Deterministic and probabilistic fate decisions co-exist in a single retinal lineage
Elisa Nerli1,2,3, Jenny Kretzschmar1, Tommaso Bianucci2,3,4
1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
The EMBO Journal
|May 15, 2023
Summary
Neurogenesis in zebrafish retina involves progenitor cells with deterministic and probabilistic fates. Manipulating these fates reveals lineage flexibility crucial for robust nervous system development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
- Cell biology
Background:
- Proper nervous system development relies on precise progenitor cell differentiation into neurons.
- While population and clonal differentiation outputs are known, the stereotypic or variable nature of developmental fate decisions remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fate outcomes of single neurogenic progenitors in the zebrafish retina over time.
- To understand the mechanisms underlying cell fate decisions during neurogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Live imaging of single neurogenic progenitors in the zebrafish retina.
- Interference with deterministic and probabilistic lineage branches.
- Stochastic modeling of fate probabilities.
Main Results:
- Progenitor divisions yield two daughter cells with deterministic and probabilistic fates.
- Interference with the deterministic branch impacts lineage progression.
- Altering probabilistic fate leads to expanded cell fate possibilities and non-canonical neuronal types.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish retinal neurogenesis exhibits lineage flexibility through deterministic and probabilistic progenitor fates.
- A simple gene regulatory network can predict observed fate decision probabilities.
- This flexibility may ensure robust retinal and tissue development.
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