.

The interaction between signaling pathways is a central question in the study of organogenesis. Using the developing murine tongue as a model, we uncovered unknown relationships between Sonic hedgehog (SHH) and retinoic acid (RA) signaling. Genetic loss of SHH signaling leads to enhanced RA activity subsequent to loss of SHH-dependent expression of Cyp26a1 and Cyp26c1. This causes a cell identity switch, prompting the epithelium of the tongue to form heterotopic minor salivary glands and to overproduce oversized taste buds. At developmental stages during which Wnt10b expression normally ceases and Shh becomes confined to taste bud cells, loss of SHH inputs causes the lingual epithelium to undergo an ectopic and anachronic expression of Shh and Wnt10b in the basal layer, specifying de novo taste placode induction. Surprisingly, in the absence of SHH signaling, lingual epithelial cells adopted a Merkel cell fate, but this was not caused by enhanced RA signaling. We show that RA promotes, whereas SHH, acting strictly within the lingual epithelium, inhibits taste placode and lingual gland formation by thwarting RA activity. These findings reveal key functions for SHH and RA in cell fate specification in the lingual epithelium and aid in deciphering the molecular mechanisms that assign cell identity.

Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Is Required for Cyp26 Expression during Embryonic Development.

Deciphering how signaling pathways interact during development is necessary for understanding the etiopathogenesis of congenital malformations and disease. In several embryonic structures, components of the Hedgehog and retinoic acid pathways, two potent players in development and disease are expressed and operate in the same or adjacent tissues and cells. Yet whether and, if so, how these pathways interact during organogenesis is, to a large extent, unclear. Using genetic and experimental approaches in the mouse, we show that during development of ontogenetically different organs, including the tail, genital tubercle, and secondary palate, Sonic hedgehog (SHH) loss-of-function causes anomalies phenocopying those induced by enhanced retinoic acid signaling and that SHH is required to prevent supraphysiological activation of retinoic signaling through maintenance and reinforcement of expression of the Cyp26 genes. Furthermore, in other tissues and organs, disruptions of the Hedgehog or the retinoic acid pathways during development generate similar phenotypes. These findings reveal that rigidly calibrated Hedgehog and retinoic acid activities are required for normal organogenesis and tissue patterning.

Regulation of tooth number by fine-tuning levels of receptor-tyrosine kinase signaling.

Much of our knowledge about mammalian evolution comes from examination of dental fossils, because the highly calcified enamel that covers teeth causes them to be among the best-preserved organs. As mammals entered new ecological niches, many changes in tooth number occurred, presumably as adaptations to new diets. For example, in contrast to humans, who have two incisors in each dental quadrant, rodents only have one incisor per quadrant. The rodent incisor, because of its unusual morphogenesis and remarkable stem cell-based continuous growth, presents a quandary for evolutionary biologists, as its origin in the fossil record is difficult to trace, and the genetic regulation of incisor number remains a largely open question. Here, we studied a series of mice carrying mutations in sprouty genes, the protein products of which are antagonists of receptor-tyrosine kinase signaling. In sprouty loss-of-function mutants, splitting of gene expression domains and reduced apoptosis was associated with subdivision of the incisor primordium and a multiplication of its stem cell-containing regions. Interestingly, changes in sprouty gene dosage led to a graded change in incisor number, with progressive decreases in sprouty dosage leading to increasing numbers of teeth. Moreover, the independent development of two incisors in mutants with large decreases in sprouty dosage mimicked the likely condition of rodent ancestors. Together, our findings indicate that altering genetic dosage of an antagonist can recapitulate ancestral dental characters, and that tooth number can be progressively regulated by changing levels of activity of a single signal transduction pathway.

Continuous dental replacement in a hyper-chisel tooth digging rodent.

Contrary to their reptilian ancestors, which had numerous dental generations, mammals are known to usually develop only two generations of teeth. However, a few mammal species have acquired the ability to continuously replace their dentition by the constant addition of supernumerary teeth moving secondarily toward the front of the jaw. The resulting treadmill-like replacement is thus horizontal, and differs completely from the vertical dental succession of other mammals and their extinct relatives. Despite the developmental implications and prospects regarding the origin of supernumerary teeth, this striking innovation remains poorly documented. Here we report another case of continuous dental replacement in an African rodent, Heliophobius argenteocinereus, which combines this dental system with the progressive eruption of high-crowned teeth. The escalator-like mechanism of Heliophobius constitutes an original adaptation to hyper-chisel tooth digging involving high dental wear. Comparisons between Heliophobius and the few mammals that convergently acquired continuous dental replacement reveal that shared inherited traits, including dental mesial drift, delayed eruption, and supernumerary molars, comprise essential prerequisites to setting up this dental mechanism. Interestingly, these dental traits are present to a lesser extent in humans but are absent in mouse, the usual biological model. Consequently, Heliophobius represents a suitable model to investigate the molecular processes leading to the development of supernumerary teeth in mammals, and the accurate description of these processes could be a significant advance for further applications in humans, such as the regeneration of dental tissues.

