Derivation of trophoblast stem cells from naïve human pluripotent stem cells [ATAC-seq]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Naïve human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a unique experimental platform of cell fate decisions during pre-implantation development, but their lineage potential remains incompletely characterized. As naïve hPSCs share transcriptional and epigenomic signatures with trophoblast cells, it has been proposed that the naïve state may have enhanced predisposition for differentiation along this extraembryonic lineage. Here we examined the trophoblast potential of isogenic naïve and primed hPSCs. We found that naïve hPSCs can directly give rise to human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) and undergo further differentiation into both extravillous and syncytiotrophoblast. In contrast, primed hPSCs do not support hTSC derivation, but give rise to non-self-renewing cytotrophoblasts in response to BMP4. Global transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analyses indicate that hTSCs derived from naïve hPSCs acquire features of pre-implantation trophectoderm. The derivation of hTSCs from naïve hPSCs will enable elucidation of early mechanisms that govern normal human trophoblast development and associated pathologies.
Project description:Naïve human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a unique experimental platform of cell fate decisions during pre-implantation development, but their lineage potential remains incompletely characterized. As naïve hPSCs share transcriptional and epigenomic signatures with trophoblast cells, it has been proposed that the naïve state may have enhanced predisposition for differentiation along this extraembryonic lineage. Here we examined the trophoblast potential of isogenic naïve and primed hPSCs. We found that naïve hPSCs can directly give rise to human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) and undergo further differentiation into both extravillous and syncytiotrophoblast. In contrast, primed hPSCs do not support hTSC derivation, but give rise to non-self-renewing cytotrophoblasts in response to BMP4. Global transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analyses indicate that hTSCs derived from naïve hPSCs acquire features of pre-implantation trophectoderm. The derivation of hTSCs from naïve hPSCs will enable elucidation of early mechanisms that govern normal human trophoblast development and associated pathologies.
Project description:The recent derivation of bona fide human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) significantly improved our ability to study human placental biology and pathologies, but few studies have investigated the molecular regulators of hTSC identity. Therefore, we utilized a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen to comprehensively define genes essential for or restricting the fitness of hTSCs. The resulting essential and growth-restricting genes include both well-established and potentially novel trophoblast regulators. We referenced our data to those of similar genetic screens performed in cancer cell lines and primed human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), as well as gene expression data of the early human embryos, to identify potential hTSC-specific and -enriched regulators. Among those are TEAD1, a gene previously reported to be dispensable for mouse placentation6. However, in the human trophoblast context, TEAD1 targets many hTSC regulators and plays a major role in its specification and maintenance. Overall, our study presents the first CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen in a human extraembryonic lineage and provides a valuable resource for future trophoblast research.
Project description:In our study we sought to develop cultures highly enriched for self-renewing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with an early post-implantation phenotype, capturing the formative pluripotency phase in vitro. Our results demonstrate that hPSCs cultured on LN111 in defined conditions (LN-hPSCs) generate cultures highly enriched for genetically stable, self-renewing hPSCs exhibiting properties similar to the early-post implantation epiblast, including competence to give rise to the germ cell lineage. To analyze the global transcriptome of LN-hPSCs in comparison with conventional/primed and naive hPSCs, we performed RNA-seq of the three hPSC lines cultured under LN, primed, and naïve conditions.
Project description:In our study we sought to develop cultures highly enriched for self-renewing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with an early post-implantation phenotype, capturing the formative pluripotency phase in vitro. Our results demonstrate that hPSCs cultured on LN111 in defined conditions (LN-hPSCs) generate cultures highly enriched for genetically stable, self-renewing hPSCs exhibiting properties similar to the early-post implantation epiblast, including competence to give rise to the germ cell lineage. To analyze the global transcriptome of LN-hPSCs in comparison with conventional/primed and naive hPSCs, we performed RNA-seq of the three hPSC lines cultured under LN, primed, and naïve conditions.
Project description:In our study we sought to develop cultures highly enriched for self-renewing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with an early post-implantation phenotype, capturing the formative pluripotency phase in vitro. Our results demonstrate that hPSCs cultured on LN111 in defined conditions (LN-hPSCs) generate cultures highly enriched for genetically stable, self-renewing hPSCs exhibiting properties similar to the early-post implantation epiblast, including competence to give rise to the germ cell lineage. To analyze the global transcriptome of LN-hPSCs in comparison with conventional/primed and naive hPSCs, we performed RNA-seq of the three hPSC lines cultured under LN, primed, and naïve conditions.
