YAP1 Drives Lineage Specification and Patterning in hESC-derived Gastruloids
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE168377 | GEO | 2022/01/14
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:The Wnt3a/?-catenin and Activin/Smad2,3 signaling pathways synergize to induce endodermal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, however the mechanism is not well-understood. Using ChIP-seq and GRO-seq analyses, we report here that hESC enhancers, including Wnt3a/LEF-1 sites, hold enhancer RNAPII complexes (eRNAPII) containing high levels of Ser5P and low Ser7P. In Wnt3a signaling, ?-catenin recruits cohesin to the LEF-1:eRNAPII sites to induce enhancer-promoter looping and activate transcription of mesoendodermal (ME) genes. However, paused Ser5P-RNAPII complexes accumulate at these genes, indicating that elongation remains limiting. Subsequent Activin/Smad2,3 signaling increases P-TEFb occupancy, CTD-Ser7P, and productive elongation at ME genes. Additionally, ME genes, including EOMES and MIXL1, are repressed by the Hippo regulator, Yap1, an essential pluripotency factor. GRO-seq experiments indicate that Yap1 blocks nascent transcription and controls NELF occupancy on ME genes. Thus, Wnt3a/?-catenin and Activin/Smad2,3 pathways up-regulate transcription initiation and elongation, respectively, to overcome Yap1 repression during early hESC differentiation ChIP-seq and GROseq experiments in H1 hESCs. Cells were treated with Wnt3a (200ng/ml), Activin A (100ng/ml) or Wnt3a+Activin A (W200ng/ml+A100ng/ml) for 4h (ChIP-seq) or 6h (GRO-seq). GRO-seq in YAP depleted cells were carried out following transfection with control or YAP siRNAs . After 48h transfection, cells were left untreated or treated with Wnt3a+Activin (W200ng/ml+A100ng/ml) for additional 6h.
2015-05-04 | E-GEOD-64758 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:In hESCs, Wnt3/β-catenin activity is low and Activin/SMAD signaling ensures NANOG expression to sustain pluripotency. In response to exogenous Wnt3 effectors, Activin/SMADs switch to cooperate with β-catenin and induce mesendodermal differentiation genes. We show here that the HIPPO effector YAP binds to the WNT3 gene enhancer and prevents the gene from being induced by Activin in proliferating hESCs. In the absence of YAP, Activin signaling is sufficient to induce expression of the endogenous Wnt3 cytokine, which stabilizes β-catenin and selectively activates genes required for cardiac mesoderm (ME) formation. Interestingly, Activin-stimulated YAP-knockout hESCs strongly express β-catenin-dependent cardiac mesoderm markers (BAF60c and HAND1), but unlike WT hESCs, fail to express cardiac inhibitor genes (CDX2, MSX1). Accordingly, YAP-/- cells treated with Activin alone can differentiate efficiently to beating cardiomyocytes in culture, bypassing the need for sequential treatment with exogenous Wnt ligand and Wnt inhibitors. Similarly, Activin in combination with small-molecule YAP inhibitors generates beating cardiomyocytes from wild-type hESCs following a one- step protocol. Our findings highlight an unanticipated role of YAP as an upstream regulator of WNT3 to maintain hESC pluripotency in the presence of Activin, and uncover a direct route for the development of human embryonic cardiac mesoderm.
2018-01-08 | GSE99202 | GEO
Project description:The Hippo pathway is an important regulator of organ size and tumorigenesis. It is unclear, however, how Hippo signaling provides the cellular building blocks required for rapid growth. Here, we report that transgenic zebrafish expressing an activated form of the Hippo pathway effector Yap1 develop enlarged livers and are prone to liver tumor formation. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that Yap1 reprograms genes involved in glutamine metabolism. Analysis of gene expression in WT and lf:Yap transgenic zebrafish livers.
