Specialized cytonemes induce self-organization of stem cells.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32184326.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.1920837117 and PMC identifier 7132109.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Spatial cellular organization is fundamental for embryogenesis. Remarkably, coculturing embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) recapitulates this process, forming embryo-like structures. However, mechanisms driving ESC-TSC interaction remain elusive. We describe specialized ESC-generated cytonemes that react to TSC-secreted Wnts. Cytoneme formation and length are controlled by actin, intracellular calcium stores, and components of the Wnt pathway. ESC cytonemes select self-renewal-promoting Wnts via crosstalk between Wnt receptors, activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), and localized calcium transients. This crosstalk orchestrates Wnt signaling, ESC polarization, ESC-TSC pairing, and consequently synthetic embryogenesis. Our results uncover ESC-TSC contact-mediated signaling, reminiscent of the glutamatergic neuronal synapse, inducing spatial self-organization and embryonic cell specification.
Medical subject headings
- Cell Communication
- Embryonic Stem Cells
- Pseudopodia