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The ratio of periportal mesenchyme to ductal epithelium acts as a proliferative rheostat in liver regeneration

ABSTRACT: Liver epithelial cells –hepatocytes and bile duct cells– intermingle with a microenvironment of endothelial cells, macrophages and fibroblasts to form the functional unit of the tissue. In homeostasis, the liver epithelium self-renews slowly, yet it is capable of remarkable regeneration following damage. We have shown that liver ductal cells can be expanded in vitro under defined medium to form 3D epithelial 'liver organoids' that recapitulate many aspects of the regeneration process in vitro, yet lack stromal cell components. Here, we describe that a subpopulation of portal mesenchymal cells expressing Sca1 and Pdgfra, exerts a dual effect on the proliferative capacity of ductal cells. On one hand, it supports liver organoid formation and expansion in the absence of exogenous growth factors and independently of cell-to-cell contact. However, when Ductal cells and SCA1+ mesenchymal cells establish physical interaction following a microfluidics encapsulation that enables the cells to self-organize into chimeric organoid structures, cell proliferation is abolished in a mesenchymal-dose dependent manner. We found that it is the ratio between mesenchyme and epithelial cells and not their absolute values that determines the net outcome of ductal proliferation both in vitro, and in vivo, during the different phases of liver regeneration. The mechanism by which Sca1+ mesenchymal cells regulate ductal cell proliferation dynamics is mediated, at least in part, by Notch cell-cell contact inhibition. Our findings underscore how the relative ratio and distribution of cell-cell contacts between the epithelium and its mesenchymal microenvironment are key regulatory processes during the dynamic regulation of tissue regeneration.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE140697 | GEO | 2021/11/30

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD) are lung disorders characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix, ultimately resulting in the destruction of the pulmonary scaffold. Continuous pro-fibrotic signaling perpetuates the remodeling process, specifically targeting the epithelial cell compartment, thereby destroying the gas exchange area. Studies that address this detrimental crosstalk between lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts are key to understanding ILD. With the aim of identifying functionally relevant targets that drive mesenchymal-epithelial crosstalk and their potential as new avenues to therapeutic strategies, we developed an organoid co-culture system based on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived alveolar epithelial type 2 cells and lung fibroblasts from ILD patients as well as IMR-90 controls. While organoid formation capacity and organoid size was comparable in the presence of ILD or control lung fibroblasts, metabolic activity was significantly increased in ILD co-cultures. Alveolar organoids cultured with ILD fibroblasts further demonstrated reduced stem cell function supported by reduced Surfactant Protein C gene expression together with an aberrant basaloid-prone differentiation program indicated by elevated Cadherin 2, Bone Morphogenic Protein 4 and Vimentin transcription. In order to identify key mediators of the misguided mesenchymal-to-epithelial crosstalk with a focus on disease-relevant inflammatory processes, we used secretome mass spectrometry to identify key signals secreted by end stage ILD lung fibroblasts. Over 2000 proteins were detected in a single-shot experiment with 47 differentially upregulated proteins when comparing ILD and non-chronic lung disease control fibroblasts. The secretome profile was dominated by chemokines of the C-X-C motif family, including CXCL1, -3, and -8, all interfering with (epithelial) growth factor signaling orchestrated by Interleukin 11 (IL11), steering fibrogenic cell-cell communication, and proteins regulating extracellular matrix remodeling including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. When in turn treating 3D monocultures of iAT2s with IL11 we recapitulated the co-culture results obtained with primary ILD fibroblasts including changes in metabolic activity as well as organoid formation capacity and size. In summary, our analysis identified mesenchyme-derived mediators likely contributing to the disease-perpetuating mesenchymal-to-epithelial crosstalk in ILD by using sophisticated alveolar organoid co-cultures indicating the importance of cytokine-driven aberrant epithelial differentiation and confirmed IL11 as a key player in ILD using an unbiased approach.

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The ratio of periportal mesenchyme to ductal epithelium acts as a proliferative rheostat in liver regeneration

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