1
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Lee SH, Platt S, Lim CH, Ito M, Myung P. The development of hair follicles and nail. Dev Biol 2024; 513:3-11. [PMID: 38759942 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The hair follicle and nail unit develop and regenerate through epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Here, we review some of the key signals and molecular interactions that regulate mammalian hair follicle and nail formation during embryonic development and how these interactions are reutilized to promote their regeneration during adult homeostasis and in response to skin wounding. Finally, we highlight the role of some of these signals in mediating human hair follicle and nail conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soung-Hoon Lee
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Platt
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chae Ho Lim
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mayumi Ito
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peggy Myung
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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2
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van Essen MJ, Apsley EJ, Riepsaame J, Xu R, Northcott PA, Cowley SA, Jacob J, Becker EBE. PTCH1-mutant human cerebellar organoids exhibit altered neural development and recapitulate early medulloblastoma tumorigenesis. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050323. [PMID: 38411252 PMCID: PMC10924233 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Patched 1 (PTCH1) is the primary receptor for the sonic hedgehog (SHH) ligand and negatively regulates SHH signalling, an essential pathway in human embryogenesis. Loss-of-function mutations in PTCH1 are associated with altered neuronal development and the malignant brain tumour medulloblastoma. As a result of differences between murine and human development, molecular and cellular perturbations that arise from human PTCH1 mutations remain poorly understood. Here, we used cerebellar organoids differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells combined with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to investigate the earliest molecular and cellular consequences of PTCH1 mutations on human cerebellar development. Our findings demonstrate that developmental mechanisms in cerebellar organoids reflect in vivo processes of regionalisation and SHH signalling, and offer new insights into early pathophysiological events of medulloblastoma tumorigenesis without the use of animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J. van Essen
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Elizabeth J. Apsley
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Joey Riepsaame
- Genome Engineering Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RE Oxford, UK
| | - Ruijie Xu
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA
| | - Paul A. Northcott
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA
| | - Sally A. Cowley
- James and Lillian Martin Centre for Stem Cell Research, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - John Jacob
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Esther B. E. Becker
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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3
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Kokkorakis N, Douka K, Nalmpanti A, Politis PK, Zagoraiou L, Matsas R, Gaitanou M. Mirk/Dyrk1B controls ventral spinal cord development via Shh pathway. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:70. [PMID: 38294527 PMCID: PMC10830675 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05097-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Cross-talk between Mirk/Dyrk1B kinase and Sonic hedgehog (Shh)/Gli pathway affects physiology and pathology. Here, we reveal a novel role for Dyrk1B in regulating ventral progenitor and neuron subtypes in the embryonic chick spinal cord (SC) via the Shh pathway. Using in ovo gain-and-loss-of-function approaches at E2, we report that Dyrk1B affects the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitors at E4 and impacts on apoptosis specifically in the motor neuron (MN) domain. Especially, Dyrk1B overexpression decreases the numbers of ventral progenitors, MNs, and V2a interneurons, while the pharmacological inhibition of endogenous Dyrk1B kinase activity by AZ191 administration increases the numbers of ventral progenitors and MNs. Mechanistically, Dyrk1B overexpression suppresses Shh, Gli2 and Gli3 mRNA levels, while conversely, Shh, Gli2 and Gli3 transcription is increased in the presence of Dyrk1B inhibitor AZ191 or Smoothened agonist SAG. Most importantly, in phenotype rescue experiments, SAG restores the Dyrk1B-mediated dysregulation of ventral progenitors. Further at E6, Dyrk1B affects selectively the medial lateral motor neuron column (LMCm), consistent with the expression of Shh in this region. Collectively, these observations reveal a novel regulatory function of Dyrk1B kinase in suppressing the Shh/Gli pathway and thus affecting ventral subtypes in the developing spinal cord. These data render Dyrk1B a possible therapeutic target for motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kokkorakis
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Division of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - K Douka
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - A Nalmpanti
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Athens International Master's Programme in Neurosciences, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - P K Politis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - L Zagoraiou
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - R Matsas
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - M Gaitanou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece.
