A sex-specific switch in a single glial cell patterns the apical extracellular matrix.

Apical extracellular matrix (aECM) constitutes the interface between every tissue and the outside world. It is patterned into diverse tissue-specific structures through unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that a male-specific genetic switch in a single C. elegans glial cell patterns the overlying aECM from a solid sheet to an ∼200 nm pore, thus allowing a male sensory neuron to access the environment. Using cell-specific genetic sex reversal, we find that this switch reflects an inherent sex difference in the glial cell that is independent of the sex identity of the surrounding neurons. Through candidate and unbiased genetic screens, we find that this glial sex difference is controlled by factors shared with neurons (mab-3, lep-2, and lep-5) as well as previously unidentified regulators whose effects may be glia specific (nfya-1, bed-3, and jmjd-3.1). The switch results in male-specific glial expression of a secreted Hedgehog-related protein, GRL-18, that we discover localizes to transient nanoscale rings at sites where aECM pores will form. Using electron microscopy, we find that blocking male-specific gene expression in glia prevents pore formation, whereas forcing male-specific glial gene expression induces an ectopic pore. Thus, a switch in gene expression in a single cell is necessary and sufficient to pattern aECM into a specific structure. Our results highlight that aECM is not a simple homogeneous meshwork, but instead is composed of discrete local features that reflect the identity of the underlying cells.

Work smart, not hard: How array tomography can help increase the ultrastructure data output.

Transmission electron microscopy has been essential for understanding cell biology for over six decades. Volume electron microscopy tools, such as serial block face and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy acquisition, brought a new era to ultrastructure analysis. 'Array Tomography' (AT) refers to sequential image acquisition of resin-embedded sample sections on a large support (coverslip, glass slide, silicon wafers) for immunolabelling with multiple fluorescent labels, occasionally combined with ultrastructure observation. Subsequently, the term was applied to generating and imaging a series of sections to acquire a 3D representation of a structure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although this is a valuable application, the potential of AT is to facilitate many tasks that are difficult or even impossible to obtain by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Due to the straightforward nature and versatility of AT sample preparation and image acquisition, the technique can be applied practically to any biological sample for selected sections or volume electron microscopy analysis. Furthermore, in addition to the benefits described here, AT is compatible with morphological analysis, multiplex immunolabelling, immune-gold labelling, and correlative light and electron microscopy workflow applicable for single cells, tissue and small organisms. This versatility makes AT attractive not only for basic research but as a diagnostic tool with a simplified routine.

A sex-specific switch in a single glial cell patterns the apical extracellular matrix.

Apical extracellular matrix (aECM) constitutes the interface between every tissue and the outside world. It is patterned into diverse tissue-specific structures through unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that a male-specific genetic switch in a single C. elegans glial cell patterns the aECM into a ∻200 nm pore, allowing a male sensory neuron to access the environment. We find that this glial sex difference is controlled by factors shared with neurons ( mab-3, lep-2, lep-5 ) as well as previously unidentified regulators whose effects may be glia-specific ( nfya-1, bed-3, jmjd-3.1 ). The switch results in male-specific expression of a Hedgehog-related protein, GRL-18, that we discover localizes to transient nanoscale rings at sites of aECM pore formation. Blocking male-specific gene expression in glia prevents pore formation, whereas forcing male-specific expression induces an ectopic pore. Thus, a switch in gene expression in a single cell is necessary and sufficient to pattern aECM into a specific structure.

Basal stem cell progeny establish their apical surface in a junctional niche during turnover of an adult barrier epithelium.

Barrier epithelial organs face the constant challenge of sealing the interior body from the external environment while simultaneously replacing the cells that contact this environment. New replacement cells-the progeny of basal stem cells-are born without barrier-forming structures such as a specialized apical membrane and occluding junctions. Here, we investigate how new progeny acquire barrier structures as they integrate into the intestinal epithelium of adult Drosophila. We find they gestate their future apical membrane in a sublumenal niche created by a transitional occluding junction that envelops the differentiating cell and enables it to form a deep, microvilli-lined apical pit. The transitional junction seals the pit from the intestinal lumen until differentiation-driven, basal-to-apical remodelling of the niche opens the pit and integrates the now-mature cell into the barrier. By coordinating junctional remodelling with terminal differentiation, stem cell progeny integrate into a functional, adult epithelium without jeopardizing barrier integrity.

