Project description:The epiblast of vertebrate embryos is comprised of neural and non-neural ectoderm, with the border territory at their intersection harbouring neural crest and cranial placode progenitors. Here we profile avian epiblast cells as a function of time using single-cell RNA-seq to define transcriptional changes in the emerging ‘neural plate border’. The results reveal gradual establishment of heterogeneous neural plate border signatures, including novel genes that we validate by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Developmental trajectory analysis shows that segregation of neural plate border lineages only commences at early neurulation, rather than at gastrulation as previously predicted. We find that cells expressing the prospective neural crest marker Pax7 contribute to multiple lineages, and a subset of premigratory neural crest cells shares a transcriptional signature with their border precursors. Together, our results suggest that cells at the neural plate border remain heterogeneous until early neurulation, at which time progenitors become progressively allocated toward defined lineages.
Project description:The transcription factors Pax3 and Zic1 are among the earliest genes activated at the neural plate border. Pax3 and Zic1 in combination promote neural crest fate, while Zic1 alone regulate cranial placode progenitor formation. We used microarrays to identify the global repertoire of genes activated by these facors individually or in combination to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate decision at the neural plate border.
Project description:To investigate the associated with DNA demethylation and neural tube defects (NTDs) with folate deficiency, we etablished mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) Sv/129 in folate-deficiency-treated.
Project description:Neural crest development is orchestrated by a complex and still poorly understood gene regulatory network. Premigratory neural crest is induced at the lateral border of the neural plate by the combined action of signaling molecules and transcription factors such as AP2, Gbx2, Pax3 and Zic1. Among them, Pax3 and Zic1 are both necessary and sufficient to trigger a complete neural crest developmental program. However, their gene targets in the neural crest regulatory network remain unknown. Here, through a transcriptome analysis of frog microdissected neural border, we identified an extended gene signature for the premigratory neural crest, and we defined novel potential members of the regulatory network. This signature includes 34 novel genes, as well as 44 known genes expressed at the neural border. Using another microarray analysis which combined Pax3 and Zic1 gain-of-function and protein translation blockade, we uncovered 25 Pax3 and Zic1 direct targets within this signature. We demonstrated that the neural border specifiers Pax3 and Zic1 are direct upstream regulators of neural crest specifiers Snail1/2, Foxd3, Twist1, and Tfap2b. In addition, they may modulate the transcriptional output of multiple signaling pathways involved in neural crest development (Wnt, Retinoic Acid) through the induction of key pathway regulators (Axin2 and Cyp26c1). We also found that Pax3 could maintain its own expression through a positive autoregulatory feedback loop. These hierarchical inductions, feedback loops, and pathway modulation provide novel tools to understand the neural crest induction network. The transcriptomes of neural border samples (stage 14 and 18) were compared to the transcriptome of anterior neural fold (stage 18), early neural plate (stage 12), and animal cap explants (stage14) to identify genes expressed specifically in neural border samples. Tissue samples from Xenopus laevis embryos were dissected, then total RNA was extracted and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays. Selected tissue samples encompass the neural crest at different stages of its induction (early neural plate at stage 12, neural border at stage 14, neural border at stage 18), as well as reference tissues (anterior neural fold at stage 18, a tissue that belongs to the neural border but does not produce neural crest, and animal cap grown until stage 14 that differentiates into epidermis).
Project description:We describe a so far uncharacterized, embryonic and self-renewing Neural Plate Border Stem Cell (NBSC) population with the capacity to differentiate into central nervous and neural crest lineages. NBSCs can be obtained by neural transcription factor-mediated reprogramming (BRN2, SOX2, KLF4, and ZIC3) of human adult dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood cells (induced Neural Plate Border Stem Cells, iNBSCs) or by directed differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, human (i)NBSCs share molecular and functional features with an endogenous NBSC population isolated from neural folds of E8.5 mouse embryos. Upon differentiation, iNBSCs give rise to either (1) radial glia-type stem cells, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, motoneurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes or (2) cells from the neural crest lineage. Here we provide array-based expression data of primary mouse Neural Plate Border Stem Cells (pNBSCs) derived from E8.5 mouse embryos and radial glia-type stem cells and neural crest progenitors derived thereof. The data provided reveal that pNBSCs can be directed into defined neural cell types of the CNS- and neural crest lineage.
