Dynamic transcriptional symmetry-breaking in pre-implantation mammalian embryo development revealed by single-cell RNA-seq
Authors
Shi, Junchao
Chen, Qi
Li, Xin
Zheng, Xiudeng
Zhang, Ying
Qiao, Jie
Tang, Fuchou
Tao, Yi
Zhou, Qi
Duan, Enkui
Issue Date
2015
Type
Article
Language
Keywords
Bistable model , Lineage divergence , Monostable model , Pre-implantation embryo development , Transcriptional symmetry-breaking
Alternative Title
Abstract
During mammalian pre-implantation embryo development, when the first asymmetry emerges and how it develops to direct distinct cell fates remain longstanding questions. Here, by analyzing single-blastomere transcriptome data from mouse and human pre-implantation embryos, we revealed that the initial blastomere-toblastomere biases emerge as early as the first embryonic cleavage division, following a binomial distribution pattern. The subsequent zygotic transcriptional activation further elevated overall blastomere-to-blastomere biases during the two-to 16-cell embryo stages. The trends of transcriptional asymmetry fell into two distinct patterns: for some genes, the extent of asymmetry was minimized between blastomeres (monostable pattern), whereas other genes, including those known to be lineage specifiers, showed ever-increasing asymmetry between blastomeres (bistable pattern), supposedly controlled by negative or positive feedbacks. Moreover, our analysis supports a scenario in which opposing lineage specifiers within an early blastomere constantly compete with each other based on their relative ratio, forming an inclined 'lineage strength' that pushes the blastomere onto a predisposed, yet flexible, lineage track before morphological distinction.
Description
Citation
Shi, J., Chen, Q., Li, X., Zheng, X., Zhang, Y., Qiao, J., … Duan, E. (2015). Dynamic transcriptional symmetry-breaking in pre-implantation mammalian embryo development revealed by single-cell RNA-seq. Development, 142(20), 3468�"3477. doi:10.1242/dev.123950
Publisher
License
Open Access
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
ISSN
0950-1991