MALT-1 shortens lifespan by inhibiting autophagy in the intestine of C. elegans.

The caspase-like protease MALT1 promotes immune responses and oncogenesis in mammals by activating the transcription factor NF-κB. MALT1 is remarkably conserved from mammals to simple metazoans devoid of NF-κB homologs, like the nematode C. elegans. To discover more ancient, NF-κB -independent MALT1 functions, we analysed the phenotype of C. elegans upon silencing of MALT-1 expression systemically or in a tissue-specific manner. MALT-1 silencing in the intestine caused a significant increase in life span, whereas intestinal overexpression of MALT-1 shortened life expectancy. Interestingly, MALT-1-deficient animals showed higher constitutive levels of autophagy in the intestine, which were particularly evident in aged or starved nematodes. Silencing of the autophagy regulators ATG-13, BEC-1 or LGG-2, but not the TOR homolog LET-363, reversed lifespan extension caused by MALT-1 deficiency. These findings suggest that MALT-1 limits the lifespan of C. elegans by acting as an inhibitor of an early step of autophagy in the intestine.

Autophagic degradation of CNS myelin maintains axon integrity.

(Macro)autophagy is a major lysosome-dependent degradation mechanism which engulfs, removes and recycles unwanted cytoplasmic material, including damaged organelles and toxic protein aggregates. Although a few studies implicate autophagy in CNS demyelinating pathologies, its role, particularly in mature oligodendrocytes and CNS myelin, remains poorly studied. Here, using both pharmacological and genetic inhibition of the autophagic machinery, we provide evidence that autophagy is an essential mechanism for oligodendrocyte maturation in vitro. Our study reveals that two core myelin proteins, namely proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP) are incorporated into autophagosomes in oligodendrocytes, resulting in their degradation. Furthermore, we ablated atg5, a core gene of the autophagic machinery, specifically in myelinating glial cells in vivo by tamoxifen administration (plp-Cre ERT2 ; atg5 f/f ) and showed that myelin maintenance is perturbed, leading to PLP accumulation. Significant morphological defects in myelin membrane such as decompaction accompanied with increased axonal degeneration are observed. As a result, the mice exhibit behavioral deficits. In summary, our data highlight that the maintenance of adult myelin homeostasis in the CNS requires the involvement of a fully functional autophagic machinery.

Cross-modality synthesis of EM time series and live fluorescence imaging.

Analyses across imaging modalities allow the integration of complementary spatiotemporal information about brain development, structure, and function. However, systematic atlasing across modalities is limited by challenges to effective image alignment. We combine highly spatially resolved electron microscopy (EM) and highly temporally resolved time-lapse fluorescence microscopy (FM) to examine the emergence of a complex nervous system in Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis. We generate an EM time series at four classic developmental stages and create a landmark-based co-optimization algorithm for cross-modality image alignment, which handles developmental heterochrony among datasets to achieve accurate single-cell level alignment. Synthesis based on the EM series and time-lapse FM series carrying different cell-specific markers reveals critical dynamic behaviors across scales of identifiable individual cells in the emergence of the primary neuropil, the nerve ring, as well as a major sensory organ, the amphid. Our study paves the way for systematic cross-modality data synthesis in C. elegans and demonstrates a powerful approach that may be applied broadly.

Array Tomography Workflow for the Targeted Acquisition of Volume Information using Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Electron microscopy is applied in biology and medicine for imaging of cellular and structural details at nanometer resolution. Historically, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provided insight into cell ultrastructure, but in the recent decade, the development of modern Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) has changed the way of looking inside the cells. Even though the resolution of TEM is superior when protein-level structural details are needed, SEM-resolution is sufficient for the majority of the organelle-level cell biology-related questions. The advancement in technology enabled automatic volume acquisition solutions such as Serial block-face imaging (SBF-SEM) and Focused ion beam SEM (FIB-SEM). Nevertheless, to this day, these methods remain inefficient when the identification and navigation to areas of interest are crucial. Without the means for precise localization of target areas before imaging, operators need to acquire much more data than they need (in SBF-SEM), or, even worse, prepare many grids and image them all (in TEM). We propose the strategy of "lateral screening" using Array Tomography in SEM, which facilitates the localization of areas of interest, followed by automated imaging of the relevant fraction of the total sample volume. Array tomography samples are conserved during imaging, and they can be arranged into section libraries ready for repeated imaging. Several examples are shown in which lateral screening enables us to analyze structural details that are incredibly challenging to access with any other method.

