Sunday, April 14, 2024

Embryos in hungry mouse mums postpone development

THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS

A mouse embryo (blastocyst) that has paused its development due to nutrient depletion. — IMAGE:
A MOUSE EMBRYO (BLASTOCYST) THAT HAS PAUSED ITS DEVELOPMENT DUE TO NUTRIENT DEPLETION.
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CREDIT: JIAJIA YE

It’s challenging to sustain a pregnancy when food is short, or conditions are otherwise tough. That’s why many mammalian embryos can postpone their growth to get through periods of environmental stress and then re-enter development when conditions improve. This stalling of development is known as embryonic diapause, and understanding the mechanisms behind it might help improve infertility treatments, such as embryo freezing. Now, researchers at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, China, have discovered how nutrient depletion is sensed by embryos growing in hungry mouse mums to induce diapause. They publish their study in the journal Development on 11 April 2024.

Lack of food is a known trigger of embryonic diapause, but it has not been clear how nutrient depletion in the mother’s diet is sensed by the embryo. “Seasonal starvation is one of the universal environmental stresses in nature,” explained Professor Qiang Sun, who led the study. “However, the regulatory process of diapause in early-stage embryos is not fully understood. So, we decided to examine whether nutrient deprivation induces embryonic diapause.”

By comparing hungry and well-fed pregnant mice, the team discovered that embryos in the hungry mice did not implant into the uterus and their growth paused at an early timepoint, when the embryo comprises a hollow ball of cells called the blastocyst. These embryos remained viable and could start developing again when transplanted into a well-fed mother.

To work out which nutrients were important to induce diapause, the researchers grew early-stage mouse embryos in dishes that contained different nutrients. They found that embryos grown in dishes lacking protein or carbohydrates paused their development, whereas the embryos exposed to normal nutrient levels did not stall and kept on developing. The scientists then went on to reveal that nutrient sensors in the embryo can detect drops in protein or carbohydrate levels, which triggers the entry into diapause.

The finding that embryos grown without protein or carbohydrates can pause their development means that they can survive longer in the lab. In the future, this finding might lead to improvements in fertility treatments, which currently include approaches such as embryo freezing. “We think our study can inspire the development of new methods for human embryo preservation,” said Professor Sun. “Embryo cryopreservation is a widely used approach, but there is still no consensus on when cryopreserved embryos can be thawed and transferred into the uterus. Many clinical studies have shown that traditional frozen embryo transfer can increase the risk of problems during pregnancy. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative methods to preserve embryos.”

Studies focusing on diapause may even have long-term implications for cancer treatments. “Dormant cancer cells which persist after chemotherapy resemble the diapaused embryos,” said Professor Sun. “Consequently, we hypothesize that delving into the mechanism of diapause may have positive implications for cancer treatment and decreasing the chances of relapse.”

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IF REPORTING THIS STORY, PLEASE MENTION DEVELOPMENT AS THE SOURCE AND, IF REPORTING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A LINK TO: https://journals.biologists.com/dev/article-lookup/DOI/10.1242/dev.202091

IMAGE CAPTION: A mouse embryo (blastocyst) that has paused its development due to nutrient depletion. Image credit: Jiajia Ye.

REFERENCE: Jiajia Ye, Yuting Xu, Qi Ren, Lu liu and Qiang Sun (2024). Nutrient deprivation induces mouse embryonic diapause mediated by Gator1 and Tsc2. Development, 151, dev202091 doi: 10.1242/dev.202091

The story is COPYRIGHTED. Therefore, advance permission is required before any and every reproduction of each article in full. Please contact: permissions@biologists.com.