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4
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Ardalan Moghadam Al F, Forghanifard MM, Zarrinpour V. PYGO2 increases proliferation and migration capacities through critical signaling pathways in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23625. [PMID: 38229324 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer, an increasingly prevalent malignancy, is a major concern for global health. The development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) involves various genetic abnormalities that affect key cell signaling pathways, including Wnt, Hh, Apoptosis, MAPK, EGFR, AKT, Notch, and EMT. Additionally, this malignancy involves some changes in the expression of long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs). The present study examines the relationship between PYGO2 gene expression and the activity of cell signaling pathways in KYSE-30 and YM-1ESCC cell lines. To this end, several cellular and molecular tests were performed, including cell migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Also, expression levels of CD133 and CD44 markers, real-time PCR, and western blot were analyzed after inducing PYGO2 protein expression in the cells. Overexpression of the PYGO2 protein resulted in the upregulation of Wnt pathway-related genes, leading to enhanced cell migration and proliferation and reduced apoptosis in both cell lines. Furthermore, PYGO2 gene expression induction analysis showed the correlation of several involved genes in Wnt, Hh, Apoptosis, MAPK, EGFR, AKT, and EMT pathways with various LncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vajiheh Zarrinpour
- Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
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5
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Abdel Fattah AR, Grebenyuk S, de Rooij LPMH, Salmon I, Ranga A. Neuroepithelial organoid patterning is mediated by a neighborhood watch mechanism. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113334. [PMID: 38511989 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
During epithelial tissue patterning, morphogens operate across multiple length scales to instruct cell identities. However, how cell fate changes are coordinated over these scales to establish spatial organization remains poorly understood. Here, we use human neural tube organoids as models of epithelial patterning and develop an in silico approach to define conditions permissive to patterning. By systematically varying morphogen position, diffusivity, and fate-inducing concentration levels, we show that cells follow a "neighborhood watch" (NW) mechanism that is deterministically dictated by initial morphogen source positions, reflecting scale-invariant in vitro phenotypes. We define how the frequency and local bias of morphogen sources stabilize pattern orientation. The model predicts enhanced patterning through floor plate inhibition, and receptor-ligand interaction analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data identifies wingless-related integration site (WNT) and bone morphogenic protein (BMP) as inhibition modulators, which we validate in vitro. These results suggest that developing neuroepithelia employ NW-based mechanisms to organize morphogen sources, define cellular identity, and establish patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel Rahman Abdel Fattah
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sergei Grebenyuk
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura P M H de Rooij
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Idris Salmon
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adrian Ranga
- Laboratory of Bioengineering and Morphogenesis, Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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6
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Boer LL, Winter E, Gorissen B, Oostra RJ. Phenotypically Discordant Anomalies in Conjoined Twins: Quirks of Nature Governed by Molecular Pathways? Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3427. [PMID: 37998563 PMCID: PMC10669976 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13223427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A multitude of additional anomalies can be observed in virtually all types of symmetrical conjoined twins. These concomitant defects can be divided into different dysmorphological patterns. Some of these patterns reveal their etiological origin through their topographical location. The so-called shared anomalies are traceable to embryological adjustments and directly linked to the conjoined-twinning mechanism itself, inherently located within the boundaries of the coalescence area. In contrast, discordant patterns are anomalies present in only one of the twin members, intrinsically distant from the area of union. These dysmorphological entities are much more difficult to place in a developmental perspective, as it is presumed that conjoined twins share identical intra-uterine environments and intra-embryonic molecular and genetic footprints. However, their existence testifies that certain developmental fields and their respective developmental pathways take different routes in members of conjoined twins. This observation remains a poorly understood phenomenon. This article describes 69 cases of external discordant patterns within different types of otherwise symmetrical mono-umbilical conjoined twins and places them in a developmental perspective and a molecular framework. Gaining insights into the phenotypes and underlying (biochemical) mechanisms could potentially pave the way and generate novel etiological visions in the formation of conjoined twins itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas L. Boer
- Department of Medical Imaging, Section Anatomy and Museum for Anatomy and Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eduard Winter
- Pathologisch-Anatomische Sammlung im Narrenturm-NHM, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ben Gorissen
- Department of Medical Imaging, Section Anatomy and Museum for Anatomy and Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roelof-Jan Oostra
- Department of Medical Biology, Sections Clinical Anatomy & Embryology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Xia Y, Cui K, Alonso A, Lowenstein ED, Hernandez-Miranda LR. Transcription factors regulating the specification of brainstem respiratory neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1072475. [PMID: 36523603 PMCID: PMC9745097 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1072475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Breathing (or respiration) is an unconscious and complex motor behavior which neuronal drive emerges from the brainstem. In simplistic terms, respiratory motor activity comprises two phases, inspiration (uptake of oxygen, O2) and expiration (release of carbon dioxide, CO2). Breathing is not rigid, but instead highly adaptable to external and internal physiological demands of the organism. The neurons that generate, monitor, and adjust breathing patterns locate to two major brainstem structures, the pons and medulla oblongata. Extensive research over the last three decades has begun to identify the developmental origins of most brainstem neurons that control different aspects of breathing. This research has also elucidated the transcriptional control that secures the specification of brainstem respiratory neurons. In this review, we aim to summarize our current knowledge on the transcriptional regulation that operates during the specification of respiratory neurons, and we will highlight the cell lineages that contribute to the central respiratory circuit. Lastly, we will discuss on genetic disturbances altering transcription factor regulation and their impact in hypoventilation disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Xia
- The Brainstem Group, Institute for Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ke Cui
- The Brainstem Group, Institute for Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antonia Alonso
- Functional Genoarchitecture and Neurobiology Groups, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Elijah D. Lowenstein
- Developmental Biology/Signal Transduction, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luis R. Hernandez-Miranda
- The Brainstem Group, Institute for Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Molecular Organization and Patterning of the Medulla Oblongata in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169260. [PMID: 36012524 PMCID: PMC9409237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The medulla oblongata, located in the hindbrain between the pons and the spinal cord, is an important relay center for critical sensory, proprioceptive, and motoric information. It is an evolutionarily highly conserved brain region, both structural and functional, and consists of a multitude of nuclei all involved in different aspects of basic but vital functions. Understanding the functional anatomy and developmental program of this structure can help elucidate potential role(s) of the medulla in neurological disorders. Here, we have described the early molecular patterning of the medulla during murine development, from the fundamental units that structure the very early medullary region into 5 rhombomeres (r7–r11) and 13 different longitudinal progenitor domains, to the neuronal clusters derived from these progenitors that ultimately make-up the different medullary nuclei. By doing so, we developed a schematic overview that can be used to predict the cell-fate of a progenitor group, or pinpoint the progenitor domain of origin of medullary nuclei. This schematic overview can further be used to help in the explanation of medulla-related symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g., congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, Wold–Hirschhorn syndrome, Rett syndrome, and Pitt–Hopkins syndrome. Based on the genetic defects seen in these syndromes, we can use our model to predict which medullary nuclei might be affected, which can be used to quickly direct the research into these diseases to the likely affected nuclei.