Ablation of glucokinase-expressing tanycytes impacts energy balance and increases adiposity in mice.

OBJECTIVES: Glucokinase (GCK) is critical for glucosensing. In rats, GCK is expressed in hypothalamic tanycytes and appears to play an essential role in feeding behavior. In this study, we investigated the distribution of GCK-expressing tanycytes in mice and their role in the regulation of energy balance. METHODS: In situ hybridization, reporter gene assay, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess GCK expression along the third ventricle in mice. To evaluate the impact of GCK-expressing tanycytes on arcuate neuron function and mouse physiology, Gck deletion along the ventricle was achieved using loxP/Cre recombinase technology in adult mice. RESULTS: GCK expression was low along the third ventricle, but detectable in tanycytes facing the ventromedial arcuate nucleus from bregma -1.5 to -2.2. Gck deletion induced the death of this tanycyte subgroup through the activation of the BAD signaling pathway. The ablation of GCK-expressing tanycytes affected different aspects of energy balance, leading to an increase in adiposity in mice. This phenotype was systematically associated with a defect in NPY neuron function. In contrast, the regulation of glucose homeostasis was mostly preserved, except for glucoprivic responses. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the role of GCK in tanycyte biology and highlights the impact of tanycyte loss on the regulation of energy balance.

Peculiar protrusions along tanycyte processes face diverse neural and nonneural cell types in the hypothalamic parenchyma.

Tanycytes are highly specialized ependymal cells that line the bottom and the lateral walls of the third ventricle. In contact with the cerebrospinal fluid through their cell bodies, they send processes into the arcuate nucleus, the ventromedial nucleus, and the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. In the present work, we combined transgenic and immunohistochemical approaches to investigate the neuroanatomical associations between tanycytes and neural cells present in the hypothalamic parenchyma, in particular in the arcuate nucleus. The specific expression of tdTomato in tanycytes first allowed the observation of peculiar subcellular protrusions along tanycyte processes and at their endfeet such as spines, swelling, en passant boutons, boutons, or claws. Interestingly, these protrusions contact different neural cells in the brain parenchyma including blood vessels and neurons, and in particular NPY and POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus. Using both fluorescent and electron microscopy, we finally observed that these tanycyte protrusions contain ribosomes, mitochondria, diverse vesicles, and transporters, suggesting dense tanycyte/neuron and tanycyte/blood vessel communications. Altogether, our results lay the neuroanatomical basis for tanycyte/neural cell interactions, which will be useful to further understand cell-to-cell communications involved in the regulation of neuroendocrine functions.

Extrasynaptic acetylcholine signaling through a muscarinic receptor regulates cell migration.

Acetylcholine (ACh) promotes various cell migrations in vitro, but there are few investigations into this nonsynaptic role of ACh signaling in vivo. Here we investigate the function of a muscarinic receptor on an epithelial cell migration in Caenorhabditis elegans We show that the migratory gonad leader cell, the linker cell (LC), uses an M1/M3/M5-like muscarinic ACh receptor GAR-3 to receive extrasynaptic ACh signaling from cholinergic neurons for its migration. Either the loss of the GAR-3 receptor in the LC or the inhibition of ACh release from cholinergic neurons resulted in migratory path defects. The overactivation of the GAR-3 muscarinic receptor caused the LC to reverse its orientation through its downstream effectors Gαq/egl-30, PLCß/egl-8, and TRIO/unc-73 This reversal response only occurred in the fourth larval stage, which corresponds to the developmental time when the GAR-3::yellow fluorescent protein receptor in the membrane relocalizes from a uniform to an asymmetric distribution. These findings suggest a role for the GAR-3 muscarinic receptor in determining the direction of LC migration.

Correction: Ferritin heavy chain protects the developing wing from reactive oxygen species and ferroptosis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008396.].

Homeostatic mini-intestines through scaffold-guided organoid morphogenesis.