2016-08-02 | E-GEOD-82246 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently characterized players that are involved in the regulatory circuitry of self-renewal in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). However, the specific roles of lncRNAs in this circuitry are poorly understood. Here, we determined that growth-arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5), which is a known tumor suppressor and growth arrest gene, is abundantly expressed in the cytoplasm of hESCs and essential for hESC self-renewal. GAS5 depletion in hESCs significantly impaired their pluripotency and self-renewal ability, whereas GAS5 overexpression in hESCs accelerated the cell cycle, enhanced their colony formation ability and increased pluripotency marker expression. By RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we determined that GAS5 activates NODAL-SMAD2/3 signaling by sustaining the expression of NODAL, which plays a key role in hESC self-renewal but not in somatic cell growth. Further studies indicated that GAS5 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to protect NODAL mRNA against degradation and that GAS5 transcription is directly controlled by the core pluripotency transcriptional factors (TFs). Taken together, we suggest that the core TFs, GAS5 and NODAL-SMAD2/3 form a feed-forward loop to maintain the hESC self-renewal process. These findings are specific to ESCs and did not occur in the somatic cell lines we tested; therefore, our findings also provide evidence that the functions of lncRNAs vary in different biological contexts. We analyzed long non-coding RNAs in two hESC cell lines (X-01 and H1), and found GAS5 is highly expressed and functional in maintaining hESC self-renewal. We generate stable overexpressed or knockdown hESC cell lines using lentiviral approach. We transfected cells initialy after passage, and lentiviruses are added with daily medium change for three days (at a final concentration of 10^5 IU/ml). Puromycin is added for selection and supplied with daily medium change. Stable cell lines are established after two passages and verified under fluorescence scope. Total RNAs and miRNAs are extracted separately of all three cell lines (LV-NC, LV-GAS5 and LV-shGAS5) and put to sequencing.
2016-03-17 | E-GEOD-66993 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:YAP is the principle effector of the Hippo signaling pathway; a key regulator of tissue homeostasis whose dysregulation is linked to cancer development. YAP regulation of gene expression is thought to involve the TEAD transcription factor family. Here we show that YAP and TEAD1 binding always co-occurs and is mediated by single as well as double TEAD1 motifs with a particular 3bp spacer (CATTCCNNNCATTCC). This suggests that YAP activity appears exclusively mediated by TEAD1. Despite being characterized as a promoter-binding factor YAP/TEAD actually binds predominantly to enhancers. Moreover we show that YAP is necessary for activity of the linked gene and proper chromatin state of regulated enhancers. These results establish mode of binding and activation of YAP mediated nuclear response of the Hippo pathway by TEAD1 and provide a comprehensive list and a novel class of direct target genes that are regulated distally and could be exploited for cancer therapeutics. Sequencing of ChIP and input samples for YAP1 and TEAD1 transcription factors and H3K27ac histone modification in SF268 glioblastoma cells and for YAP1 transcription factor in NCI-H2052 mesothelioma cells.
2015-08-25 | E-GEOD-61852 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently characterized players that are involved in the regulatory circuitry of self-renewal in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). However, the specific roles of lncRNAs in this circuitry are poorly understood. Here, we determined that growth-arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5), which is a known tumor suppressor and growth arrest gene, is abundantly expressed in the cytoplasm of hESCs and essential for hESC self-renewal. GAS5 depletion in hESCs significantly impaired their pluripotency and self-renewal ability, whereas GAS5 overexpression in hESCs accelerated the cell cycle, enhanced their colony formation ability and increased pluripotency marker expression. By RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we determined that GAS5 activates NODAL-SMAD2/3 signaling by sustaining the expression of NODAL, which plays a key role in hESC self-renewal but not in somatic cell growth. Further studies indicated that GAS5 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to protect NODAL mRNA against degradation and that GAS5 transcription is directly controlled by the core pluripotency transcriptional factors (TFs). Taken together, we suggest that the core TFs, GAS5 and NODAL-SMAD2/3 form a feed-forward loop to maintain the hESC self-renewal process. These findings are specific to ESCs and did not occur in the somatic cell lines we tested; therefore, our findings also provide evidence that the functions of lncRNAs vary in different biological contexts.