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9
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Identification of microRNAs related with neural germ layer lineage-specific progenitors during reprogramming. J Mol Histol 2022; 53:623-634. [DOI: 10.1007/s10735-022-10082-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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Manzari-Tavakoli A, Babajani A, Farjoo MH, Hajinasrollah M, Bahrami S, Niknejad H. The Cross-Talks Among Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) Signaling and Other Prominent Pathways Involved in Neural Differentiation. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:827275. [PMID: 35370542 PMCID: PMC8965007 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.827275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of potent morphogens which are critical for the patterning, development, and function of the central nervous system. The appropriate function of the BMP pathway depends on its interaction with other signaling pathways involved in neural differentiation, leading to synergistic or antagonistic effects and ultimately favorable biological outcomes. These opposite or cooperative effects are observed when BMP interacts with fibroblast growth factor (FGF), cytokines, Notch, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), and Wnt pathways to regulate the impact of BMP-induced signaling in neural differentiation. Herein, we review the cross-talk between BMP signaling and the prominent signaling pathways involved in neural differentiation, emphasizing the underlying basic molecular mechanisms regarding the process of neural differentiation. Knowing these cross-talks can help us to develop new approaches in regenerative medicine and stem cell based therapy. Recently, cell therapy has received significant attention as a promising treatment for traumatic or neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, it is important to know the signaling pathways involved in stem cell differentiation toward neural cells. Our better insight into the cross-talk of signaling pathways during neural development would improve neural differentiation within in vitro tissue engineering approaches and pre-clinical practices and develop futuristic therapeutic strategies for patients with neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Manzari-Tavakoli
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Rayan Center for Neuroscience & Behavior, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amirhesam Babajani
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Farjoo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Hajinasrollah
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Sciences Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheyl Bahrami
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology in AUVA Research Center, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hassan Niknejad
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Hassan Niknejad
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11
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Diaz C, Glover JC. The Vestibular Column in the Mouse: A Rhombomeric Perspective. Front Neuroanat 2022; 15:806815. [PMID: 35173589 PMCID: PMC8842660 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.806815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The vestibular column is located in the hindbrain between the sensory auditory (dorsal) and trigeminal (ventral) columns, spanning rhombomeres r1 (or r2) to r9. It contains the vestibular nuclear complex that receives sensory innervation from the labyrinthine end organs in the inner ear. Gene expression studies and experimental manipulations of developmental genes, particularly Hox genes and other developmental patterning genes, are providing insight into the morphological and functional organization of the vestibular nuclear complex, particularly from a segmental standpoint. Here, we will review studies of the classical vestibular nuclei and of vestibular projection neurons that innervate distinct targets in relation to individual rhombomeres and the expression of specific genes. Studies in different species have demonstrated that the vestibular complex is organized into a hodological mosaic that relates axon trajectory and target to specific hindbrain rhombomeres and intrarhombomeric domains, with a molecular underpinning in the form of transcription factor signatures, which has been highly conserved during the evolution of the vertebrate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Diaz
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Institute for Research in Neurological Disabilities, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
- *Correspondence: Carmen Diaz,
| | - Joel C. Glover
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Joel C. Glover,
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12
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Chang CY, Ting HC, Liu CA, Su HL, Chiou TW, Harn HJ, Lin SZ, Ho TJ. Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Specific Neural Lineages. Cell Transplant 2021; 30:9636897211017829. [PMID: 34665040 PMCID: PMC8529300 DOI: 10.1177/09636897211017829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are sources of several somatic cell
types for human developmental studies, in vitro disease modeling, and
cell transplantation therapy. Improving strategies of derivation of
high-purity specific neural and glial lineages from hPSCs is critical
for application to the study and therapy of the nervous system. Here,
we will focus on the principles behind establishment of neuron and
glia differentiation methods according to developmental studies. We
will also highlight the limitations and challenges associated with the
differentiation of several “difficult” neural lineages and delay in
neuronal maturation and functional integration. To overcome these
challenges, we will introduce strategies and novel technologies aimed
at improving the differentiation of various neural lineages to expand
the application potential of hPSCs to the study of the nervous
system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yu Chang
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Chien Ting
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ann Liu
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Lin Su
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tzyy-Wen Chiou
- Department of Life Science, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Horng-Jyh Harn
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Pathology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Jung Ho
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,Integration Center of Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
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13
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Induction of the CD24 Surface Antigen in Primary Undifferentiated Human Adipose Progenitor Cells by the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway. Biologics 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/biologics1020008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the murine model system of adipogenesis, the CD24 cell surface protein represents a valuable marker to label undifferentiated adipose progenitor cells. Indeed, when injected into the residual fat pads of lipodystrophic mice, these CD24 positive cells reconstitute a normal white adipose tissue (WAT) depot. Unluckily, similar studies in humans are rare and incomplete. This is because it is impossible to obtain large numbers of primary CD24 positive human adipose stem cells (hASCs). This study shows that primary hASCs start to express the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored CD24 protein when cultured with a chemically defined medium supplemented with molecules that activate the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Therefore, this in vitro system may help understand the biology and role in adipogenesis of the CD24-positive hASCs. The induced cells’ phenotype was studied by flow cytometry, Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) techniques, and their secretion profile. The results show that CD24 positive cells are early undifferentiated progenitors expressing molecules related to the angiogenic pathway.