Epithelial organoids, such as those derived from stem cells of the intestine, have great potential for modelling tissue and disease biology1-4. However, the approaches that are used at present to derive these organoids in three-dimensional matrices5,6 result in stochastically developing tissues with a closed, cystic architecture that restricts lifespan and size, limits experimental manipulation and prohibits homeostasis. Here, by using tissue engineering and the intrinsic self-organization properties of cells, we induce intestinal stem cells to form tube-shaped epithelia with an accessible lumen and a similar spatial arrangement of crypt- and villus-like domains to that in vivo. When connected to an external pumping system, the mini-gut tubes are perfusable; this allows the continuous removal of dead cells to prolong tissue lifespan by several weeks, and also enables the tubes to be colonized with microorganisms for modelling host-microorganism interactions. The mini-intestines include rare, specialized cell types that are seldom found in conventional organoids. They retain key physiological hallmarks of the intestine and have a notable capacity to regenerate. Our concept for extrinsically guiding the self-organization of stem cells into functional organoids-on-a-chip is broadly applicable and will enable the attainment of more physiologically relevant organoid shapes, sizes and functions.

Ferritin heavy chain protects the developing wing from reactive oxygen species and ferroptosis.

The interplay between signalling pathways and metabolism is crucial for tissue growth. Yet, it remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the consequences of modulating iron metabolism on the growth of Drosophila imaginal discs. We find that reducing the levels of the ferritin heavy chain in the larval wing discs leads to drastic growth defects, whereas light chain depletion causes only minor defects. Mutant cell clones for the heavy chain lack the ability to compete against Minute mutant cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate in wing discs with reduced heavy chain levels, causing severe mitochondrial defects and ferroptosis. Preventing ROS accumulation alleviates some of the growth defects. We propose that the increased expression of ferritin in hippo mutant cells may protect against ROS accumulation.

Morphogenesis of neurons and glia within an epithelium.

To sense the outside world, some neurons protrude across epithelia, the cellular barriers that line every surface of our bodies. To study the morphogenesis of such neurons, we examined the C. elegans amphid, in which dendrites protrude through a glial channel at the nose. During development, amphid dendrites extend by attaching to the nose via DYF-7, a type of protein typically found in epithelial apical ECM. Here, we show that amphid neurons and glia exhibit epithelial properties, including tight junctions and apical-basal polarity, and develop in a manner resembling other epithelia. We find that DYF-7 is a fibril-forming apical ECM component that promotes formation of the tube-shaped glial channel, reminiscent of roles for apical ECM in other narrow epithelial tubes. We also identify a requirement for FRM-2, a homolog of EPBL15/moe/Yurt that promotes epithelial integrity in other systems. Finally, we show that other environmentally exposed neurons share a requirement for DYF-7. Together, our results suggest that these neurons and glia can be viewed as part of an epithelium continuous with the skin, and are shaped by mechanisms shared with other epithelia.

CYK-4 functions independently of its centralspindlin partner ZEN-4 to cellularize oocytes in germline syncytia.

Throughout metazoans, germ cells undergo incomplete cytokinesis to form syncytia connected by intercellular bridges. Gamete formation ultimately requires bridge closure, yet how bridges are reactivated to close is not known. The most conserved bridge component is centralspindlin, a complex of the Rho family GTPase-activating protein (GAP) CYK-4/MgcRacGAP and the microtubule motor ZEN-4/kinesin-6. Here, we show that oocyte production by the syncytial Caenorhabditis elegans germline requires CYK-4 but not ZEN-4, which contrasts with cytokinesis, where both are essential. Longitudinal imaging after conditional inactivation revealed that CYK-4 activity is important for oocyte cellularization, but not for the cytokinesis-like events that generate syncytial compartments. CYK-4's lipid-binding C1 domain and the GTPase-binding interface of its GAP domain were both required to target CYK-4 to intercellular bridges and to cellularize oocytes. These results suggest that the conserved C1-GAP region of CYK-4 constitutes a targeting module required for closure of intercellular bridges in germline syncytia.

A targeted 3D EM and correlative microscopy method using SEM array tomography.

Using electron microscopy to localize rare cellular events or structures in complex tissue is challenging. Correlative light and electron microscopy procedures have been developed to link fluorescent protein expression with ultrastructural resolution. Here, we present an optimized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) workflow for volumetric array tomography for asymmetric samples and model organisms (Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio). We modified a diamond knife to simplify serial section array acquisition with minimal artifacts. After array acquisition, the arrays were transferred to a glass coverslip or silicon wafer support. Using light microscopy, the arrays were screened rapidly for initial recognition of global anatomical features (organs or body traits). Then, using SEM, an in-depth study of the cells and/or organs of interest was performed. Our manual and automatic data acquisition strategies make 3D data acquisition and correlation simpler and more precise than alternative methods. This method can be used to address questions in cell and developmental biology that require the efficient identification of a labeled cell or organelle.