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy results in an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and vertical transmission across placenta results in severe congenital defects in newborns. While the infectivity and pathological effects of ZIKV on the placental trophoblast progenitor cells in early human embryos remains largely unknown. Here, using the human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) isolated from human blastocyst, we showed that hTSCs were permissive to ZIKV infection, while resistance to ZIKV increased with differentiation. Combined CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout and RNA-seq assays, we demonstrated that the intrinsic expression of AXL and TIM-1, as well as the absence of potent interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs), contributed to the high sensitivity of hTSCs to ZIKV. Furthermore, using our newly developed hTSC-derived 3 dimensional (3D) placental trophoblast organoid model, we demonstrated that ZIKV infection completely disrupted the structure of mature hTSC-organoids and inhibited syncytialization. Overall, our results clearly demonstrated that hTSCs represented the major target cells of ZIKV, and a possible reduced syncytialization may result from ZIKV infection of early developing placenta. These findings deepened our understanding of the characteristics and consequences of ZIKV infection of trophoblast stem cells in early human embryo.
Project description:Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of embryo attachment and outgrowth critical for successful implantation. While EVs have garnered immense interest in their therapeutic potential in assisted reproductive technology by improving implantation success, their large-scale generation remains a major challenge. Here, we report a rapid and scalable production of nanovesicles (NVs) from human trophectoderm cells (hTSCs) via membrane extrusion; these NVs can be generated in approximately 6 hours with a 20-fold higher yield than EVs isolated from the same number of cells. NVs display similar biophysical traits (morphologically intact, spherical, 90-130 nm) to EVs, and are laden with hallmark players of implantation (ITGA2/V, ITGB1, PRDX1, SOD2, and MFGE8) that include cell-matrix adhesion and extracellular matrix organisation proteins. Functionally, NVs are readily taken up by low-receptive endometrial HEC1A cells and reprogram their proteome towards a receptive phenotype that support hTSC spheroid attachment. Moreover, a single dose treatment of NVs significantly enhanced adhesion and spreading of mouse embryo trophoblast on fibronectin matrix. We show functional potential of NVs in enhancing embryo implantation and highlight their rapid and scalable generation, amenable to clinical utility.
Project description:In human, the functional placenta requires the proper differentiation of trophoblastic subtypes from the trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs). Although successful derivation of hTSCs from the early placentas and blastocysts, these hTSCs face ethical concerns and limited models for trophoblast-related disorders at later stage, such as preeclampsia. Here, we show that both hESCs and hiPSCs are able to be induced to the long-term and proliferative hTSCs under defined culture medium. These induced trophoblast stem cells (iTSCs) are comparable to the hTSC cell line derived from blastocyst in morphology, growth properties, specific genes expression, capacity of differentiating toward extravillous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, and patterns of transcriptome profile, chromatin accessibility and histone modification that are conducive to placenta development and maintenance of hTSCs. Notably, iTSCs meet four criteria defining "trophoblastic" including: expression of specific transcript factors, hypomethylation of ELF5 promoter, lack of expression of HLA-class I molecules and expression of the chromosome 19-encoded miRNA. Moreover, we reveal that addition of BMP4 or absence of H3K27 methyltransferases EZH1/2 could enhance the iTSCs generation. Our results suggest that human TS cells could be derived from human pluripotent stem cells, which expands the source of human TS cells avoiding ethic issues and provides a useful tool for researching placenta development and function, and modeling placenta-originated disorders.
Project description:In human, the functional placenta requires the proper differentiation of trophoblastic subtypes from the trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs). Although successful derivation of hTSCs from the early placentas and blastocysts, these hTSCs face ethical concerns and limited models for trophoblast-related disorders at later stage, such as preeclampsia. Here, we show that both hESCs and hiPSCs are able to be induced to the long-term and proliferative hTSCs under defined culture medium. These induced trophoblast stem cells (iTSCs) are comparable to the hTSC cell line derived from blastocyst in morphology, growth properties, specific genes expression, capacity of differentiating toward extravillous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, and patterns of transcriptome profile, chromatin accessibility and histone modification that are conducive to placenta development and maintenance of hTSCs. Notably, iTSCs meet four criteria defining "trophoblastic" including: expression of specific transcript factors, hypomethylation of ELF5 promoter, lack of expression of HLA-class I molecules and expression of the chromosome 19-encoded miRNA. Moreover, we reveal that addition of BMP4 or absence of H3K27 methyltransferases EZH1/2 could enhance the iTSCs generation. Our results suggest that human TS cells could be derived from human pluripotent stem cells, which expands the source of human TS cells avoiding ethic issues and provides a useful tool for researching placenta development and function, and modeling placenta-originated disorders.