Project description:Following implantation, mouse epiblast cells transit from a naive to a primed state in which they are competent for both somatic and primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using mouse embryonic stem cells as an in vitro model to study the transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating peri-implantation development, here we show that the transcription factor Foxd3 is necessary for exit from naive pluripotency and progression to a primed pluripotent state. During this transition, Foxd3 acts as a repressor that dismantles a significant fraction of the naive pluripotency expression program through decommissioning of active enhancers associated with key naive pluripotency and early germline genes. Subsequently, Foxd3 needs to be silenced in primed pluripotent cells to allow re-activation of relevant genes required for proper PGC specification. Our findings therefore uncover a cycle of activation and deactivation of Foxd3 required for exit from naive pluripotency and subsequent PGC specification.
Project description:Following implantation, mouse epiblast cells transit from a naïve to a primed state in which they are competent for both somatic and primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as an in vitro model to study the transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating peri-implantation development, here we show that the transcription factor Foxd3 is necessary for the exit from naïve pluripotency and the progression to a primed pluripotent state. During this transition, Foxd3 acts as a repressor that dismantles a significant fraction of the naïve pluripotency expression program through the decommissioning of active enhancers associated with key naïve pluripotency and early germline genes. Subsequently, Foxd3 needs to be silenced in primed pluripotent cells to allow the reactivation of relevant genes required for proper PGC specification. Our findings uncover a wave of activation-deactivation of Foxd3 as a crucial step for the exit from naïve pluripotency and subsequent PGC specification. Genome-wide binding profiles for Foxd3 were investigated in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). A mESC line (FH-Foxd3 mESC line) expressing exogenous Foxd3 tagged with Flag and HA epitope (FH-Foxd3) at nearly endogenous levels was generated. ChIPs were performed against FH-Foxd3 using anti-HA or anti-Flag antibodies.
Project description:Following implantation, mouse epiblast cells transit from a naïve to a primed state in which they are competent for both somatic and primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as an in vitro model to study the transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating peri-implantation development, here we show that the transcription factor Foxd3 is necessary for the exit from naïve pluripotency and the progression to a primed pluripotent state. During this transition, Foxd3 acts as a repressor that dismantles a significant fraction of the naïve pluripotency expression program through the decommissioning of active enhancers associated with key naïve pluripotency and early germline genes. Subsequently, Foxd3 needs to be silenced in primed pluripotent cells to allow the reactivation of relevant genes required for proper PGC specification. Our findings uncover a wave of activation-deactivation of Foxd3 as a crucial step for the exit from naïve pluripotency and subsequent PGC specification. mRNA profiles were generated by RNA-seq in duplicates for each of the following mESC lines: Foxd3fl/fl;Cre-ER mESC maintained in "Serum+LIF" (SL) treated with TM for three days (SL Foxd3-/-); untreated Foxd3fl/fl;Cre-ER SL mESC (SL Foxd3fl/fl); tetON Foxd3 SL mESC treated with Dox for three days; WT SL mESC treated with Dox for three days; Foxd3fl/fl;Cre-ER mESC maintained in "2i+LIF" (2i) treated with TM for three days (2i Foxd3-/-); untreated Foxd3fl/fl;Cre-ER 2i mESC (2i Foxd3fl/fl).
Project description:Following implantation, mouse epiblast cells transit from a naïve to a primed state in which they are competent for both somatic and primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as an in vitro model to study the transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating peri-implantation development, here we show that the transcription factor Foxd3 is necessary for the exit from naïve pluripotency and the progression to a primed pluripotent state. During this transition, Foxd3 acts as a repressor that dismantles a significant fraction of the naïve pluripotency expression program through the decommissioning of active enhancers associated with key naïve pluripotency and early germline genes. Subsequently, Foxd3 needs to be silenced in primed pluripotent cells to allow the reactivation of relevant genes required for proper PGC specification. Our findings uncover a wave of activation-deactivation of Foxd3 as a crucial step for the exit from naïve pluripotency and subsequent PGC specification.
Project description:Following implantation, mouse epiblast cells transit from a naïve to a primed state in which they are competent for both somatic and primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as an in vitro model to study the transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating peri-implantation development, here we show that the transcription factor Foxd3 is necessary for the exit from naïve pluripotency and the progression to a primed pluripotent state. During this transition, Foxd3 acts as a repressor that dismantles a significant fraction of the naïve pluripotency expression program through the decommissioning of active enhancers associated with key naïve pluripotency and early germline genes. Subsequently, Foxd3 needs to be silenced in primed pluripotent cells to allow the reactivation of relevant genes required for proper PGC specification. Our findings uncover a wave of activation-deactivation of Foxd3 as a crucial step for the exit from naïve pluripotency and subsequent PGC specification.
Project description:How pluripotent stem cells differentiate into the main germ layers is a key question of developmental biology. Here, we show that the chromatin-related factor Whsc1 (also known as Nsd2 and MMSET) has a dual role in pluripotency exit and germ layer specification of embryonic stem cells. On induction of differentiation, a proportion of Whsc1-depleted embryonic stem cells remain entrapped in a pluripotent state and fail to form mesendoderm, although they are still capable of generating neuroectoderm. These functions of Whsc1 are independent of its methyltransferase activity. Whsc1 binds to enhancers of the mesendodermal regulators Gata4, T (Brachyury), Gata6 and Foxa2, together with Brd4, and activates the expression of these genes. Depleting each of these regulators also delays pluripotency exit, suggesting that they mediate the effects observed with Whsc1. Our data indicate that Whsc1 links silencing of the pluripotency regulatory network with activation of mesendoderm lineages.
Project description:Enhancers and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key determinants of lineage specification during development. Here, we evaluate remodeling of the enhancer landscape and modulation of the lncRNA transcriptome during mesendoderm specification. We sort mesendodermal progenitors from differentiating embryonic stem cells (ESCs) according to Eomes expression, and find that enhancer usage is coordinated with mesendoderm-specific expression of key lineage-determining transcription factors. Many of these enhancers are associated with the expression of lncRNAs. Examination of ESC-specific enhancers interacting in three-dimensional space with mesendoderm-specifying transcription factor loci identifies MesEndoderm Transcriptional Enhancer Organizing Region (Meteor). Genetic and epigenetic manipulation of the Meteor enhancer reveal its indispensable role during mesendoderm specification and subsequent cardiogenic differentiation via transcription-independent and -dependent mechanisms. Interestingly, Meteor-deleted ESCs are epigenetically redirected towards neuroectodermal lineages. Loci, topologically associating a transcribed enhancer and its cognate protein coding gene, appear to represent therefore a class of genomic elements controlling developmental competence in pluripotency.
Project description:Germline-soma segregation is a fundamental event during mammalian embryonic development. Here we establish the epigenetic principles of human primordial germ cell (hPGC) development using in vivo hPGCs and stem cell models recapitulating gastrulation. We show that morphogen-induced remodelling of mesendoderm enhancers transiently confers the competence for hPGC fate, but further activation favours mesoderm and endoderm fates. Consistently, reducing the expression of the mesendodermal transcription factor OTX2 promotes the PGC fate. In hPGCs, SOX17 and TFAP2C initiate activation of enhancers to establish a core germline programme, including the transcriptional repressor PRDM1 and pluripotency factors POU5F1 and NANOG. We demonstrate that SOX17 enhancers are the critical components in the regulatory circuitry of germline competence. Furthermore, activation of upstream cis-regulatory elements by an optimized CRISPR activation system is sufficient for hPGC specification. We reveal an enhancer-linked germline transcription factor network that provides the basis for the evolutionary divergence of mammalian germlines.