Periodic formation of epithelial somites from human pluripotent stem cells

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Marina Sanaki-Matsumiya - (Author)
  • Mitsuhiro Matsuda - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona (Author)
  • Nicola Gritti - (Author)
  • Fumio Nakaki - (Author)
  • James Sharpe - (Author)
  • Vikas Trivedi - (Author)
  • Miki Ebisuya - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona (Author)

Abstract

During embryonic development, epithelial cell blocks called somites are periodically formed according to the segmentation clock, becoming the foundation for the segmental pattern of the vertebral column. The process of somitogenesis has recently been recapitulated with murine and human pluripotent stem cells. However, an in vitro model for human somitogenesis coupled with the segmentation clock and epithelialization is still missing. Here, we report the generation of human somitoids, organoids that periodically form pairs of epithelial somite-like structures. Somitoids display clear oscillations of the segmentation clock that coincide with the segmentation of the presomitic mesoderm. The resulting somites show anterior-posterior and apical-basal polarities. Matrigel is essential for epithelialization but dispensable for the differentiation into somite cells. The size of somites is rather constant, irrespective of the initial cell number. The amount of WNT signaling instructs the proportion of mesodermal lineages in somitoids. Somitoids provide a novel platform to study human somitogenesis.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2325
JournalNature communications
Volume13
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 28 Apr 2022
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85128918783

Keywords