scholarly journals Single-cell analysis of Schistosoma mansoni identifies a conserved genetic program controlling germline stem cell fate

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengyang Li ◽  
Dania Nanes Sarfati ◽  
Yuan Xue ◽  
Xi Yu ◽  
Alexander J. Tarashansky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Genetic Program ◽  
Germline Stem Cell ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Germ Cell Differentiation

AbstractSchistosomes are parasitic flatworms causing one of the most prevalent infectious diseases from which millions of people are currently suffering. These parasites have high fecundity and their eggs are both the transmissible agents and the cause of the infection-associated pathology. Given its biomedical significance, the schistosome germline has been a research focus for more than a century. Nonetheless, molecular mechanisms that regulate its development are only now being understood. In particular, it is unknown what balances the fate of germline stem cells (GSCs) in producing daughter stem cells through mitotic divisions versus gametes through meiosis. Here, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing on juvenile schistosomes and capture GSCs during de novo gonadal development. We identify a genetic program that controls the proliferation and differentiation of GSCs. This program centers around onecut, a homeobox transcription factor, and boule, an mRNA binding protein. Their expressions are mutually dependent in the schistosome male germline, and knocking down either of them causes over-proliferation of GSCs and blocks germ cell differentiation. We further show that this germline-specific regulatory program is conserved in the planarian, schistosome’s free-living evolutionary cousin, but the function of onecut has changed during evolution to support GSC maintenance.

scholarly journals Single-cell analysis of Schistosoma mansoni reveals a conserved genetic program controlling germline stem cell fate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengyang Li ◽  
Dania Nanes Sarfati ◽  
Yuan Xue ◽  
Xi Yu ◽  
Alexander J. Tarashansky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Genetic Program ◽  
Germline Stem Cell ◽  
Germline Stem Cells ◽  
Homeobox Transcription Factor ◽  
Mrna Binding

AbstractSchistosomes are parasitic flatworms causing one of the most prevalent infectious diseases from which millions of people are currently suffering. Their germline outputs many fertilized eggs, which are both the transmissible agents and the cause of the infection-associated pathology. Given its significance, the schistosome germline has been a research focus for more than a century. Nonetheless, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate its development. Here, we construct a transcriptomic cell type atlas of juvenile schistosomes. This allows us to capture germline stem cells (GSCs) during de novo gonadal development. We identify a genetic program that balances the fate of GSC between proliferation and differentiation. This program is controlled by onecut, a homeobox transcription factor, and boule, an mRNA binding protein. Evaluating this genetic program in schistosome’s free-living evolutionary cousin, the planarian, shows that this germline-specific regulatory program is conserved but its function has changed significantly during evolution.

scholarly journals Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis as a Promising Tool to Study Pluripotent Stem Cell Reprogramming

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5988
Author(s):  
Hyun Kyu Kim ◽  
Tae Won Ha ◽  
Man Ryul Lee
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Human Cell ◽  
Transcriptome Analysis ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Single Cell Level ◽  
Cell Analysis ◽  
Cell Level

Cells are the basic units of all organisms and are involved in all vital activities, such as proliferation, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis. A human body consists of more than 30 trillion cells generated through repeated division and differentiation from a single-cell fertilized egg in a highly organized programmatic fashion. Since the recent formation of the Human Cell Atlas consortium, establishing the Human Cell Atlas at the single-cell level has been an ongoing activity with the goal of understanding the mechanisms underlying diseases and vital cellular activities at the level of the single cell. In particular, transcriptome analysis of embryonic stem cells at the single-cell level is of great importance, as these cells are responsible for determining cell fate. Here, we review single-cell analysis techniques that have been actively used in recent years, introduce the single-cell analysis studies currently in progress in pluripotent stem cells and reprogramming, and forecast future studies.

scholarly journals The Winding Road of Cardiac Regeneration—Stem Cell Omics in the Spotlight

Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miruna Mihaela Micheu ◽  
Alina Ioana Scarlatescu ◽  
Alexandru Scafa-Udriste ◽  
Maria Dorobantu
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Omics Data

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.

scholarly journals Epigenetic regulations follow cell cycle progression during differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Madrigal ◽  
Siim Pauklin ◽  
Kim Jee Goh ◽  
Rodrigo Grandy ◽  
Anna Osnato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Chromatin Accessibility ◽  
Activator Protein 1 ◽  
Cellular Division ◽  
Mapk Signalling