Coordination of Septate Junctions Assembly and Completion of Cytokinesis in Proliferative Epithelial Tissues.

How permeability barrier function is maintained when epithelial cells divide is largely unknown. Here, we have investigated how the bicellular septate junctions (BSJs) and tricellular septate junctions (TSJs) are remodeled throughout completion of cytokinesis in Drosophila epithelia. We report that, following cytokinetic ring constriction, the midbody assembles, matures within SJs, and is displaced basally in two phases. In a first slow phase, the neighboring cells remain connected to the dividing cells by means of SJ-containing membrane protrusions pointing to the maturing midbody. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments revealed that SJs within the membrane protrusions correspond to the old SJs that were present prior to cytokinesis. In contrast, new SJs are assembled below the adherens junctions and spread basally to build a new belt of SJs in a manner analogous to a conveyor belt. Loss of function of a core BSJ component, the Na+/K+-ATPase pump Nervana 2 subunit, revealed that the apical-to-basal spread of BSJs drives the basal displacement of the midbody. In contrast, loss of the TSJ protein Bark beetle indicated that remodeling of TSJs is rate limiting and slowed down midbody migration. In the second phase, once the belt of SJs is assembled, the basal displacement of the midbody is accelerated and ultimately leads to abscission. This last step is temporally uncoupled from the remodeling of SJs. We propose that cytokinesis in epithelia involves the coordinated polarized assembly and remodeling of SJs both in the dividing cell and its neighbors to ensure the maintenance of permeability barrier integrity in proliferative epithelia.

Drosophila E-cadherin is required for the maintenance of ring canals anchoring to mechanically withstand tissue growth.

Intercellular bridges called "ring canals" (RCs) resulting from incomplete cytokinesis play an essential role in intercellular communication in somatic and germinal tissues. During Drosophila oogenesis, RCs connect the maturing oocyte to nurse cells supporting its growth. Despite numerous genetic screens aimed at identifying genes involved in RC biogenesis and maturation, how RCs anchor to the plasma membrane (PM) throughout development remains unexplained. In this study, we report that the clathrin adaptor protein 1 (AP-1) complex, although dispensable for the biogenesis of RCs, is required for the maintenance of the anchorage of RCs to the PM to withstand the increased membrane tension associated with the exponential tissue growth at the onset of vitellogenesis. Here we unravel the mechanisms by which AP-1 enables the maintenance of RCs' anchoring to the PM during size expansion. We show that AP-1 regulates the localization of the intercellular adhesion molecule E-cadherin and that loss of AP-1 causes the disappearance of the E-cadherin-containing adhesive clusters surrounding the RCs. E-cadherin itself is shown to be required for the maintenance of the RCs' anchorage, a function previously unrecognized because of functional compensation by N-cadherin. Scanning block-face EM combined with transmission EM analyses reveals the presence of interdigitated, actin- and Moesin-positive, microvilli-like structures wrapping the RCs. Thus, by modulating E-cadherin trafficking, we show that the sustained E-cadherin-dependent adhesion organizes the microvilli meshwork and ensures the proper attachment of RCs to the PM, thereby counteracting the increasing membrane tension induced by exponential tissue growth.

Adaptation of Cryo-Sectioning for IEM Labeling of Asymmetric Samples: A Study Using Caenorhabditis elegans.

Cryo-sectioning procedures, initially developed by Tokuyasu, have been successfully improved for tissues and cultured cells, enabling efficient protein localization on the ultrastructural level. Without a standard procedure applicable to any sample, currently existing protocols must be individually modified for each model organism or asymmetric sample. Here, we describe our method that enables reproducible cryo-sectioning of Caenorhabditis elegans larvae/adults and embryos. We have established a chemical-fixation procedure in which flat embedding considerably simplifies manipulation and lateral orientation of larvae or adults. To bypass the limitations of chemical fixation, we have improved the hybrid cryo-immobilization-rehydration technique and reduced the overall time required to complete this procedure. Using our procedures, precise cryo-sectioning orientation can be combined with good ultrastructural preservation and efficient immuno-electron microscopy protein localization. Also, GFP fluorescence can be efficiently preserved, permitting a direct correlation of the fluorescent signal and its subcellular localization. Although developed for C. elegans samples, our method addresses the challenge of working with small asymmetric samples in general, and thus could be used to improve the efficiency of immuno-electron localization in other model organisms.