Project description:We describe a so far uncharacterized, embryonic and self-renewing Neural Plate Border Stem Cell (NBSC) population with the capacity to differentiate into central nervous and neural crest lineages. NBSCs can be obtained by neural transcription factor-mediated reprogramming (BRN2, SOX2, KLF4, and ZIC3) of human adult dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood cells (induced Neural Plate Border Stem Cells, iNBSCs) or by directed differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (NBSCs). Moreover, human (i)NBSCs share molecular and functional features with primary Neural Plate Border Stem Cells (pNBSCs) isolated from neural folds of E8.5 mouse embryos. Here we provide single cell RNA-sequencing data of neural tissue derived from two E8.5 mouse embryos. After manual isolation and enzymatic separation E8.5 neural tissue was single cell sorted and RNA sequencing was performed following the Smart-seq2 protocol. In sum, cultured pNBSCs and E8.5 neural tube cells share a similar regional identity and expression signature suggesting that pNBSCs might correspond to an endogenous progenitor in this area of the developing brain.
Project description:The vertebrate ectoderm gives rise to a variety of cell lineages, including neural, neural crest, placodal and non-neural cell fates. How cell fates are specified at the neural plate border (the region surrounding the neural plate) is not fully understood. We therefore carried out 10x scRNAseq of the chick epiblast to investigate cell fate specification at the neural plate border. Embryos were dissected and pooled according to stage. The tissue was then dissociated and FAC sorted to remove dead cells and remaining doublets before cells were stored in MeOH. Due to the time required to dissect embryos, multiple rounds of collections were carried out, with collections from the same stage pooled prior to 10x sequencing. Libraries were sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq 4000 at the Francis Crick Institute, London. This collection was a follow up to E-MTAB-10408.
Project description:We describe a so far uncharacterized, embryonic and self-renewing Neural Plate Border Stem Cell (NBSC) population with the capacity to differentiate into central nervous and neural crest lineages. NBSCs can be obtained by neural transcription factor-mediated reprogramming (BRN2, SOX2, KLF4 and ZIC3) of human adult dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood cells (induced Neural Plate Border Stem Cells, iNBSCs) or by directed differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (NBSCs). Moreover, human (i)NBSCs share molecular and functional features with an endogenous NBSC population isolated from neural folds of E8.5 mouse embryos. Upon differentiation, iNBSCs give rise to either (1) radial glia-type stem cells, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, motoneurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes or (2) cells from the neural crest lineage. Here we provide single cell RNA-sequencing data of six iNBSC lines (310 cells total). iNBSCs were single-cell-sorted and RNA sequencing was performed following the Smart-seq2 protocol. This dataset further supports the notion that iNBSC cultures mainly consist of stem cells with a molecular and functional neural plate border-like identity and a minor fraction of cells that show signs of some spontaneous differentiation towards sensory neurons.
Project description:We describe a so far uncharacterized, embryonic and self-renewing Neural Plate Border Stem Cell (NBSC) population with the capacity to differentiate into central nervous and neural crest lineages. NBSCs can be obtained by neural transcription factor-mediated reprogramming (BRN2, SOX2, KLF4, and ZIC3) of human adult dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood cells (induced Neural Plate Border Stem Cells, iNBSCs) or by directed differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (NBSCs). Moreover, human (i)NBSCs share molecular and functional features with an endogenous NBSC population isolated from neural folds of E8.5 mouse embryos. Upon differentiation, iNBSCs give rise to either (1) radial glia-type stem cells, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, motoneurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes or (2) cells from the neural crest lineage. Here we provide single cell RNA-sequencing data of two primary mouse Neural Plate Border Stem Cell Lines (pNBSCs). pNBSCs were single cell sorted and RNA sequencing was performed following the Smart-seq2 protocol. In sum, pNBSCs and iNBSCs share a similar regional identity, expression signature and analogous differentiation dynamics on the single-cell-level, suggesting the presence of a transient, NBSC-like progenitor during the neurulation stage of mouse and likely also human embryos.
Project description:To investigate the associated with abnormal DNA demethylation and neural tube defects (NTDs) with folate deficiency, we etablished mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) Sv/129 in folate-deficiency-treated.