AbstractMost mammalian stem cells undergo cellular division during their differentiation to produce daughter cells with a new cellular identity. However, the cascade of epigenetic events and molecular mechanisms occurring between successive cell divisions upon differentiation have not yet been described in detail due to technical limitations. Here, we address this question by taking advantage of the Fluorescent Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator (FUCCI) reporter to develop a culture system allowing the differentiation of human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) synchronised for their cell cycle. Using this approach, we have assessed the epigenome and transcriptome dynamics during the first two divisions leading to definitive endoderm. We first observed that transcription of key markers of differentiation occurs before division suggesting that differentiation is initiated during the progression of cell cycle. Furthermore, ATAC-seq shows a major decrease in chromatin accessibility after pluripotency exit indicating that the first event of differentiation is the inhibition of alternative cell fate. In addition, using digital genomic footprinting we identified novel cell cycle-specific transcription factors with regulatory potential in endoderm specification. Of particular interest, Activator protein 1 (AP-1) controlled p38/MAPK signalling seems to be necessary for blocking endoderm shifting cell fate toward mesoderm lineage. Finally, histone modifications analyses suggest a temporal order between different marks. We can also conclude that enhancers are dynamically and rapidly established / decommissioned between different cell cycle upon differentiation. Overall, these data not only reveal key the successive interplays between epigenetic modifications during differentiation but also provide a valuable resource to investigate novel mechanisms in germ layer specification.

scholarly journals The Proliferation and Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Neovascularization and Angiogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3790
Author(s):  
Greg Hutchings ◽  
Krzysztof Janowicz ◽  
Lisa Moncrieff ◽  
Claudia Dompe ◽  
Ewa Strauss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Blood Vessel ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Paracrine Factors ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Heterogenous Population ◽  
Vessel Networks ◽  
Differentiation And Proliferation

Neovascularization and angiogenesis are vital processes in the repair of damaged tissue, creating new blood vessel networks and increasing oxygen and nutrient supply for regeneration. The importance of Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ASCs) contained in the adipose tissue surrounding blood vessel networks to these processes remains unknown and the exact mechanisms responsible for directing adipogenic cell fate remain to be discovered. As adipose tissue contains a heterogenous population of partially differentiated cells of adipocyte lineage; tissue repair, angiogenesis and neovascularization may be closely linked to the function of ASCs in a complex relationship. This review aims to investigate the link between ASCs and angiogenesis/neovascularization, with references to current studies. The molecular mechanisms of these processes, as well as ASC differentiation and proliferation are described in detail. ASCs may differentiate into endothelial cells during neovascularization; however, recent clinical trials have suggested that ASCs may also stimulate angiogenesis and neovascularization indirectly through the release of paracrine factors.

scholarly journals Regulation of CXCR6 Expression on Adipocytes and Osteoblasts Differentiated from Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Seung-Cheol Lee ◽  
Yoo-Jung Lee ◽  
Min Kyoung Shin ◽  
Jung-Suk Sung
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
De Novo Synthesis ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Differentiated Cells

Human mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue (hADMSCs) are a desirable candidate in regenerative medicine. hADMSCs secrete growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines and also express various receptors that are important in cell activation, differentiation, and migration to injured tissue. We showed that the expression level of chemokine receptor CXCR6 was significantly increased by ~2.5-fold in adipogenic-differentiated cells (Ad), but not in osteogenic-differentiated cells (Os) when compared with hADMSCs. However, regulation of CXCR6 expression on hADMSCs by using lentiviral particles did not affect the differentiation potential of hADMSCs. Increased expression of CXCR6 on Ad was mediated by both receptor recycling, which was in turn regulated by secretion of CXCL16, and de novo synthesis. The level of soluble CXCL16 was highly increased in both Ad and Os in particular, which inversely correlates with the expression on a transmembrane-bound form of CXCL16 that is cleaved by disintegrin and metalloproteinase. We concluded that the expression of CXCR6 is regulated by receptor degradation or recycling when it is internalized by interaction with CXCL16 and by de novo synthesis of CXCR6. Overall, our study may provide an insight into the molecular mechanisms of the CXCR6 reciprocally expressed on differentiated cells from hADMSCs.

scholarly journals SOX2 for Stem Cell Therapy and Medical Use: Pros or Cons?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 096368972090756
Author(s):  
Hong-Meng Chuang ◽  
Mao-Hsuan Huang ◽  
Yu-Shuan Chen ◽  
Horng-Jyh Harn
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Transplantation ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Control Cell ◽  
Critical Pathways ◽  
Stem Cell Isolation ◽  
And Storage

Stem cell transplantation is a fast-developing technique, which includes stem cell isolation, purification, and storage, and it is in high demand in the industry. In addition, advanced applications of stem cell transplantation, including differentiation, gene delivery, and reprogramming, are presently being studied in clinical trials. In contrast to somatic cells, stem cells are self-renewing and have the ability to differentiate; however, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. SOX2 (sex-determining region Y [ SRY]-b ox 2) is one of the well-known reprogramming factors, and it has been recognized as an oncogene associated with cancer induction. The exclusion of SOX2 in reprogramming methodologies has been used as an alternative cancer treatment approach. However, the manner by which SOX2 induces oncogenic effects remains unclear, with most studies demonstrating its regulation of the cell cycle and no insight into the maintenance of cellular stemness. For controlling certain critical pathways, including Shh and Wnt pathways, SOX2 is considered irreplaceable and is required for the normal functioning of stem cells, particularly neural stem cells. In this report, we discussed the functions of SOX2 in both stem and cancer cells, as well as how this powerful regulator can be used to control cell fate.