Vole genomics links determinate and indeterminate growth of teeth.

Continuously growing teeth are an important innovation in mammalian evolution, yet genetic regulation of continuous growth by stem cells remains incompletely understood. Dental stem cells responsible for tooth crown growth are lost at the onset of tooth root formation. Genetic signaling that initiates this loss is difficult to study with the ever-growing incisor and rooted molars of mice, the most common mammalian dental model species, because signals for root formation overlap with signals that pattern tooth size and shape (i.e., cusp patterns). Different species of voles (Cricetidae, Rodentia, Glires) have evolved rooted and unrooted molars that have similar size and shape, providing alternative models for studying roots. We assembled a de novo genome of Myodes glareolus, a vole with high-crowned, rooted molars, and performed genomic and transcriptomic analyses in a broad phylogenetic context of Glires (rodents and lagomorphs) to assess differential selection and evolution in tooth forming genes. We identified 15 dental genes with changing synteny relationships and six dental genes undergoing positive selection across Glires, two of which were undergoing positive selection in species with unrooted molars, Dspp and Aqp1. Decreased expression of both genes in prairie voles with unrooted molars compared to bank voles supports the presence of positive selection and may underlie differences in root formation. Bulk transcriptomics analyses of embryonic molar development in bank voles also demonstrated conserved patterns of dental gene expression compared to mice, with species-specific variation likely related to developmental timing and morphological differences between mouse and vole molars. Our results support ongoing evolution of dental genes across Glires, revealing the complex evolutionary background of convergent evolution for ever-growing molars.

Loss of transcriptional heterogeneity in aged human muscle stem cells.

Age-related loss of muscle mass and function negatively impacts healthspan and lifespan. Satellite cells function as muscle stem cells in muscle maintenance and regeneration by self-renewal, activation, proliferation and differentiation. These processes are perturbed in aging at the stem cell population level, contributing to muscle loss. However, how representation of subpopulations within the human satellite cell pool change during aging remains poorly understood. We previously reported a comprehensive baseline of human satellite cell (Hu-MuSCs) transcriptional activity in muscle homeostasis describing functional heterogenous human satellite cell subpopulations such as CAV1+ Hu-MUSCs. Here, we sequenced additional satellite cells from new healthy donors and performed extended transcriptomic analyses with regard to aging. We found an age-related loss of global transcriptomic heterogeneity and identified new markers (CAV1, CXCL14, GPX3) along with previously described ones (FN1, ITGB1, SPRY1) that are altered during aging in human satellite cells. These findings describe new transcriptomic changes that occur during aging in human satellite cells and provide a foundation for understanding functional impact.

A Suite of Mouse Reagents for Studying Amelogenesis.

Amelogenesis, the formation of dental enamel, is driven by specialized epithelial cells called ameloblasts, which undergo successive stages of differentiation. Ameloblasts secrete enamel matrix proteins (EMPs), proteases, calcium, and phosphate ions in a stage-specific manner to form mature tooth enamel. Developmental defects in tooth enamel are common in humans, and they can greatly impact the well-being of affected individuals. Our understanding of amelogenesis and developmental pathologies is rooted in past studies using epithelial Cre driver and knockout alleles. However, the available mouse models are limited, as most do not allow targeting different ameloblast sub-populations, and constitutive loss of EMPs often results in severe phenotype in the mineral, making it difficult to interpret defect mechanisms. Herein, we report on the design and verification of a toolkit of twelve mouse alleles that include ameloblast-stage specific Cre recombinases, fluorescent reporter alleles, and conditional flox alleles for the major EMPs. We show how these models may be used for applications such as sorting of live stage specific ameloblasts, whole mount imaging, and experiments with incisor explants. The full list of new alleles is available at https://dev.facebase.org/enamelatlas/mouse-models/ .

YAP-Driven Malignant Reprogramming of Epithelial Stem Cells at Single Cell Resolution.