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14
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Brambach M, Ernst A, Nolbrant S, Drouin-Ouellet J, Kirkeby A, Parmar M, Olariu V. Neural tube patterning: from a minimal model for rostrocaudal patterning toward an integrated 3D model. iScience 2021; 24:102559. [PMID: 34142058 PMCID: PMC8184516 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rostrocaudal patterning of the neural tube is a defining event in vertebrate brain development. This process is driven by morphogen gradients which specify the fate of neural progenitor cells, leading to the partitioning of the tube. Although this is extensively studied experimentally, an integrated view of the genetic circuitry is lacking. Here, we present a minimal gene regulatory model for rostrocaudal patterning, whose tristable topology was determined in a data-driven way. Using this model, we identified the repression of hindbrain fate as promising strategy for the improvement of current protocols for the generation of dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, we combined our model with an established minimal model for dorsoventral patterning on a realistic 3D neural tube and found that key features of neural tube patterning could be recapitulated. Doing so, we demonstrate how data and models from different sources can be combined to simulate complex in vivo processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Brambach
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund, 223 63, Sweden
| | - Ariane Ernst
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund, 223 63, Sweden
| | - Sara Nolbrant
- Departments of Experimental Medical Science and Clinical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Agnete Kirkeby
- Departments of Experimental Medical Science and Clinical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Malin Parmar
- Departments of Experimental Medical Science and Clinical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Victor Olariu
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund, 223 63, Sweden
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15
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Tutukova S, Tarabykin V, Hernandez-Miranda LR. The Role of Neurod Genes in Brain Development, Function, and Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:662774. [PMID: 34177462 PMCID: PMC8221396 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.662774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is essential for the correct functioning of cells during development and in postnatal life. The basic Helix-loop-Helix (bHLH) superfamily of transcription factors is well conserved throughout evolution and plays critical roles in tissue development and tissue maintenance. A subgroup of this family, called neural lineage bHLH factors, is critical in the development and function of the central nervous system. In this review, we will focus on the function of one subgroup of neural lineage bHLH factors, the Neurod family. The Neurod family has four members: Neurod1, Neurod2, Neurod4, and Neurod6. Available evidence shows that these four factors are key during the development of the cerebral cortex but also in other regions of the central nervous system, such as the cerebellum, the brainstem, and the spinal cord. We will also discuss recent reports that link the dysfunction of these transcription factors to neurological disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Tutukova
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.,Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Cell- and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Tarabykin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.,Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Cell- and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luis R Hernandez-Miranda
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Cell- and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Bonfili L, Cecarini V, Gogoi O, Gong C, Cuccioloni M, Angeletti M, Rossi G, Eleuteri AM. Microbiota modulation as preventative and therapeutic approach in Alzheimer's disease. FEBS J 2020; 288:2836-2855. [PMID: 32969566 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiota coevolves with its host, and numerous factors like diet, lifestyle, drug intake and geographical location continuously modify its composition, deeply influencing host health. Recent studies demonstrated that gut dysbiosis can alter normal brain function through the so-called gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication network between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, thus playing a key role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this perspective, in the constant search for novel treatments in AD, the rational modulation of gut microbiota composition could represent a promising approach to prevent or delay AD onset or to counteract its progression. Preclinical and human studies on microbiota modulation through oral bacteriotherapy and faecal transplantation showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, upregulation of plasma concentration of neuroprotective hormones, restoration of impaired proteolytic pathways, amelioration of energy homeostasis with consequent decrease of AD molecular hallmarks and improvement of behavioural and cognitive performances. In this review, we dissect the role of gut microbiota in AD and highlight recent advances in the development of new multitarget strategies for microbiota modulation to be used as possible preventative and therapeutic approaches in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bonfili
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Valentina Cecarini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Olee Gogoi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Chunmei Gong
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | | | - Mauro Angeletti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Giacomo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Eleuteri
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
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17
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Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Are Functionally Mature In Vitro and Integrate into the Mouse Striatum Following Transplantation. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:2766-2798. [PMID: 32356172 PMCID: PMC7253531 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-01907-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a powerful tool for modelling human development. In recent years, hPSCs have become central in cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases given their potential to replace affected neurons. However, directing hPSCs into specific neuronal types is complex and requires an accurate protocol that mimics endogenous neuronal development. Here we describe step-by-step a fast feeder-free neuronal differentiation protocol to direct hPSCs to mature forebrain neurons in 37 days in vitro (DIV). The protocol is based upon a combination of specific morphogens, trophic and growth factors, ions, neurotransmitters and extracellular matrix elements. A human-induced PSC line (Ctr-Q33) and a human embryonic stem cell line (GEN-Q18) were used to reinforce the potential of the protocol. Neuronal activity was analysed by single-cell calcium imaging. At 8 DIV, we obtained a homogeneous population of hPSC-derived neuroectodermal progenitors which self-arranged in bi-dimensional neural tube-like structures. At 16 DIV, we generated hPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with mostly a subpallial identity along with a subpopulation of pallial NPCs. Terminal in vitro neuronal differentiation was confirmed by the expression of microtubule associated protein 2b (Map 2b) by almost 100% of hPSC-derived neurons and the expression of specific-striatal neuronal markers including GABA, CTIP2 and DARPP-32. HPSC-derived neurons showed mature and functional phenotypes as they expressed synaptic markers, voltage-gated ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors. Neurons displayed diverse spontaneous activity patterns that were classified into three major groups, namely “high”, “intermediate” and “low” firing neurons. Finally, transplantation experiments showed that the NPCs survived and differentiated within mouse striatum for at least 3 months. NPCs integrated host environmental cues and differentiated into striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), which successfully integrated into the endogenous circuitry without teratoma formation. Altogether, these findings demonstrate the potential of this robust human neuronal differentiation protocol, which will bring new opportunities for the study of human neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration, and will open new avenues in cell-based therapies, pharmacological studies and alternative in vitro toxicology.
