scholarly journals Temporal scaling in developmental gene networks by epigenetic timing control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuc H.B. Nguyen ◽  
Nicholas A. Pease ◽  
Kenneth K.H. Ng ◽  
Blythe Irwin ◽  
Hao Yuan Kueh
Keyword(s):  
Gene Networks ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Size Control ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration ◽  
Epigenetic Modifiers ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Cell Commitment ◽  
Multicellular Organisms

SummaryDuring development, progenitors follow defined temporal schedules for differentiation, to form organs and body plans with precise sizes and proportions. Across diverse contexts, these developmental schedules are encoded by autonomous timekeeping mechanisms in single cells. These autonomous timers not only operate robustly over many cell generations, but can also operate at different speeds in different species, enabling proportional scaling of temporal schedules and population sizes. By combining mathematical modeling with live-cell measurements, we elucidate the mechanism of a polycomb-based epigenetic timer, that delays activation of the T-cell commitment regulatorBcl11bto facilitate progenitor expansion. This mechanism generates activation delays that are independent of cell cycle duration, and are tunably controlled by transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers. When incorporated into regulatory gene networks, this epigenetic timer enables progenitors to set scalable temporal schedules for flexible size control. These findings illuminate how evolution may set and adjust developmental speed in multicellular organisms.

scholarly journals Size control in mammalian cells involves modulation of both growth rate and cell cycle duration

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clotilde Cadart ◽  
Sylvain Monnier ◽  
Jacopo Grilli ◽  
Pablo J. Sáez ◽  
Nishit Srivastava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Size Control ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration

An Adder Behavior in Mammalian Cells Achieves Size Control by Modulation of Growth Rate and Cell Cycle Duration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clotilde Cadart ◽  
Sylvain Monnier ◽  
Jacopo Grilli ◽  
Rafaele Attia ◽  
Emmanuel Terriac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Size Control ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration

scholarly journals Global transcriptome profile of the developmental principles of in vitro iPSC-to-motor neuron differentiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Solomon ◽  
Katie Davis-Anderson ◽  
Blake Hovde ◽  
Sofiya Micheva-Viteva ◽  
Jennifer Foster Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Gene Networks ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Transcriptome Profile

Abstract Background Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have opened new avenues for regenerative medicine. Consequently, iPSC-derived motor neurons have emerged as potentially viable therapies for spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative disorders including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. However, direct clinical application of iPSC bears in itself the risk of tumorigenesis and other unforeseeable genetic or epigenetic abnormalities. Results Employing RNA-seq technology, we identified and characterized gene regulatory networks triggered by in vitro chemical reprogramming of iPSC into cells with the molecular features of motor neurons (MNs) whose function in vivo is to innervate effector organs. We present meta-transcriptome signatures of 5 cell types: iPSCs, neural stem cells, motor neuron progenitors, early motor neurons, and mature motor neurons. In strict response to the chemical stimuli, along the MN differentiation axis we observed temporal downregulation of tumor growth factor-β signaling pathway and consistent activation of sonic hedgehog, Wnt/β-catenin, and Notch signaling. Together with gene networks defining neuronal differentiation (neurogenin 2, microtubule-associated protein 2, Pax6, and neuropilin-1), we observed steady accumulation of motor neuron-specific regulatory genes, including Islet-1 and homeobox protein HB9. Interestingly, transcriptome profiling of the differentiation process showed that Ca2+ signaling through cAMP and LPC was downregulated during the conversion of the iPSC to neural stem cells and key regulatory gene activity of the pathway remained inhibited until later stages of motor neuron formation. Pathways shaping the neuronal development and function were well-represented in the early motor neuron cells including, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, axon guidance, and the cholinergic synapse formation. A notable hallmark of our in vitro motor neuron maturation in monoculture was the activation of genes encoding G-coupled muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and downregulation of the ionotropic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expression. We observed the formation of functional neuronal networks as spontaneous oscillations in the extracellular action potentials recorded on multi-electrode array chip after 20 days of differentiation. Conclusions Detailed transcriptome profile of each developmental step from iPSC to motor neuron driven by chemical induction provides the guidelines to novel therapeutic approaches in the re-construction efforts of muscle innervation.

scholarly journals Positive Feedback Between PU.1 and the Cell Cycle Controls Myeloid Differentiation

Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 341 (6146) ◽  
pp. 670-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Yuan Kueh ◽  
Ameya Champhekar ◽  
Stephen L. Nutt ◽  
Michael B. Elowitz ◽  
Ellen V. Rothenberg
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Control Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Differentiation ◽  
Myeloid Differentiation ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Gene Circuits ◽  
Cell Cycles

Regulatory gene circuits with positive-feedback loops control stem cell differentiation, but several mechanisms can contribute to positive feedback. Here, we dissect feedback mechanisms through which the transcription factor PU.1 controls lymphoid and myeloid differentiation. Quantitative live-cell imaging revealed that developing B cells decrease PU.1 levels by reducing PU.1 transcription, whereas developing macrophages increase PU.1 levels by lengthening their cell cycles, which causes stable PU.1 accumulation. Exogenous PU.1 expression in progenitors increases endogenous PU.1 levels by inducing cell cycle lengthening, implying positive feedback between a regulatory factor and the cell cycle. Mathematical modeling showed that this cell cycle–coupled feedback architecture effectively stabilizes a slow-dividing differentiated state. These results show that cell cycle duration functions as an integral part of a positive autoregulatory circuit to control cell fate.