2016-03-17 | GSE66993 | GEO
Project description:The Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway and essential mechanotransducer. It has been suggested to play a crucial role for early embryo development, but the relevance for early germ layer commitment of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) remains largely unclear. To gain better insight into the functional relevance of YAP1 in these early cell-fate decisions, we generated iPSC lines with YAP1 knockout (YAP-/-) with CRISPR/Cas9 technology and analyzed transcriptomic and epigenetic modifications. In YAP-/- iPSCs the expression of several YAP1 targets changed and NODAL, which is an important regulator of cell differentiation, was upregulated. Furthermore, YAP1 deficiency evoked global DNA methylation changes. Directed differentiation of adherent iPSC colonies toward endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm could be induced, albeit endodermal and ectodermal differentiation showed transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in YAP-/- lines. Notably, in self-organized embryoid bodies (EBs) germ layer specification was clearly impaired. This phenotype was rescued via lentiviral overexpression of YAP1 and in tendency also by NODAL inhibitors. Our results demonstrate that YAP1 plays an important role during early germ layer specification of iPSCs, particularly for the non-directed self-organization of EBs, and this is at least partly attributed to activation of the NODAL pathway.
2023-02-17 | GSE214401 | GEO
Project description:The Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway and essential mechanotransducer. It has been suggested to play a crucial role for early embryo development, but the relevance for early germ layer commitment of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) remains largely unclear. To gain better insight into the functional relevance of YAP1 in these early cell-fate decisions, we generated iPSC lines with YAP1 knockout (YAP-/-) with CRISPR/Cas9 technology and analyzed transcriptomic and epigenetic modifications. In YAP-/- iPSCs the expression of several YAP1 targets changed and NODAL, which is an important regulator of cell differentiation, was upregulated. Furthermore, YAP1 deficiency evoked global DNA methylation changes. Directed differentiation of adherent iPSC colonies toward endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm could be induced, albeit endodermal and ectodermal differentiation showed transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in YAP-/- lines. Notably, in self-organized embryoid bodies (EBs) germ layer specification was clearly impaired. This phenotype was rescued via lentiviral overexpression of YAP1 and in tendency also by NODAL inhibitors. Our results demonstrate that YAP1 plays an important role during early germ layer specification of iPSCs, particularly for the non-directed self-organization of EBs, and this is at least partly attributed to activation of the NODAL pathway.
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Project description:Nodal signaling, mediated through SMAD transcription factors, is necessary for pluripotency maintenance and endoderm commitment. We have identified a new motif, termed SMAD Complex Associated (SCA) that is bound by SMAD2/3/4 and FOXH1 in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and derived endoderm. We demonstrate that two bHLH proteins - HEB and E2A - bind the SCA motif at regions overlapping SMAD2/3 and FOXH1. Further, we show that HEB and E2A associate with SMAD2/3 and FOXH1, suggesting they form a complex at critical target regions. This association is biologically important, as E2A is critical for mesendoderm specification, gastrulation, and Nodal signal transduction in Xenopus tropicalis embryos. Taken together, E2A is a novel Nodal signaling cofactor that associates with SMAD2/3 and FOXH1 and is necessary for mesendoderm differentiation. ChIP-seq of Smad2/3 and Input in X.tropicalis, stage 10.5 embryo.
2011-08-23 | E-GEOD-30146 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Specifying the primitive streak (PS) guides stem cell differentiation in vitro, however much remains to be learned about the transcription networks that direct anterior and posterior PS cells (APS and PPS, respectively) to differentiate to distinct mesendodermal subpopulations. Here, we show that APS genes are predominantly induced in YAP1-/- hESCs in response to ACTIVIN. This finding establishes the Hippo effector YAP1 as a master regulator of PS specification, functioning to repress ACTIVIN-regulated APS genes in hESCs. Moreover, transient exposure of wild-type hESCs to dasatinib, a potent C-SRC/YAP1 inhibitor, enables differentiation to APS-derived endoderm and cardiac mesoderm in response to ACTIVIN. Importantly, these cells can differentiate efficiently to normal beating cardiomyocytes without the cytoskeletal defect seen in YAP1-/- hESC-derived cardiomyocytes. Overall, we uncovered an induction mechanism to generate APS cells using a cocktail of ACTIVIN and YAP1i molecules that holds practical implications for hESC and iPSC differentiation into distinct mesendodermal lineages.
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