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18
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Based Neurodegenerative Disease Models for Phenotype Recapitulation and Drug Screening. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25082000. [PMID: 32344649 PMCID: PMC7221979 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25082000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases represent a significant unmet medical need in our aging society. There are no effective treatments for most of these diseases, and we know comparatively little regarding pathogenic mechanisms. Among the challenges faced by those involved in developing therapeutic drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, the syndromes are often complex, and small animal models do not fully recapitulate the unique features of the human nervous system. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a novel technology that ideally would permit us to generate neuronal cells from individual patients, thereby eliminating the problem of species-specificity inherent when using animal models. Specific phenotypes of iPSC-derived cells may permit researchers to identify sub-types and to distinguish among unique clusters and groups. Recently, iPSCs were used for drug screening and testing for neurologic disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinocerebellar atrophy (SCA), and Zika virus infection. However, there remain many challenges still ahead, including how one might effectively recapitulate sporadic disease phenotypes and the selection of ideal phenotypes and for large-scale drug screening. Fortunately, quite a few novel strategies have been developed that might be combined with an iPSC-based model to solve these challenges, including organoid technology, single-cell RNA sequencing, genome editing, and deep learning artificial intelligence. Here, we will review current applications and potential future directions for iPSC-based neurodegenerative disease models for critical drug screening.
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19
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Tambalo M, Mitter R, Wilkinson DG. A single cell transcriptome atlas of the developing zebrafish hindbrain. Development 2020; 147:dev184143. [PMID: 32094115 PMCID: PMC7097387 DOI: 10.1242/dev.184143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Segmentation of the vertebrate hindbrain leads to the formation of rhombomeres, each with a distinct anteroposterior identity. Specialised boundary cells form at segment borders that act as a source or regulator of neuronal differentiation. In zebrafish, there is spatial patterning of neurogenesis in which non-neurogenic zones form at boundaries and segment centres, in part mediated by Fgf20 signalling. To further understand the control of neurogenesis, we have carried out single cell RNA sequencing of the zebrafish hindbrain at three different stages of patterning. Analyses of the data reveal known and novel markers of distinct hindbrain segments, of cell types along the dorsoventral axis, and of the transition of progenitors to neuronal differentiation. We find major shifts in the transcriptome of progenitors and of differentiating cells between the different stages analysed. Supervised clustering with markers of boundary cells and segment centres, together with RNA-seq analysis of Fgf-regulated genes, has revealed new candidate regulators of cell differentiation in the hindbrain. These data provide a valuable resource for functional investigations of the patterning of neurogenesis and the transition of progenitors to neuronal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Tambalo
- Neural Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Richard Mitter
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David G Wilkinson
- Neural Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
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20
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Sawada T, Chater TE, Sasagawa Y, Yoshimura M, Fujimori-Tonou N, Tanaka K, Benjamin KJM, Paquola ACM, Erwin JA, Goda Y, Nikaido I, Kato T. Developmental excitation-inhibition imbalance underlying psychoses revealed by single-cell analyses of discordant twins-derived cerebral organoids. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2695-2711. [PMID: 32764691 PMCID: PMC7577852 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0844-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive genetic and neuroimaging studies, detailed cellular mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and bipolar disorder remain poorly understood. Recent progress in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies enables identification of cell-type-specific pathophysiology. However, its application to psychiatric disorders is challenging because of methodological difficulties in analyzing human brains and the confounds due to a lifetime of illness. Brain organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of the patients are a powerful avenue to investigate the pathophysiological processes. Here, we generated iPSC-derived cerebral organoids from monozygotic twins discordant for psychosis. scRNA-seq analysis of the organoids revealed enhanced GABAergic specification and reduced cell proliferation following diminished Wnt signaling in the patient, which was confirmed in iPSC-derived forebrain neuronal cells. Two additional monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia also confirmed the excess GABAergic specification of the patients' neural progenitor cells. With a well-controlled genetic background, our data suggest that unbalanced specification of excitatory and inhibitory neurons during cortical development underlies psychoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Sawada
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan. .,Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Thomas E. Chater
- grid.474690.8Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity and Connectivity, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Yohei Sasagawa
- grid.508743.dLaboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Mika Yoshimura
- grid.508743.dLaboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Noriko Fujimori-Tonou
- grid.474690.8Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Kaori Tanaka
- grid.508743.dLaboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Kynon J. M. Benjamin
- grid.429552.dLieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Apuã C. M. Paquola
- grid.429552.dLieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Jennifer A. Erwin
- grid.429552.dLieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Yukiko Goda
- grid.474690.8Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity and Connectivity, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama Japan
| | - Itoshi Nikaido
- grid.508743.dLaboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama Japan ,grid.265073.50000 0001 1014 9130Functional Genome Informatics, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo, Tokyo Japan ,grid.20515.330000 0001 2369 4728Master’s/Doctoral Program in Life Science Innovation (Bioinformatics), Degree Programs in Systems and Information Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Japan
| | - Tadafumi Kato
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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21