THIS ARTICLE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL Thursday 11th April 2024, 17:00 HRS EDT (22:00 HRS BST)

JOURNAL

Development

DOI

10.1242/dev.202091

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Nutrient deprivation induces mouse embryonic diapause mediated by Gator1 and Tsc2

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

11-Apr-2024

Disclaimer: AAAS

ISSCR hosts free Earth Day webinar “Stem Cells for Species Conservation”

Explore the latest breakthroughs in the stem cell field and how these technologies are equipping us with the tools to combat extinction

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH

ISSCR Hosts Free Earth Day Webinar Focused on Species Conservation — IMAGE:
AS OUR PLANET FACES UNPRECEDENTED BIODIVERSITY LOSS, STEM CELL SCIENTISTS WILL UNVEIL HOW CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS OFFER A LIFELINE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES, ALLOWING US TO REPLICATE AND PRESERVE THE INTRICATE TAPESTRY OF LIFE THAT INHABITS EARTH.
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CREDIT: ISSCR

Join the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April 2024 by diving into the science of conservation, where the potential of stem cells is harnessed to foster a more sustainable and biodiverse future. This enlightening webinar co-hosted by Ashlee Hutchinson and Jun Wu will spotlight the revolutionary intersection of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), embryo models and genome engineering technologies with the noble cause of species preservation.

As our planet faces unprecedented biodiversity loss, this program will unveil how cutting-edge scientific advancements offer a lifeline for endangered species, allowing us to replicate and preserve the intricate tapestry of life that inhabits Earth. The webinar will explore the latest breakthroughs, ethical considerations, challenges, and future directions in the field, showcasing how these technologies not only deepen our understanding of biology but also equip us with the tools to combat extinction.

Organizers
Ashlee Hutchinson, PhD, Revive & Restore, Australia
Jun Wu, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA

Presenters
Jef Boeke, PhD, NYU Langone Health, USA
Eriona Hysolli, PhD, Colossal Biosciences, USA
Nikki Traylor-Knowles, PhD, University of Miami, USA
Katsuhiko Hayashi, PhD, Osaka University, Japan
Jeanne Loring, PhD, Scripps Research Institute, USA
Gabriela Mastromonaco, PhD, Toronto Zoo, Canada
Oliver Ryder, PhD, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, USA
Jun Wu, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
Qi-Long Ying, PhD, University of Southern California, USA

This webinar is free for anyone interested in species conservation and stem cells. Learn more and register. Media should contact kkilbourne@isscr.org for more information.

About the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR.org)
With nearly 5,000 members from more than 70 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. Additional information about stem cell science is available AboutStemCells.org, an initiative of the Society to inform the public about stem cell research and its potential.

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University of Oklahoma engineer receives $3.1M grant for clean hydrogen technologies

The project is part of $750M in funding through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law granted to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

NORMAN, OKLA. – Hanping Ding, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded a $3.1 million grant from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Department of Energy through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to further research in clean hydrogen production. The funding is part of a $750 million effort in President Biden’s Investing in American agenda. The money from the Department of Energy will go to 52 projects across 24 states to position the United States as a global leader in the clean hydrogen industry.

The combined outcomes of the 52 projects should allow the U.S. to produce enough technology per year to power 15% of medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold each year, produce an extra 1.3 million tons of clean hydrogen annually, and support more than 1,500 new jobs.

Ding’s three-year project will address the technical challenges of proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell stacks, a type of technology that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen gases using electricity. By enabling this process, the stacks allow for the efficient conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy, producing hydrogen as a clean and renewable fuel source. Hydrogen produced through this method can result in zero greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of Ding’s project is to develop the technology to be suitable for real-world use.

“This project will advance the technology maturity of [the technology] and, from a bigger picture, promote the green hydrogen applications of the state of Oklahoma,” Ding said.

Finding a way to store and convert energy is necessary to make renewable and sustainable energy more feasible. Clean hydrogen is a way for industries to reduce emissions while continuing to provide services needed for modern life. Ding’s Advanced Materials and Clean Energy Laboratory researches technological improvements to reach net-zero emissions. The lab specializes in materials research, development and prototype system demonstration for fuel cells, hydrogen production and electrochemical processing.

Under this grant, OU will collaborate with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kansas State University and Chemtronergy LLC to deliver this advanced electrolysis technology. The Idaho National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory also support the research.

