Cell lineages A ‘derm’ is a cell layer – not a cell type!

Lecture 3 Specification of the second lineage, primitive endoderm and stem cell lines from early mouse embryos You should understand Mechanisms governing specification of the primitive endoderm lineage What is an ES cell Stem cell lines from early mouse embryos and their relationship to early lineages.

Master transcription factors for early lineage determination in preimplantation development 1. Oct4/Pou5f1; uniformly expressed in cleavage stages. Switched off in trophectoderm of blastocyst. Knockout fails to develop ICM. 2. Cdx2; stochastically expressed from 8-cell stage. Progressively restricted to outer TE cells of blastocyst. Knockout fails to develop trophectoderm. 3. Nanog; stochastically expressed from 8-cell stage. Switched off in TE. Expressed in salt and pepper pattern in ICM eventually restricted to primitive ectoderm at d4. Knockout fails to develop ICM. 4. Gata6 (+Gata4); stochastically expressed from 8-cell stage. Switched off in TE. Expressed in salt and pepper pattern in ICM eventually restricted to primitive endoderm at d4. Double knockout fails to develop PE. Trophectoderm (TE) Primitive endoderm (PE) Inner cell mass (ICM) Zona pelucida Blastocoel cavity Blastomere Primitive ectoderm (PrEct) Day 3.0 Day 3.5 Day 4.0 Morula Blastocyst Cleavage

Specification of primitive endoderm lineage Day 3.0 Day 3.5 Day 4.0 Inner cell mass (ICM) Primitive ectoderm (PrEct) Blastocoel cavity Trophectoderm (TE) Primitive endoderm (PE) High Nanog Low GATA6 Low Nanog High GATA6 Reciprocal salt and pepper pattern of Nanog and GATA6 in ICM cells of mid-stage blastocysts Chazaud et al (2006) Dev Cell 10 p615-24.

Grb2 mutant embryos fail to specify primitive endoderm Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling transduced by MAPK Inhibition of FGF signalling also causes failure to specify primitive endoderm Chazaud et al (2006) Dev Cell 10 p615-24.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling regulates primitive endoderm to primitive ectoderm switching Grb2 Fgf2r Gata6 Nanog Fgf4 Mapk Fgf4 high Fgf2r high Primitive ectoderm (PrEct) cell Primitive endoderm (PE) cell Cell sorting FGF4 gene is activated by Oct4 Only Nanog expressing ICM cells seen in Grb2 knockout or with disruption of FGF signalling Negative feedback by Gata6 on Nanog and vice versa Cell sorting mechanism? Chazaud et al (2006) Dev Cell 10 p615-24.

Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells Stem cells and progenitors; Stem cell; unlimited capacity to self-renew and produce differentiated derivatives Progenitor cell; limited capacity to self-renew and produce differentiated derivatives Terminally differentiated cell Terminology for differentiative capacity of stem cells/progenitors; Totipotent; capable of giving rise to all differentiated cell types of the organism, including extraembryonic lineages e.g. morula cells Pluripotent; capable of giving rise to cell types of the three germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm eg primitive ectoderm cells of the blastocyst. Multipotent – capable of giving rise to a limited number of differentiated cell types, e.g.adult stem cells and progenitors

Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells Teratoma Teratocarinomas are malignant tumours derived from germ cells and comprising multiple cell types from all three germ layers, indicating the presence of a pluripotent stem cell population. Occur at high frequency in 129 strain of mouse or can be produced by injecting early embryo cells into testis or kidney capsule of syngeneic host. Pluripotent stem cell tissue culture cell lines derived from teratocarcinomas are termed embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. They have an abnormal karyotype and express high levels of alkaline phosphatase. EC cells can self-renew indefinitely and can undergo lineage differentiation in vitro and in vivo, following transfer into recipient blastocysts. Cannot contribute to germline Martin and Evans (1974), Cell 2, p163-172

ES cells Derived from blastocyst stage embryos Grow as ‘clumps’ or ‘colonies’ by culturing with fetal calf-serum (FCS) on layer of inactivated primary embryonic fibroblast cells (PEFs). Alkaline phosphatase positive Contribute to all three germ layers (but not trophectoderm) when differentiated in vitro or when transferred to recipient blastocyst – pluripotent. Have stable normal karyotype Contribute to the germ-line of chimeric animals (blastocyst injection) and can therefore be transmitted to subsequent generations. Efficient at homologous recombination allowing development of gene knockout technology. Evans and Kaufman (1984) Nature 292, p154-6

Transcription factor circuitry in ES cells Availability of unlimited quantity of ES cells grown in vitro has facillitated genome wide analysis. Key findings include; Core transcription factors Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 co-occupy a large proportion of target genes Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 participate in positive feedback loops with themselves and one another to stably maintain the pluripotent state Oct, Nanog and Sox2 participate in negative regulatory loops to block expression of core transcription factors of trophectoderm and primitive endoderm lineages. Other target genes can be either activated or repressed (recruitment of co-activators or co-repressors). Repressed target genes are associated with differentiation into different lineages and are held in a ‘poised’ configuration by epigenetic mechanisms (e.g. Polycomb). Boyer et al (2005) Cell 122, p947-56

What is an ES cell? Single cell transcriptomics suggest closest to ICM (primitive ectoderm) cells of the blastocyst. No self-renewing pool of embryonic precursors in ICM or epiblast – ES cells are ‘synthetic’.