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Ocasio JK, Bates RDP, Rapp CD, Gershon TR. GSK-3 modulates SHH-driven proliferation in postnatal cerebellar neurogenesis and medulloblastoma. Development 2019; 146:dev.177550. [PMID: 31540917 DOI: 10.1242/dev.177550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar development requires regulated proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs). Inadequate CGNP proliferation causes cerebellar hypoplasia whereas excessive CGNP proliferation can cause medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Although sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling is known to activate CGNP proliferation, the mechanisms downregulating proliferation are less defined. We investigated CGNP regulation by GSK-3, which downregulates proliferation in the forebrain, gut and breast by suppressing mitogenic WNT signaling in mouse. In striking contrast to these systems, we found that co-deleting Gsk3a and Gsk3b blocked CGNP proliferation, causing severe cerebellar hypoplasia. The GSK-3 inhibitor CHIR-98014 similarly downregulated SHH-driven proliferation. Transcriptomic analysis showed activated WNT signaling and upregulated Cdkn1a in Gsk3a/b -deleted CGNPs. Ctnnb co-deletion increased CGNP proliferation and rescued cerebellar hypoproliferation in Gsk3a/b mutants, demonstrating physiological control of CGNPs by GSK-3, mediated through WNT. SHH-driven medulloblastomas similarly required GSK-3, as co-deleting Gsk3a/b blocked tumor growth in medulloblastoma-prone SmoM2 mice. These data show that a GSK-3/WNT axis modulates the developmental proliferation of CGNPs and the pathological growth of SHH-driven medulloblastoma. The requirement for GSK-3 in SHH-driven proliferation suggests that GSK-3 may be targeted for SHH-driven medulloblastoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Ocasio
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA .,Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rolf Dale P Bates
- Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Carolyn D Rapp
- Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Timothy R Gershon
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA .,Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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22
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Martinez-Chavez E, Scheerer C, Wizenmann A, Blaess S. The zinc-finger transcription factor GLI3 is a regulator of precerebellar neuronal migration. Development 2018; 145:dev.166033. [PMID: 30470704 DOI: 10.1242/dev.166033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Hindbrain precerebellar neurons arise from progenitor pools at the dorsal edge of the embryonic hindbrain: the caudal rhombic lip. These neurons follow distinct migratory routes to establish nuclei that provide climbing or mossy fiber inputs to the cerebellum. Gli3, a zinc-finger transcription factor in the Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, is an important regulator of dorsal brain development. We demonstrate that in Gli3-null mutant mice, disrupted neuronal migratory streams lead to a disorganization of precerebellar nuclei. Precerebellar progenitors are properly established in Gli3-null embryos and, using conditional gene inactivation, we provide evidence that Gli3 does not play a cell-autonomous role in migrating precerebellar neurons. Thus, GLI3 likely regulates the development of other hindbrain structures, such as non-precerebellar nuclei or cranial ganglia and their respective projections, which may in turn influence precerebellar migration. Although the organization of non-precerebellar hindbrain nuclei appears to be largely unaffected in absence of Gli3, trigeminal ganglia and their central descending tracts are disrupted. We show that rostrally migrating precerebellar neurons are normally in close contact with these tracts, but are detached in Gli3-null embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Martinez-Chavez
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn Medical Center, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Claudia Scheerer
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn Medical Center, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andrea Wizenmann
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, Department of Anatomy, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sandra Blaess
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn Medical Center, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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23
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Saade M, Blanco-Ameijeiras J, Gonzalez-Gobartt E, Martí E. A centrosomal view of CNS growth. Development 2018; 145:145/21/dev170613. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.170613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Embryonic development of the central nervous system (CNS) requires the proliferation of neural progenitor cells to be tightly regulated, allowing the formation of an organ with the right size and shape. This includes regulation of both the spatial distribution of mitosis and the mode of cell division. The centrosome, which is the main microtubule-organizing centre of animal cells, contributes to both of these processes. Here, we discuss the impact that centrosome-mediated control of cell division has on the shape of the overall growing CNS. We also review the intrinsic properties of the centrosome, both in terms of its molecular composition and its signalling capabilities, and discuss the fascinating notion that intrinsic centrosomal asymmetries in dividing neural progenitor cells are instructive for neurogenesis. Finally, we discuss the genetic links between centrosome dysfunction during development and the aetiology of microcephaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Saade
- Department of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri i Reixac 20, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Jose Blanco-Ameijeiras
- Department of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri i Reixac 20, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Elena Gonzalez-Gobartt
- Department of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri i Reixac 20, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Elisa Martí
- Department of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri i Reixac 20, Barcelona 08028, Spain
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24
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Janowska J, Gargas J, Ziemka-Nalecz M, Zalewska T, Buzanska L, Sypecka J. Directed glial differentiation and transdifferentiation for neural tissue regeneration. Exp Neurol 2018; 319:112813. [PMID: 30171864 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glial cells which are indispensable for the central nervous system development and functioning, are proven to be vulnerable to a harmful influence of pathological cues and tissue misbalance. However, they are also highly sensitive to both in vitro and in vivo modulation of their commitment, differentiation, activity and even the fate-switch by different types of bioactive molecules. Since glial cells (comprising macroglia and microglia) are an abundant and heterogeneous population of neural cells, which are almost uniformly distributed in the brain and the spinal cord parenchyma, they all create a natural endogenous reservoir of cells for potential neurogenerative processes required to be initiated in response to pathophysiological cues present in the local tissue microenvironment. The past decade of intensive investigation on a spontaneous and enforced conversion of glial fate into either alternative glial (for instance from oligodendrocytes to astrocytes) or neuronal phenotypes, has considerably extended our appreciation of glial involvement in restoring the nervous tissue cytoarchitecture and its proper functions. The most effective modulators of reprogramming processes have been identified and tested in a series of pre-clinical experiments. A list of bioactive compounds which are potent in guiding in vivo cell fate conversion and driving cell differentiation includes a selection of transcription factors, microRNAs, small molecules, exosomes, morphogens and trophic factors, which are helpful in boosting the enforced neuro-or gliogenesis and promoting the subsequent cell maturation into desired phenotypes. Herein, an issue of their utility for a directed glial differentiation and transdifferentiation is discussed in the context of elaborating future therapeutic options aimed at restoring the diseased nervous tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Janowska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, NeuroRepair Department, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Gargas