Ding’s project is well aligned with the goals of the Oklahoma Hydrogen Roadmap from the Hydrogen Production, Transportation and Infrastructure Task Force report, which includes a near-term goal of hydrogen storage and innovative technologies and long-term goals of low carbon hydrogen and equipment manufacturing.

About the project: The project, “Development of Readily Manufactured and Interface Engineered Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells with High Efficiency and Durability,” is funded through the Department of Energy grant DE-FOA-0002922.

About the University of Oklahoma: Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information, visit www.ou.edu

Prestigious European grant for research into biodegradable plastics

ROYAL NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR SEA RESEARCH

Professor dr. Linda Amaral-Zettler, Research Leader at NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research and the Chair in Marine Microbiology at the University of Amsterdam has been awarded a prestigious Advanced ERC-grant by the European Commission today. Amaral-Zettler receives almost 3,5 million euros for her research into biodegradation in the marine environment. “Biodegradable sounds really nice”, she admits. “But before we repeat the mistakes we’ve made with fossil-fuel-based plastics back in the last millenium, we really want to understand how these materials interact with marine life and how long they last in the environment.” “Biodegradable sounds really nice”, she admits. “But before we repeat the mistakes we’ve made with fossil-fuel-based plastics back in the last millenium, we really want to understand how these materials interact with marine life and how long they last in the environment.”

Vibrant sea
For the next five years, Amaral-Zettler, together with three PhD-candidates and lab analysts, will work on the project she creatively calls ‘ViBRANT-SEA’, the acronym for her project entitled: Validating Biodegradation Rates and Reactions Applying Novel Technologies and Systems Ecology Approaches. “Above all, with this project we want to emphasize how vibrant the marine ecosystem still is and how we should keep it that way.”

Who biodegrades the biodegradables?
The project is divided in three so-called work-packages. “In the first, we want to identify who is breaking down the biodegradables. We will look for novel microbes, but also for specific genes in these microbes, that encode the enzymes that are necessary for biodegradation of the main components of two biodegradable polymers we will concentrate on: polyhydroxyalkanoates and polylactic acid. In the meantime, we may also find pathways that produce these polymers, because many microbes that break down biodegradable plastics, are also able to produce them”, Amaral-Zettler explains.

How fast do they break down?
In a second work-package, Amaral-Zettler and her team hope to find out how fast – or how slow – the biodegradable plastics break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. “We will establish that both in the lab, as well as under field conditions, using plastic with labeled carbon. Biodegradation under the high pressures and low temperatures of the deep sea, may be something entirely different than under conditions on land. And unfortunately, much of our plastics end up in the deep sea.”

Without lab animals
In a third work-package, Amaral-Zettler intends to collaborate with Bart Spee, expert at so-called organoids at Utrecht University, to design an organoid, or an artificial organ of a marine fish in a petri dish. “At the moment, the mandatory testing of ecotoxicity of new plastic materials is only ‘optional’ in fish, because the testing in these animals is complex and considered ethically problematic. However, fish are very important potential victims of the plastics that end up in the sea. Therefore, we hope to come up with an alternative, animal-free method to test this toxicity. We hope to test the toxicity of both conventional and biodegradable plastics, as well as their additives, such as colorants or PFAS that are added to these materials.”

Avoid the trap
Amaral-Zettler is very grateful to the European Commission for the opportunities that this ERC-grant provides. “To date, biodegradable plastics represent a small fraction of the total amount of plastics we produce, but this is increasing each year. And we really want to avoid stepping into the same trap as we did back in the fifties, when we thought plastic was a ‘nice and durable’ material that could do no harm. This ERC-grant gives us the opportunity to predict the lifetimes and impacts of biodegradable plastics, a step towards understanding how these new plastics behave in the marine environment. I hope the results of this project help manufacturers produce more environmentally friendly products, help legislators draft policies based on science, and consumers make intelligent choices when shopping. That’s what we need to maintain our vibrant seas!”

