The Chick Caudolateral Epiblast Acts as a Permissive Niche for Generating Neuromesodermal Progenitor Behaviours

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Stem Cell Biology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Neuromesodermal progenitors (NMps) are crucial bipotent cells generating spinal cord and paraxial mesoderm during posterior body axis elongation.
• NMp-like cells derived in culture can differentiate into neural and mesodermal fates upon embryonic transplantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the neuromesodermal progenitor (NMp) potential of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived populations against undifferentiated and differentiated cells.
• To investigate whether NMp competence is maintained or lost upon further differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of previously identified ES cell-derived NMp-like populations with undifferentiated mouse ES cells in vivo.
• Generation of 3D gastruloids to create anterior and posterior embryonic cell types for competence assessment.

Main Results:

• ES cell-derived NMp-like populations and undifferentiated ES cells exhibit similar potentials for NMp behavior in vivo.
• NMp competence is lost in anterior (Brachyury-negative) portions of differentiated gastruloids.

Conclusions:

• In vitro-derived NMp-like cells retain multi-germ layer contribution potential, mirroring pluripotent ES cells.
• NMp competence is not acquired through differentiation but is inherent to early pluripotent states and lost upon anterior specification.