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, NeuroRepair Department, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Ziemka-Nalecz
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, NeuroRepair Department, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Teresa Zalewska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, NeuroRepair Department, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Leonora Buzanska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stem Cell Bioengineering Unit, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Sypecka
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, NeuroRepair Department, 5, Pawinskiego str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
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25
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Kawano R, Ohta K, Lupo G. Cadherin-7 enhances Sonic Hedgehog signalling by preventing Gli3 repressor formation during neural tube patterning. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170225. [PMID: 29263249 PMCID: PMC5746549 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is a ventrally enriched morphogen controlling dorsoventral patterning of the neural tube. In the dorsal spinal cord, Gli3 protein bound to suppressor-of-fused (Sufu) is converted into Gli3 repressor (Gli3R), which inhibits Shh-target genes. Activation of Shh signalling prevents Gli3R formation, promoting neural tube ventralization. We show that cadherin-7 (Cdh7) expression in the intermediate spinal cord region is required to delimit the boundary between the ventral and the dorsal spinal cord. We demonstrate that Cdh7 functions as a receptor for Shh and enhances Shh signalling. Binding of Shh to Cdh7 promotes its aggregation on the cell membrane and association of Cdh7 with Gli3 and Sufu. These interactions prevent Gli3R formation and cause Gli3 protein degradation. We propose that Shh can act through Cdh7 to limit intracellular movement of Gli3 protein and production of Gli3R, thus eliciting more efficient activation of Gli-dependent signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Kawano
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, Japan .,Global COE 'Cell Fate Regulation Research and Education Unit', Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kunimasa Ohta
- Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,International Research Core for Stem Cell-based Developmental Medicine, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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26
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Brafman D, Willert K. Wnt/β-catenin signaling during early vertebrate neural development. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1239-1259. [PMID: 28799266 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) is comprised of vast number of distinct cell types arranged in a highly organized manner. This high degree of complexity is achieved by cellular communication, including direct cell-cell contact, cell-matrix interactions, and cell-growth factor signaling. Among the several developmental signals controlling the development of the CNS, Wnt proteins have emerged as particularly critical and, hence, have captivated the attention of many researchers. With Wnts' evolutionarily conserved function as primordial symmetry breaking signals, these proteins and their downstream effects are responsible for simultaneously establishing cellular diversity and tissue organization. With their expansive repertoire of secreted agonists and antagonists, cell surface receptors, signaling cascades and downstream biological effects, Wnts are ideally suited to control the complex processes underlying vertebrate neural development. In this review, we will describe the mechanisms by which Wnts exert their potent effects on cells and tissues and highlight the many roles of Wnt signaling during neural development, starting from the initial induction of the neural plate, the subsequent patterning along the embryonic axes, to the intricately organized structure of the CNS. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1239-1259, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brafman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
| | - Karl Willert
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0695
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Bonfili L, Cecarini V, Berardi S, Scarpona S, Suchodolski JS, Nasuti C, Fiorini D, Boarelli MC, Rossi G, Eleuteri AM. Microbiota modulation counteracts Alzheimer's disease progression influencing neuronal proteolysis and gut hormones plasma levels. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2426. [PMID: 28546539 PMCID: PMC5445077 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02587-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota has a proven role in regulating multiple neuro-chemical pathways through the highly interconnected gut-brain axis. Oral bacteriotherapy thus has potential in the treatment of central nervous system-related pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Current AD treatments aim to prevent onset, delay progression and ameliorate symptoms. In this work, 3xTg-AD mice in the early stage of AD were treated with SLAB51 probiotic formulation, thereby affecting the composition of gut microbiota and its metabolites. This influenced plasma concentration of inflammatory cytokines and key metabolic hormones considered therapeutic targets in neurodegeneration. Treated mice showed partial restoration of two impaired neuronal proteolytic pathways (the ubiquitin proteasome system and autophagy). Their cognitive decline was decreased compared with controls, due to a reduction in brain damage and reduced accumulation of amyloid beta aggregates. Collectively, our results clearly prove that modulation of the microbiota induces positive effects on neuronal pathways that are able to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bonfili
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy.
| | - Valentina Cecarini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
| | - Sara Berardi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
| | - Silvia Scarpona
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
| | - Jan S Suchodolski
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Cinzia Nasuti
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
| | - Dennis Fiorini
- Division of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, I-62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Boarelli
- Division of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, I-62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Giacomo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
| | - Anna Maria Eleuteri
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, (MC), Italy
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28
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Di Bonito M, Studer M. Cellular and Molecular Underpinnings of Neuronal Assembly in the Central Auditory System during Mouse Development. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:18. [PMID: 28469562 PMCID: PMC5395578 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, the organization of the auditory system into distinct functional subcircuits depends on the spatially and temporally ordered sequence of neuronal specification, differentiation, migration and connectivity. Regional patterning along the antero-posterior axis and neuronal subtype specification along the dorso-ventral axis intersect to determine proper neuronal fate and assembly of rhombomere-specific auditory subcircuits. By taking advantage of the increasing number of transgenic mouse lines, recent studies have expanded the knowledge of developmental mechanisms involved in the formation and refinement of the auditory system. Here, we summarize several findings dealing with the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the assembly of central auditory subcircuits during mouse development, focusing primarily on the rhombomeric and dorso-ventral origin of auditory nuclei and their associated molecular genetic pathways.
