@article{17148,
  abstract     = {During neural tube (NT) development, the notochord induces an organizer, the floorplate, which secretes Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) to pattern neural progenitors. Conversely, NT organoids (NTOs) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) spontaneously form floorplates without the notochord, demonstrating that stem cells can self-organize without embryonic inducers. Here, we investigated floorplate self-organization in clonal mouse NTOs. Expression of the floorplate marker FOXA2 was initially spatially scattered before resolving into multiple clusters, which underwent competition and sorting, resulting in a stable “winning” floorplate. We identified that BMP signaling governed long-range cluster competition. FOXA2+ clusters expressed BMP4, suppressing FOXA2 in receiving cells while simultaneously expressing the BMP-inhibitor NOGGIN, promoting cluster persistence. Noggin mutation perturbed floorplate formation in NTOs and in the NT in vivo at mid/hindbrain regions, demonstrating how the floorplate can form autonomously without the notochord. Identifying the pathways governing organizer self-organization is critical for harnessing the developmental plasticity of stem cells in tissue engineering.},
  author       = {Krammer, Teresa and Stuart, Hannah T. and Gromberg, Elena and Ishihara, Keisuke and Cislo, Dillon and Melchionda, Manuela and Becerril Perez, Fernando and Wang, Jingkui and Costantini, Elena and Rus, Stefanie and Arbanas, Laura and Hörmann, Alexandra and Neumüller, Ralph A. and Elvassore, Nicola and Siggia, Eric and Briscoe, James and Kicheva, Anna and Tanaka, Elly M.},
  issn         = {1878-1551},
  journal      = {Developmental Cell},
  number       = {15},
  pages        = {1940--1953.e10},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Mouse neural tube organoids self-organize floorplate through BMP-mediated cluster competition}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.devcel.2024.04.021},
  volume       = {59},
  year         = {2024},
}