Project description:Preimplantation embryo development is a precisely regulated process organized by maternally inherited and newly synthesized proteins. Recently, some studies have reported that blastocyst-like structures, named blastoids, can be generated from mouse ESCs (embryonic stem cells) or EPSCs (extended pluripotent stem cells). In this study, to explore the dynamic expression characteristics of proteins and their PTMs in mouse EPS blastoids, we revealed the protein expression profile of EPS-blastoids and metabolite characteristics by TMT-based quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) strategy. Furthermore, the protein phosphorylation sites were identified to show the phosphoproteomic analysis in blastoids compared with mouse early embryos. Above all, our study revealed the protein expression profile of EPS blastoids compared with mouse embryos during preimplantation development and indicated that glucose metabolism is key to blastoid formation.
Project description:To test the efficacy of stem cell lines to generate 'stem-cell-derived-synthetic blastocysts', we dissociated ES- (built by conventional embryonic stem cells and trophoblast stem cells) or EPS-blastoids (built by extended potential pluripotent stem cells and trophoblast stem cells) into single cells following 96h of culture for single-cell transcriptome analysis.
Project description:A single mouse blastomere from until 8-cell embryo can generate an entire blastocyst. Whether blastomere-like extended pluripotent stem cells (EPS cells) retain a similar generative capacity remains unknown. Here, we established a 3D differentiation system that enabled the generation of blastocyst-like structures from EPS cells (EPS-blastoids) through lineage segregation and self-organization. EPS-blastoids resembled blastocysts in morphology and cell lineage allocation. EPS-blastoids formation recapitulated key morphogenetic events during preimplantation and early postimplantation development in vitro. Upon transfer, some EPS-blastoids underwent implantation, induced decidualization, and generated live, albeit disorganized, tissues in utero. Single cell and bulk RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that EPS-blastoids contained all three blastocyst cell lineages and shared transcriptional similarity with natural blastocysts. We also provide proof-of-concept that EPS-blastoids can be generated from somatic cells via cellular reprograming. EPS-blastoids provide a unique platform for studying early embryogenesis, and pave the way to generate viable synthetic embryos using cultured cells.
Project description:A single mouse blastomere from until 8-cell embryo can generate an entire blastocyst. Whether blastomere-like extended pluripotent stem cells (EPS cells) retain a similar generative capacity remains unknown. Here, we established a 3D differentiation system that enabled the generation of blastocyst-like structures from EPS cells (EPS-blastoids) through lineage segregation and self-organization. EPS-blastoids resembled blastocysts in morphology and cell lineage allocation. EPS-blastoids formation recapitulated key morphogenetic events during preimplantation and early postimplantation development in vitro. Upon transfer, some EPS-blastoids underwent implantation, induced decidualization, and generated live, albeit disorganized, tissues in utero. Single cell and bulk RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that EPS-blastoids contained all three blastocyst cell lineages and shared transcriptional similarity with natural blastocysts. We also provide proof-of-concept that EPS-blastoids can be generated from somatic cells via cellular reprograming. EPS-blastoids provide a unique platform for studying early embryogenesis, and pave the way to generate viable synthetic embryos using cultured cells.
Project description:Due to ethical concerns and restricted access to human blastocysts, we lack a comprehensive understanding of early human embryogenesis. A reliable model system that can recapitulate early stages of human embryogenesis would help solve this problem.Here we report a robust three-dimensional (3D), two-step induction protocol for generating blastocyst-like structures (EPS-blastoids) from human extended pluripotent stem (EPS) cells. Morphological and single-cell transcriptomic analyses revealed that EPS-blastoids contain key cell lineages and are transcriptionally similar to human blastocysts. Furthermore, EPS-blastoids also exhibited the developmental potential to undergo post-implantation morphogenesis in vitro to form structures with a cellular composition and transcriptome signature similar to human embryos that had been cultured in vitro for 8 or 10 days. In conclusion, human EPS-blastoids provide a robust new experimental platform for studying early developmental stages of the human embryo.
Project description:Human blastocysts are comprised of the first three cell lineages of the embryo: trophectoderm, epiblast, and primitive endoderm, all of which are essential for early development and organ formation1,2. However, due to ethical concerns and restricted access to human blastocysts, we lack a comprehensive understanding of early human embryogenesis. To bridge this knowledge gap, we need a reliable model system that recapitulates early stages of human embryogenesis. Here we report a ∼three-dimensional (3D), two-step induction protocol for generating blastocyst-like structures (EPS-blastoids) from human extended pluripotent stem (EPS) cells. Morphological and single-cell transcriptomic analyses revealed that EPS-blastoids contain key cell lineages and are transcriptionally similar to human blastocysts. Furthermore, EPS-blastoids also exhibited the developmental potential to undergo post-implantation morphogenesis in vitro to form structures with a cellular composition and transcriptome signature similar to human embryos that had been cultured in vitro for 8 or 10 days. In conclusion, human EPS-blastoids provide a new experimental platform for studying early developmental stages of the human embryo.
Project description:Lipopolysaccharide is a Microbe Associated Molecular Pattern (MAMP) that is known to induce defense responses in plants. In rice we have shown that Xoo LPS induce callose deposition, reactive oxygen production and induced resistance response. The exopolysaccaride (EPS) secreted by Xoo might be involved in supressing these defense responses. We have performed transcriptional profiling of rice leaf gene expression changes after treatment with Xoo strains BXO1003 (LPS-, EPS-), BXO1002 (LPS+ EPS-) and BXO43 (wild type) along with milliQ treated leaves to identify the genes that are differentially expressed. RNA was isolated from mid veins of rice leaves 15 hours after injecting them with Xoo strains BXO1003 (LPS-, EPS-), BXO1002 (EPS-), BXO43 (wild type) or milli-Q water. The rice gene expression in each of the treatment was normalized based on the gene expression in the milli-Q treatment.
Project description:Embryonic stem cells upon extrinsic induction could self-assemble into blastocyst-like structures. However, the intrinsic regulation of such blastoid forming potential remain to be addressed. We discover that the activity of nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group H, member 2 (Nr1h2) in expanded potential stem cell (EPSC) positively correlates with blastoid efficiency and quality. In addition, Nr1h2 agonist, T0901317, improves natural blastocyst development. Surprisingly, Nr1h2-activated ESC (NrESC) is rewired towards a distinct pluripotency state that is capable of self-organizing into blastoids and contribute to embryonic and extraembryonic lineage. We aim at characterizing the NrESC-derived blastoids by single-cell RNA-seq and show that blastoid comprise of epiblast-like, trophectoderm-like and primitive endoderm-like populations, which is the same as blastocyst composition and shows respective gene marker expression for each cluster. Thus, NrESC has attained a unique expanded pluripotency state driven by Nr1h2 activation.