Genome in toto

Genome ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander E Vinogradov
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Genome Evolution ◽  
Genome Size ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Noncoding Dna ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration ◽  
The Relationship

At a certain temperature, which is a compromise for temperatures at which the species are adapted, the relationship between genome size and cell cycle duration during synchronous cleavage divisions can be very strong (r = 1.00, P < 0.01) in four closely related frogs, suggesting a functional dependence.Key words: genome size, genome evolution, genome cytoecology, noncoding DNA, cell cycle duration.

scholarly journals Runx1 and Runx3 drive progenitor to T-lineage transcriptome conversion in mouse T cell commitment via dynamic genomic site switching

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. e2019655118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyoung Shin ◽  
Hiroyuki Hosokawa ◽  
Maile Romero-Wolf ◽  
Wen Zhou ◽  
Kaori Masuhara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
T Cell Development ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Runt Domain ◽  
Binding Behavior ◽  
Regulation Function ◽  
Cell Commitment

Runt domain-related (Runx) transcription factors are essential for early T cell development in mice from uncommitted to committed stages. Single and double Runx knockouts via Cas9 show that target genes responding to Runx activity are not solely controlled by the dominant factor, Runx1. Instead, Runx1 and Runx3 are coexpressed in single cells; bind to highly overlapping genomic sites; and have redundant, collaborative functions regulating genes pivotal for T cell development. Despite stable combined expression levels across pro-T cell development, Runx1 and Runx3 preferentially activate and repress genes that change expression dynamically during lineage commitment, mostly activating T-lineage genes and repressing multipotent progenitor genes. Furthermore, most Runx target genes are sensitive to Runx perturbation only at one stage and often respond to Runx more for expression transitions than for maintenance. Contributing to this highly stage-dependent gene regulation function, Runx1 and Runx3 extensively shift their binding sites during commitment. Functionally distinct Runx occupancy sites associated with stage-specific activation or repression are also distinguished by different patterns of partner factor cobinding. Finally, Runx occupancies change coordinately at numerous clustered sites around positively or negatively regulated targets during commitment. This multisite binding behavior may contribute to a developmental “ratchet” mechanism making commitment irreversible.

scholarly journals Lateral Root Priming Synergystically Arises from Root Growth and Auxin Transport Dynamics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thea van den Berg ◽  
Kirsten H. ten Tusscher
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Lateral Root ◽  
Root Formation ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Root Tip ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Elongation Zone ◽  
Lateral Root Formation ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration

AbstractThe root system is a major determinant of plant fitness. Its capacity to supply the plant with sufficient water and nutrients strongly depends on root system architecture, which arises from the repeated branching off of lateral roots. A critical first step in lateral root formation is priming, which prepatterns sites competent of forming a lateral root. Priming is characterized by temporal oscillations in auxin, auxin signalling and gene expression in the root meristem, which through growth become transformed into a spatially repetitive pattern of competent sites. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of auxin synthesis, transport and perception for the amplitude of these oscillations and their chances of producing an actual competent site. Additionally, repeated lateral root cap apoptosis was demonstrated to be strongly correlated with repetitive lateral root priming. Intriguingly, no single mutation has been identified that fully abolishes lateral root formation, and thusfar the mechanism underlying oscillations has remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of auxin reflux loop properties combined with root growth dynamics on priming, using a computational approach. To this end we developed a novel multi-scale root model incorporating a realistic root tip architecture and reflux loop properties as well as root growth dynamics. Excitingly, in this model, repetitive auxin elevations automatically emerge. First, we show that root tip architecture and reflux loop properties result in an auxin loading zone at the start of the elongation zone, with preferential auxin loading in narrow vasculature cells. Second, we demonstrate how meristematic root growth dynamics causes regular alternations in the sizes of cells arriving at the elongation zone, which subsequently become amplified during cell expansion. These cell size differences translate into differences in cellular auxin loading potential. Combined, these properties result in temporal and spatial fluctuations in auxin levels in vasculature and pericycle cells. Our model predicts that temporal priming frequency predominantly depends on cell cycle duration, while cell cycle duration together with meristem size control lateral root spacing.

scholarly journals Effects of cell cycle variability on lineage and population measurements of mRNA abundance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben Perez-Carrasco ◽  
Casper Beentjes ◽  
Ramon Grima
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Cell Cycle Duration ◽  
Monotonically Decreasing Function ◽  
Binomial Mixture ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The Mean

AbstractMany models of gene expression do not explicitly incorporate a cell cycle description. Here we derive a theory describing how mRNA fluctuations for constitutive and bursty gene expression are influenced by stochasticity in the duration of the cell cycle and the timing of DNA replication. Analytical expressions for the moments show that omitting cell cycle duration introduces an error in the predicted mean number of mRNAs that is a monotonically decreasing function of η, which is proportional to the ratio of the mean cell cycle duration and the mRNA lifetime. By contrast, the error in the variance of the mRNA distribution is highest for intermediate values of η consistent with genome-wide measurements in many organisms. Using eukaryotic cell data, we estimate the errors in the mean and variance to be at most 3% and 25%, respectively. Furthermore, we derive an accurate negative binomial mixture approximation to the mRNA distribution. This indicates that stochasticity in the cell cycle can introduce fluctuations in mRNA numbers that are similar to the effect of bursty transcription. Finally, we show that for real experimental data, disregarding cell cycle stochasticity can introduce errors in the inference of transcription rates larger than 10%.

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