Here we provide fundamental insights into early human development by single-cell RNA-sequencing of human and mouse preimplantation embryos. We elucidate conserved transcriptional programs along with those that are human-specific. Importantly, we validate our RNA-sequencing findings at the protein level, which further reveals differences in human and mouse embryo gene expression. For example, we identify several genes exclusively expressed in the human pluripotent epiblast including the transcription factor KLF17. Key components of the TGF-ß signaling pathway including NODAL, GDF3, TGFBR1/ALK5, LEFTY1, SMAD2, SMAD4 and TDGF1 are also enriched in the human epiblast. Intriguingly, inhibition of TGF-ß signaling abrogates NANOG expression in human epiblast cells, consistent with a requirement for this pathway in pluripotency. Although key trophectoderm factors Id2, Elf5, and Eomes are exclusively localized to this lineage in the mouse, the human orthologues are either absent or expressed in alternative lineages. Importantly, we also identify genes with conserved expression dynamics including Foxa2/FOXA2, which we show is restricted to the primitive endoderm in both human and mouse embryos. Comparisons of the human epiblast to existing embryonic stem cells (hESCs) reveals conservation of pluripotency but also additional pathways more enriched in hESCs. Our analysis highlights significant differences in human preimplantation development compared to mouse and provides a molecular blueprint to understand human embryogenesis and its relationship to stem cells. Overall design: Single-Cell RNA-seq
Defining the three cell lineages of the human blastocyst by single-cell RNA-seq.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are maternally inherited and are associated with a broad range of debilitating and fatal diseases. Assisted reproductive technologies designed to uncouple the inheritance of mtDNA from nuclear DNA may enable women who carry mtDNA mutations to have a genetically related child with a greatly reduced risk of disease. Here we report for the first time that pronuclear transplantation (PNT) between normally fertilised human zygotes provides an effective approach to preventing transmission of mtDNA disease. We found that the procedures previously used to perform PNT between abnormally fertilized human zygotes are highly inefficient when applied to those that undergo normal fertilization. We have therefore developed an alternative approach based on transplanting PN shortly after completion of the second meiotic division rather than shortly before onset of the first mitosis. This approach promotes highly efficient development to the blastocyst stage without affecting nuclear genome integrity. Furthermore, the expression profile of genes encoded by the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes was indistinguishable from unmanipulated control embryos. Importantly, levels of mtDNA transferred with the nuclear genome are below the threshold for mtDNA disease. Together these data indicate that transplantation of pronuclei early in the first cell cycle holds promise as a safe and effective approach to preventing transmission of mtDNA disease. Overall design: Single-Cell RNA-seq analysis of embryos generated by pronuclear transfer and unmanipulated control embryos The relationship between single cell samples and the embryo from which they were derived is indicated in the sample ''characteristics: sample type'' field.
Towards clinical application of pronuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disease.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesESCs and NPCs are two setm cell types which rely on expression of the transcription factor Sox2. We profilled gene expression in ESCs and NPCs to correlate genome-wide Sox2 ChIP-Seq data in these cells with expression of putative targets
SOX2 co-occupies distal enhancer elements with distinct POU factors in ESCs and NPCs to specify cell state.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesRationale: Neonatal mice have the capacity to regenerate their hearts in response to injury, but this potential is lost after the first week of life. The transcriptional changes that underpin mammalian cardiac regeneration have not been fully characterized at the molecular level. Objective: The objectives of our study were to determine if myocytes revert the transcriptional phenotype to a less differentiated state during regeneration and to systematically interrogate the transcriptional data to identify and validate potential regulators of this process. Methods and Results: We derived a core transcriptional signature of injury-induced cardiac myocyte regeneration in mouse by comparing global transcriptional programs in a dynamic model of in vitro and in vivo cardiac myocyte differentiation, in vitro cardiac myocyte explant model, as well as a neonatal heart resection model. The regenerating mouse heart revealed a transcriptional reversion of cardiac myocyte differentiation processes including reactivation of latent developmental programs similar to those observed during de-stabilization of a mature cardiac myocyte phenotype in the explant model. We identified potential upstream regulators of the core network, including interleukin 13 (IL13), which induced cardiac myocyte cell cycle entry and STAT6/STAT3 signaling in vitro. We demonstrate that STAT3/periostin and STAT6 signaling are critical mediators of IL13 signaling in cardiac myocytes. These downstream signaling molecules are also modulated in the regenerating mouse heart. Conclusions: Our work reveals new insights into the transcriptional regulation of mammalian cardiac regeneration and provides the founding circuitry for identifying potential regulators for stimulating heart regeneration. Overall design: Comparison of transcriptional programs of primary myocardial tissues sampled from neonatal mice and murine hearts undergoing post-injury regeneration, along with in vitro ESC-differentiated cardiomyocytes
