Highlight

1. A high-resolution anatomical atlas of Cynomolgus gastrulation embryos
2. Created a three-dimensional digital embryo template from serial sections of five developmental timepoints during gastrulation
3. A two-dimensional spatial transcriptome of the germ layers of gastrulating embryos
4. Cross-species comparison infers conservation of functional attributes of regulome and signaling activity in germ layer formation

Summary

During mammalian embryogenesis, spatial regulation of gene expression and cell signaling are functionally coupled with lineage specification, patterning of tissue progenitors and germ layer morphogenesis. While the mouse model has been instrumental for our understanding of mammalian development, comparatively little is known about human and non-human primate gastrulation due to the restriction of both technical and ethical issues. Here, we present a morphological and molecular survey of spatiotemporal molecular dynamics of cell types populating the non-human primate embryos during gastrulation. We reconstructed from serial sections of Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) gastrulating embryos at 1-day temporal resolution from E17 to E21, three-dimensional digital models that revealed the dynamic changes in the topography and tissue architecture of the embryo during gastrulation. Spatial transcriptomics identified gene expression profiles unique to the germ layers. Cross-species spatial transcriptome analysis revealed a developmental coordinate of germ layer segregation between mouse and primates, and species-specific transcription programs during gastrulation. These findings offer new insights into evolutionarily conserved and divergent processes during mammalian gastrulation.

Cite: Spatial molecular anatomy of germ layers in the gastrulating Cynomolgus monkey embryo

Correspondence: Guangdun Peng (peng_guangdun@grmh-gdl.cn); Guizhong Cui (cui_guizhong@grmh-gdl.cn)

Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas, Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China