Tumor initiation represents the first step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Capturing this process as it occurs in vivo, however, remains elusive. Here we employ cell tracing approaches with spatiotemporally controlled oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inhibition to unveil the processes underlying oral epithelial progenitor cell reprogramming into cancer stem cells (CSCs) at single cell resolution. This revealed the rapid emergence of a distinct stem-like cell state, defined by aberrant proliferative, hypoxic, squamous differentiation, and partial epithelial to mesenchymal (pEMT) invasive gene programs. Interestingly, CSCs harbor limited cell autonomous invasive capacity, but instead recruit myeloid cells to remodel the basement membrane and ultimately initiate tumor invasion. CSC transcriptional programs are conserved in human carcinomas and associated with poor patient survival. These findings illuminate the process of cancer initiation at single cell resolution, thus identifying candidate targets for early cancer detection and prevention.

Direct reprogramming of oral epithelial progenitor cells to cancer stem cells at single cell resolution in vivo.

Tumor initiation represents the initial step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Most studies investigating cancer-driving mechanisms in solid tumors rely on analyses of established malignant lesions, and thus cannot directly capture processes underlying the reprogramming of normal progenitor cells into cancer cells. Here, using spatiotemporally controlled oncogene expression in a genetically engineered system we demonstrate that concomitant YAP activation and HPV E6-E7 -mediated inhibition of tumor suppressive pathways is sufficient to rapidly reprogram oral epithelial progenitor cells (OEPCs) into cancer stem cells (CSCs). Single cell analyses of these nascent CSCs revealed hallmark transcriptional programs driving tumor initiation. Importantly, these CSC-enriched expression signatures distinguish normal tissue from malignant head and neck tumors and are associated with poor patient survival. Elucidating mechanisms underlying OEPC to CSC reprogramming may offer new insights to halt the conversion of premalignant cells into invasive carcinoma. HIGHLIGHTS: YAP and HPV E6-E7 reprogram oral epithelial progenitor cells into cancer stem cells. Single cell analyses reveal the transcriptional architecture of tumor initiation.CSC transcriptional programs distinguish normal tissue from carcinoma.CSC signatures are associated with poor head and neck cancer survival.

Parallels in signaling between development and regeneration in ectodermal organs.

Ectodermal organs originate from the outermost germ layer of the developing embryo and include the skin, hair, tooth, nails, and exocrine glands. These organs develop through tightly regulated, sequential and reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk, and they eventually assume various morphologies and functions while retaining the ability to regenerate. As with many other tissues in the body, the development and morphogenesis of these organs are regulated by a set of common signaling pathways, such as Shh, Wnt, Bmp, Notch, Tgf-ß, and Eda. However, subtle differences in the temporal activation, the multiple possible combinations of ligand-receptor activation, the various cofactors, as well as the underlying epigenetic modulation determine how each organ develops into its adult form. Although each organ has been studied separately in considerable detail, the mechanisms underlying the parallels and differences in signaling that regulate their development have rarely been investigated. First, we will use the tooth, the hair follicle, and the mammary gland as representative ectodermal organs to explore how the development of signaling centers and establishment of stem cell populations influence overall growth and morphogenesis. Then we will compare how some of the major signaling pathways (Shh, Wnt, Notch and Yap/Taz) differentially regulate developmental events. Finally, we will discuss how signaling regulates regenerative processes in all three.

CNPY4 inhibits the Hedgehog pathway by modulating membrane sterol lipids.

The Hedgehog (HH) pathway is critical for development and adult tissue homeostasis. Aberrant HH signaling can lead to congenital malformations and diseases including cancer. Although cholesterol and several oxysterol lipids have been shown to play crucial roles in HH activation, the molecular mechanisms governing their regulation remain unresolved. Here, we identify Canopy4 (CNPY4), a Saposin-like protein, as a regulator of the HH pathway that modulates levels of membrane sterol lipids. Cnpy4-/- embryos exhibit multiple defects consistent with HH signaling perturbations, most notably changes in digit number. Knockdown of Cnpy4 hyperactivates the HH pathway in vitro and elevates membrane levels of accessible sterol lipids, such as cholesterol, an endogenous ligand involved in HH activation. Our data demonstrate that CNPY4 is a negative regulator that fine-tunes HH signal transduction, revealing a previously undescribed facet of HH pathway regulation that operates through control of membrane composition.

Dental cell type atlas reveals stem and differentiated cell types in mouse and human teeth.