Homogeneous expression of Oct4 but not Nanog Immunostaining of ES cell colonies Immunostaining of blastocyst Eed

DNA methylation in ES cells Santos et al (2002) Dev Biol 241, 172-182. Somatic cells ES cells % meCpG 70-80

Signalling pathways regulating self-renewal and differentiation of mouse ES cells FGFs Via ERK1/2 pathway LIF/STAT3 (JAK/STAT) and BMP/Smad/Id LIF/STAT3 and BMP/Smad/Id 2i - Small molecule inhibitors of ERK GSK inhibition (wnt?) Recent evidence suggests LIF +BMP blocks autostimulation of differentiation by FGF4 Ying et al (2008) Nature 453, p519-23

Ground state pluripotency 2i ES cells more closely resemble embryo precursors of the blastocyst Without 2i With 2i LIF+ serum 2i Somatic cells ES cells 2i ES cells % meCpG 70-80 25-30% Due to reduced levels of de novo DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b), and enhanced levels of enzymes that actively remove methyl groups from CpG. Leitch et al (2013) Nat Struct Mol Biol 20, p311-6

Parietal endoderm like Stem cell types isolated from early mouse embryos Day 3.5 Day 4.0 Day 5.5 Polar Trophectoderm Extraembryonic ectoderm Polar Trophectoderm Primitive ectoderm Primitive endoderm Visceral endoderm ICM Mural Trophectoderm Mural Trophectoderm Parietal endoderm +FGF4 -LIF + feeders +FGF4 +LIF + feeders Epiblast +LIF +BMP +FGF +Activin ES cell TS cell XEN cell EpiSC (Trophoblast stem cell) (Extraembryonic endoderm cell) (Epiblast stem cell) Chimera Contribution Germ layers Germ line Trophectoderm Primitive endoderm Germ layers Germ line Trophectoderm Primitive endoderm Germ layers Germ line Trophectoderm P endoderm Germ layers Germ line Trophectoderm Primitive endoderm In vitro differentiation (-LIF/-BMP) Germ layers Germ cells Primitive endoderm (-FGF) Trophoblast giant cells) (-FGF) Parietal endoderm like (-FGF/Activin) Germ layers Epigenome (X inactivation Imprinted- X inactivation Imprinted- X inactivation Random- X inactivation Pre-X inactivation Tanaka et al (1998) Science 282, p2072-5; Brons et al (2007) Nature 448, p191-5;Kunath et al (2005), Development, 132, p1649-61

Interconversion of embryo stem cell types +GATA6 and/or +OCT4 +CDX2 and/or -OCT4 TS ES EpiSC XEN +FGF4 +LIF +FGF4 - LIF +FGF2 +Activin +serum free medium +LIF +2i Or +KLF4 Niwa (2007) Development 134, p635-46

ES cells from other species. 2i method has opened up the possibility of obtaining ESCs from any mouse strain and from other species, notable success being rat (Buehr et al, 2008, Cell 135, p1287-98). Pluripotent human ESCs (Thomson et al, 1998, Science 282, p1145-47) derived from blastocysts explanted onto mouse feeder cells. Addition of bFGF improves maintenance. Human ESCs resemble mouse EpiSCs e.g. post X inactivation and dependent on Fgf4 and nodal signals from feeder cells. Not ground state. Significant potential for regenerative medicine.

Directed differentiation of ES cells in vitro GFP Cell type specific promoter driving GFP eg Flk1, Nkx2.5, Isl1 for cardiomyocytes GFP GFP +Ligand/inhibitor GFP GFP GFP ES Cell

Directed differentiation of ES cells in vitro

Repair of coronary infarct with ES cell derived cardiomyocytes

ES cell derived cardiomyocytes live cell imaging

Regenerative therapy - challenges Cell type heterogeneity Graft rejection Teratoma forming potential

Hatching Four days after fertilization the blastocyst hatches from the zona pellucida as a precursor to implantation in the uterine wall.

Development of the egg cylinder )

FGF4 signals to polar trophectoderm Day 4.0 blastocyst Mural trophectoderm Polar trophectoderm Fgf4 Fgf2r FGF4 signalling maintains a diploid stem cell population in the polar trophectoderm Rappolee et al (1994) Development 120, p2259-69

Overview of gastrulation Brachyury expression marks the primitive streak What determines the site of initiation of the primitive streak?