Abstract
Recent advances in synthetic embryology have opened new avenues for understanding the complex events controlling mammalian peri-implantation development. Here, we show that mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) solely exposed to chemical inhibition of SUMOylation generate embryo-like structures comprising anterior neural and trunk-associated regions. HypoSUMOylation-instructed ESCs give rise to spheroids that self-organize into gastrulating structures containing cell types spatially and functionally related to embryonic and extraembryonic compartments. Alternatively, spheroids cultured in a droplet microfluidic device form elongated structures that undergo axial organization reminiscent of natural embryo morphogenesis. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals various cellular lineages, including properly positioned anterior neuronal cell types and paraxial mesoderm segmented into somite-like structures. Transient SUMOylation suppression gradually increases DNA methylation genome wide and repressive mark deposition at Nanog. Interestingly, cell-to-cell variations in SUMOylation levels occur during early embryogenesis. Our approach provides a proof of principle for potentially powerful strategies to explore early embryogenesis by targeting chromatin roadblocks of cell fate change.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 112380 |
Journal | Cell Reports |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 4 |
Number of pages | 27 |
ISSN | 2211-1247 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 The Author(s)
Keywords
- cell identity
- chromatin
- CP: Developmental biology
- CP: Stem cell research
- embryoids
- embryonic stem cells
- epigenetics
- gastruloids
- microfluidics
- SUMOylation
- synthetic embryos