Understanding cell types and mechanisms of dental growth is essential for reconstruction and engineering of teeth. Therefore, we investigated cellular composition of growing and non-growing mouse and human teeth. As a result, we report an unappreciated cellular complexity of the continuously-growing mouse incisor, which suggests a coherent model of cell dynamics enabling unarrested growth. This model relies on spatially-restricted stem, progenitor and differentiated populations in the epithelial and mesenchymal compartments underlying the coordinated expansion of two major branches of pulpal cells and diverse epithelial subtypes. Further comparisons of human and mouse teeth yield both parallelisms and differences in tissue heterogeneity and highlight the specifics behind growing and non-growing modes. Despite being similar at a coarse level, mouse and human teeth reveal molecular differences and species-specific cell subtypes suggesting possible evolutionary divergence. Overall, here we provide an atlas of human and mouse teeth with a focus on growth and differentiation.

Downregulation of FGF Signaling by Spry4 Overexpression Leads to Shape Impairment, Enamel Irregularities, and Delayed Signaling Center Formation in the Mouse Molar.

FGF signaling plays a critical role in tooth development, and mutations in modulators of this pathway produce a number of striking phenotypes. However, many aspects of the role of the FGF pathway in regulating the morphological features and the mineral quality of the dentition remain unknown. Here, we used transgenic mice overexpressing the FGF negative feedback regulator Sprouty4 under the epithelial keratin 14 promoter (K14-Spry4) to achieve downregulation of signaling in the epithelium. This led to highly penetrant defects affecting both cusp morphology and the enamel layer. We characterized the phenotype of erupted molars, identified a developmental delay in K14-Spry4 transgenic embryos, and linked this with changes in the tooth developmental sequence. These data further delineate the role of FGF signaling in the development of the dentition and implicate the pathway in the regulation of tooth mineralization. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus is published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Quantitative Clonal Analysis and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveal Division Kinetics, Hierarchy, and Fate of Oral Epithelial Progenitor Cells.

The oral mucosa is one of the most rapidly dividing tissues in the body and serves as a barrier to physical and chemical insults from mastication, food, and microorganisms. Breakdown of this barrier can lead to significant morbidity and potentially life-threatening infections for patients. Determining the identity and organization of oral epithelial progenitor cells (OEPCs) is therefore paramount to understanding their roles in homeostasis and disease. Using lineage tracing and label retention experiments, we show that rapidly dividing OEPCs are located broadly within the basal layer of the mucosa throughout the oral cavity. Quantitative clonal analysis demonstrated that OEPCs undergo population-asymmetrical divisions following neutral drift dynamics and that they respond to chemotherapy-induced damage by altering daughter cell fates. Finally, using single-cell RNA-seq, we establish the basal layer population structure and propose a model that defines the organization of cells within the basal layer.

Heterogeneity within Stratified Epithelial Stem Cell Populations Maintains the Oral Mucosa in Response to Physiological Stress.

Stem cells in stratified epithelia are generally believed to adhere to a non-hierarchical single-progenitor model. Using lineage tracing and genetic label-retention assays, we show that the hard palatal epithelium of the oral cavity is unique in displaying marked proliferative heterogeneity. We identify a previously uncharacterized, infrequently-dividing stem cell population that resides within a candidate niche, the junctional zone (JZ). JZ stem cells tend to self-renew by planar symmetric divisions, respond to masticatory stresses, and promote wound healing, whereas frequently-dividing cells reside outside the JZ, preferentially renew through perpendicular asymmetric divisions, and are less responsive to injury. LRIG1 is enriched in the infrequently-dividing population in homeostasis, dynamically changes expression in response to tissue stresses, and promotes quiescence, whereas Igfbp5 preferentially labels a rapidly-growing, differentiation-prone population. These studies establish the oral mucosa as an important model system to study epithelial stem cell populations and how they respond to tissue stresses.

A large pool of actively cycling progenitors orchestrates self-renewal and injury repair of an ectodermal appendage.

The classical model of tissue renewal posits that small numbers of quiescent stem cells (SCs) give rise to proliferating transit-amplifying cells before terminal differentiation. However, many organs house pools of SCs with proliferative and differentiation potentials that diverge from this template. Resolving SC identity and organization is therefore central to understanding tissue renewal. Here, using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), mouse genetics and tissue injury approaches, we uncover cellular hierarchies and mechanisms that underlie the maintenance and repair of the continuously growing mouse incisor. Our results reveal that, during homeostasis, a group of actively cycling epithelial progenitors generates enamel-producing ameloblasts and adjacent layers of non-ameloblast cells. After injury, tissue repair was achieved through transient increases in progenitor-cell proliferation and through direct conversion of Notch1-expressing cells to ameloblasts. We elucidate epithelial SC identity, position and function, providing a mechanistic basis for the homeostasis and repair of a fast-turnover ectodermal appendage.