Abstract
AbstractThe ability of the pluripotent epiblast to contribute progeny to all three germ layers is thought to be lost after gastrulation. The later-forming neural crest (NC) rises from ectoderm and it remains poorly understood how its exceptionally high stem-cell potential to generate mesodermal- and endodermal-like derivatives is obtained. Here, we monitor transcriptional changes from gastrulation to neurulation using single-cell-Multiplex-Spatial-Transcriptomics (scMST) complemented with RNA-sequencing. We show maintenance of pluripotency-like signature (Nanog, Oct4/PouV, Klf4-positive) in undecided pan-ectodermal stem-cells spanning the entire ectoderm late during neurulation with ectodermal patterning completed only at the end of neurulation when the pluripotency-like signature becomes restricted to NC, challenging our understanding of gastrulation. Furthermore, broad ectodermal pluripotency-like signature is found at multiple axial levels unrelated to the NC lineage the cells later commit to, suggesting a general role in stemness enhancement and proposing a mechanism by which the NC acquires its ability to form derivatives beyond “ectodermal-capacity” in chick and mouse embryos.
Funder
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Academy of Finland
Sigrid Juséliuksen Säätiö
Emil Aaltosen Säätiö
Lasten Syöpäsäätiö Väreen
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
General Physics and Astronomy,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Chemistry,Multidisciplinary
Reference70 articles.
1. Stuhlmiller, T. J. & Garcia-Castro, M. I. Current perspectives of the signaling pathways directing neural crest induction. Cell Mol. Life Sci. 69, 3715–3737 (2012).
2. Etchevers, H. C., Dupin, E. & Le Douarin, N. M. The diverse neural crest: from embryology to human pathology. Development 146, dev169821 (2019).
3. Le Douarin, N. M. & Teillet, M. A. Experimental analysis of the migration and differentiation of neuroblasts of the autonomic nervous system and of neurectodermal mesenchymal derivatives, using a biological cell marking technique. Dev. Biol. 41, 162–184 (1974).
4. Le Lievre, C. S. & Le Douarin, N. M. Mesenchymal derivatives of the neural crest: analysis of chimaeric quail and chick embryos. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol. 34, 125–154 (1975).
5. Noden, D. M. The control of avian cephalic neural crest cytodifferentiation. I. Skeletal and connective tissues. Dev. Biol. 67, 296–312 (1978).