Transcriptional reversion of cardiac myocyte fate during mammalian cardiac regeneration.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesCortical interneurons display a remarkable diversity in their morphology, physiological properties and connectivity. Elucidating the molecular determinants underlying this heterogeneity is essential for understanding interneuron development and function. We discovered that alternative splicing differentially regulates the integration of somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons into nascent cortical circuits through the cell-type specific tailoring of mRNAs. Specifically, we identified a role for the activity-dependent splicing regulator Rbfox1 in the development of cortical interneuron subtype specific efferent connectivity. Our work demonstrates that Rbfox1 mediates largely non-overlapping alternative splicing programs within two distinct but related classes of interneurons. Overall design: RNA-seq of FACS sorted PV+ and SST+ cortical interneuronals at P8 of wt and conditional Rbfox1 Kos
Rbfox1 Mediates Cell-type-Specific Splicing in Cortical Interneurons.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Epigenetic coordination of signaling pathways during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Cell line
View SamplesTGFbeta/TNFalpha treated spheroid A549 cultures are a model of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). These experiments capture the changes in global gene expression that result from cells being induced to undergo EMT (3D control vs 3D treated), but also the differences in gene expression when A549 is grown in spheroid cultures (2D control vs 3D untreated). EMT is efficiently induced only in the spheroid culture model.
Epigenetic coordination of signaling pathways during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Cell line
View SamplesThe immense molecular diversity of neurons challenges our ability to deconvolve the relationship between the genetic and the cellular underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders. Hypocretin (orexin) containing neurons of the lateral hypothalamus are clearly essential for the normal regulation of sleep and wake behaviors, and have been implicated in feeding, anxiety, depression and reward. However, little is known about the molecular phenotypes of these cells, or the mechanism of their specification. We have generated a Hcrt bacTRAP line for comprehensive translational profiling of these neuronsin vivo. From this profile, we have identified 188 transcripts, as enriched in these neurons, in additions to thousands more moderately enriched or nominally expressed. We validated many of these at the RNA and protein level, including the transcription factor Lhx9. Lhx9 protein is found in a subset of these neurons, and ablation of these gene results in a 30% loss of Hcrt neuron number, and a profound hypersomnolence in mice.This data suggests that Lhx9 may be important for specification of some Hcrt neurons, and the subsets of these neurons may contribute to discrete sleep phenotypes.
Translational profiling of hypocretin neurons identifies candidate molecules for sleep regulation.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesWe interrogated the transcriptome using RNA-seq at several stages of an mouse embryonic stem cell to cardiomyocyte directed differentiation protocol. These four stages represent timepoints when differentiating cultures are enriched for embryonic stem cells (ESC), mesodermal cells (MES), cardiac precursors (CP), or cardiomyocytes (CM) respectively. This study revealed many dynamic patterns of mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and identified groups of genes with similar expression patterns during differentiation. Overall design: RNA-seq analysis of global RNA levels at 4 stages of directed cardiac differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Each stage in biological duplicates
Dynamic and coordinated epigenetic regulation of developmental transitions in the cardiac lineage.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject, Time
View SamplesGene expression analyis of two hESCs, two human neonatal fibroblasts, and four human iPSCs generated with retroviral transduction using the OSKM cocktail.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells harbor homoplasmic and heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations while maintaining human embryonic stem cell-like metabolic reprogramming.
Specimen part, Cell line
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