Molecular Mechanisms of Spindle Checkpoint-Apoptosis Linkage and Karyotypic Stability in Stem Cells.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 3361-3361
Author(s):  
Charlie Mantel ◽  
Sara Rhorabough ◽  
Ying Guo ◽  
Man-Ryul Lee ◽  
Myung-Kwan Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Spindle Checkpoint ◽  
Cyclin B1 ◽  
Polyploid Cell ◽  
Mitotic Slippage

Abstract Ex-vivo expansion of human HSC prior to bone marrow transplantation is still an unrealized goal that could greatly extend the usefulness of this mainstay strategy for treating numerous human hematologic diseases. The safety of this process for potential use in humans depends in large part on the maintenance of karyotypic stability of HSC during expansion, a lack of which could contribute to serious, even fatal, complications such as cancer, and could also contribute to engraftment failure. The spindle checkpoint and its linkage to apoptosis initiation is one of the most important cellular processes that helps maintain chromosomal stability in rapidly proliferating cell populations by removing aneuploid and karyotypically abnormal cells via activation of cell death programs. Detailed understanding of the molecular regulation of this vital cell cycle checkpoint is important to maximize safety of in-vitro HSC expansion techniques. It is widely accepted that mammalian cells enter the next G1-phase with 4N DNA after slippage from prolonged drug-induced mitotic block caused by activation of the transient spindle checkpoint that it is from this state that polyploid/aneuploid cells initiate apoptosis. However, definitive biochemical evidence for G1 is scarce or unconvincing; in part because of methods of protein extraction required for immunoblot analysis that cannot take into account the cell cycle heterogeneity of cell cultures. We used single-cell-intracellular-flow-cytometric analysis to define important factors determining cell fate after mitotic slippage. Results from human and mouse embryonic stem cells that reenter polyploid cell cycles are compared to human somatic hematopoietic cells that die after MS. We now report for the first time that phosphorylation status of pRb, p53, CDK1, and cyclin B1 levels are important for cell fate/apoptosis decision in mitotic-slippage cells, which occurs in a unique, intervening, non-G1, tetraploid subphase. Hyperphosphorylated Rb was extremely abundant in mitotic-slippage cells, a cell signaling event usually associated with early G1-S phase transition. P53 was phosphorylated at sites known to be associated with apoptosis regulation. Cyclin A and B1 were undetectable in mitotic slippage cells; yet, CDK1 was phosphorylated at sites typically associated with its activation. Evidence is also presented raising the possibility of cyclin B1-independent CDK1 activity in mitotic-slippage cells. These findings challenge the current models of spindle checkpoint-apoptosis linkages. Our new model could have important implications for methods to maintain karyotypic stability during ex-vivo HSC expansion.

scholarly journals Transcriptional and Functional Description of Stem Cell Heterogeneity in Native and Transplantation Hematopoiesis

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 3844-3844
Author(s):  
Alejo E Rodriguez-Fraticelli ◽  
Caleb Weinreb ◽  
Allon Moshe Klein ◽  
Fernando Camargo
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Cell Heterogeneity ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract The hematopoietic system follows a hierarchical organization, with multipotent long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) occupying the top tier. This paradigm, developed mostly through cell transplantation assays, has recently been contested by a series of studies performed under native conditions, without transplantation. Application of systems-level single cell methods in this setting has revealed a heterogeneity of cell states within progenitors and stem cells, prompting a reevaluation of the theories of hematopoietic lineage fate decisions. We have previously described that hematopoietic stem cell fates are clonally heterogeneous under steady state and uncovered that a fraction of LT-HSCs contributes to a significant proportion of the megakaryocytic cell lineage under steady state, while rarely generating other types of progeny in unperturbed conditions. To elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this functional lineage-output heterogeneity, we developed a technique to barcode hematopoietic cells at the RNA level in order to simultaneously capture the lineage relationships and transcriptional states of HSCs. Using a droplet-based massive single cell RNAseq platform, we analyzed thousands of engrafted hematopoietic stem cells together with a sufficiently significant representation of downstream progenitor cells to measure HSC output. Inspection of the resulting "stem cell state-fate maps" revealed a variety of stem cell behaviors, including single cell quiescence, asymmetric and symmetric divisions, and clonal expansion. We also connected these behaviors with some of the previously observed heterogeneity in stem cell outcomes, including lineage bias, lineage output and clonal competition. Importantly, clustering of expression profiles revealed significant differences in the transcriptional programs related with some of these behaviors, which illuminate the molecular machineries that operate at the stem cell level to define this heterogeneity. Thus, our work has identified potential novel mediators for stem cell heterogeneity, which we are functionally analyzing in further detail to understand their molecular mechanisms. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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