How does the STB promote the coordination between environmental protection and agricultural development in Erhai Lake?

HIGHER EDUCATION PRESS

IMAGE:
FIGURE 1
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CREDIT: KEMO JIN , NICO HEERINK , WILLIAM J. DAVIES , JIANBO SHEN , YIFEITONG ZHANG , YONG HOU , YAQIAO ZHAO , ZHENGXIONG ZHAO, FUSUO ZHANG

Erhai Lake, covering 252 km2, located in Yunnan Province, is one of the seven largest freshwater lakes in China. However, over the last three decades, the lake has suffered pollution episodes. In order to solve this problem, the local government has taken many protective measures. These measures have achieved some results in the environmental protection of Erhai Lake, but also caused significant socioeconomic impact. The tension between environmental preservation and economic stability in Erhai has even been termed the ‘Erhai dilemma’. The ‘Erhai dilemma’ is representative of those of other lakes in Yunnan Province and, more broadly throughout China. That is, how to harmonize environmental conservation and socioeconomic development.

In order to solve Erhai problems, academician Fusuo Zhang of China Agricultural University and his team rooted in Gusheng Village of Dali, through in-depth exploration of the complexity of ‘Erhai dilemma’, put forward the adoption and promotion of Science and Technology Backyard (STB) model to promote the coordinated development of Erhai protection and farmers’ income. The STB model in the Erhai Lake basin has established a collaborative platform. This platform convenes a diverse array of stakeholders, from local smallholders to scientific researchers and policymakers, to jointly design a systematic solution to the ‘Erhai Dilemma’.

Facts have proved that the STB has played a huge role in the coordination of ecological environmental protection and socioeconomic development. To pinpoint the origins of pollution, the STB designed a rigorous non-point source pollution monitoring network, colloquially termed the six verticals and seven horizontals system. The results of the May–September 2022 survey showed that about 80% of the pollution was attributed to agricultural non-point sources. A more detailed breakdown showed that farmland contributed 35% to 55% and village sewage about 40% of the pollution. Aiming to reconcile environmental preservation with economic prosperity, the approach commenced with a thorough investigation into the nutrient dynamics of different crops to strike a balance between supply and demand. The researchers then innovated green technologies and established an annual planting pattern that emphasized ecological and economic sustainability. At the demonstration site, they observed significant agricultural and environmental benefits. Specifically, rice yields were boosted by 31% to 12,120 kg·ha–1 and profits soared by 23,850 CNY·ha–1, while phosphorus runoff dropped by 50% and COD by 52%. To ensure sustainable high-value cultivation with the goal of yearly financial goal of 150,000 CNY·ha–1, high-value crops such as multifunctional rapeseed and sweet corn were introduced in our innovative cropping systems. Notably, the multifunctional vegetable-floweroil rapeseed program delivered 20% and 19% reductions in phosphorus and nitrogen loss from farmland, respectively, a 50% increase in oil output, prolonged the flowering period by 10 days, and an extra 67,500 CNY·ha–1 a profit through vegetable sales. Since the establishment of the STB in Gusheng Village, its influence has extended beyond just facilitating green agricultural technological advancements. The socioeconomic impacts have been profound. Through research, we found that the introduction of STB protocols and practices directly resulted in an estimated income increase of about 6.25 million yuan for the village, thereby raising the average annual farm income by 3395 yuan.

The Agricultural Green Development Program carried out in Erhai is an example of effective integration of environmental protection and agricultural innovation. In conclusion, the Erhai STB initiative, by combining environmental conservation with green technology adoption and a strong focus on improving smallholder incomes, highlights the importance of ongoing research and adaptation in the pursuit of a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future. The long-term vision for the work envisions self-operation as farmers gain expertise and implement sustainable practices independently. Once a systematic solution is established and shared with local government, it can also provide a model for regions with similar problems.

This study has been published on the Journal of Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering in Volume 11, Issue 1, 2024, DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2024545.