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29
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Sonic -'Jack-of-All-Trades' in Neural Circuit Formation. J Dev Biol 2017; 5:jdb5010002. [PMID: 29615560 PMCID: PMC5831768 DOI: 10.3390/jdb5010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As reflected by the term morphogen, molecules such as Shh and Wnts were identified based on their role in early development when they instruct precursor cells to adopt a specific cell fate. Only much later were they implicated in neural circuit formation. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that morphogens direct axons during their navigation through the developing nervous system. Today, the best understood role of Shh and Wnt in axon guidance is their effect on commissural axons in the spinal cord. Shh was shown to affect commissural axons both directly and indirectly via its effect on Wnt signaling. In fact, throughout neural circuit formation there is cross-talk and collaboration of Shh and Wnt signaling. Thus, although the focus of this review is on the role of Shh in neural circuit formation, a separation from Wnt signaling is not possible.
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Dephosphorylated parafibromin is a transcriptional coactivator of the Wnt/Hedgehog/Notch pathways. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12887. [PMID: 27650679 PMCID: PMC5036006 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionally conserved Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh) and Notch morphogen pathways play essential roles in the development, homeostasis and pathogenesis of multicellular organisms. Nevertheless, mechanisms that intracellularly coordinate these signal inputs remain poorly understood. Here we found that parafibromin, a component of the PAF complex, competitively interacts with β-catenin and Gli1, thereby potentiating transactivation of Wnt- and Hh-target genes in a mutually exclusive manner. Parafibromin also binds to the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), enabling concerted activation of Wnt- and Notch-target genes. The transcriptional platform function of parafibromin is potentiated by tyrosine dephosphorylation, mediated by SHP2 phosphatase, while it is attenuated by tyrosine phosphorylation, mediated by PTK6 kinase. Consequently, acute loss of parafibromin in mice disorganizes the normal epithelial architecture of the intestine, which requires coordinated activation/inactivation of Wnt, Hh and/or Notch signalling. Parafibromin integrates and converts signals conveyed by these morphogen pathways into appropriate transcriptional outputs in a tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-regulated manner. Normal epithelial intestine organisation requires Wnt and Hedgehog signalling activity. Here, the authors show that parafibromin can activate both pathways in a mutually exclusive manner and is important for intestinal homeostasis.
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Mutations of the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway Underlie Hypothalamic Hamartoma with Gelastic Epilepsy. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 99:423-9. [PMID: 27453577 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) with gelastic epilepsy is a well-recognized drug-resistant epilepsy syndrome of early life.(1) Surgical resection allows limited access to the small deep-seated lesions that cause the disease. Here, we report the results of a search for somatic mutations in paired hamartoma- and leukocyte-derived DNA samples from 38 individuals which we conducted by using whole-exome sequencing (WES), chromosomal microarray (CMA), and targeted resequencing (TRS) of candidate genes. Somatic mutations were identified in genes involving regulation of the sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway in 14/38 individuals (37%). Three individuals had somatic mutations in PRKACA, which encodes a cAMP-dependent protein kinase that acts as a repressor protein in the Shh pathway, and four subjects had somatic mutations in GLI3, an Shh pathway gene associated with HH. In seven other individuals, we identified two recurrent and three single brain-tissue-specific, large copy-number or loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) variants involving multiple Shh genes, as well as other genes without an obvious biological link to the Shh pathway. The Shh pathway genes in these large somatic lesions include the ligand itself (SHH and IHH), the receptor SMO, and several other Shh downstream pathway members, including CREBBP and GLI2. Taken together, our data implicate perturbation of the Shh pathway in at least 37% of individuals with the HH epilepsy syndrome, consistent with the concept of a developmental pathway brain disease.
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Francesca LC, Claudia R, Molinario C, Annamaria M, Chiara F, Natalia C, Emanuele A, Valentina P, Giovanni N, Costantino R, Eugenio S, Fiorella G. Variants in TNIP1, a regulator of the NF-kB pathway, found in two patients with neural tube defects. Childs Nerv Syst 2016; 32:1061-7. [PMID: 27125519 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-016-3087-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur in 1:1000 births. The etiology is complex, with the influence of environmental and genetic factors. Environmental factors, such as folate deficiency, diabetes, or hypoxia strongly contribute to the occurrence of NTD. Also, there is a strong genetic contribution to NTD, as highlighted by the number of genes so far identified in several different developmental pathways usually altered in NTD. Each gene identified so far accounts for a small percentage of all NTD cases, indicating a very high heterogeneity. METHODS Exome sequencing was performed in seven sporadic patients with severe mielomeningocele. Novel coding variants shared by two or more patients were selected for further analysis. RESULTS We identified in two unrelated patients two different variants in TNIP1, a gene not previously involved in NTD whose main role is downregulation of the NF-kB pathway. One variant, c.1089T>G (p.Phe363Leu), is de novo, whereas the c.1781C>T (p.Pro594Leu) is absent in the mother, but could not be tested in the father, as he was unavailable. The latter variant is a very rare variant in the ExAC database. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that TNIP1 is a new potential predisposing gene to spina bifida (SB) and its pathway needs to be investigated in human NTD in order to confirm its role and to plan appropriate counseling to families.
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Affiliation(s)
- La Carpia Francesca
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, Columbia, NY, USA
| | - Rendeli Claudia
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Clelia Molinario
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Milillo Annamaria
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Farroni Chiara
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Cannelli Natalia
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Ausili Emanuele
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Paolucci Valentina
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Neri Giovanni
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Romagnoli Costantino
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Sangiorgi Eugenio
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gurrieri Fiorella
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
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Cole AE, Murray SS, Xiao J. Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Signalling in Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells during Development and after Injury. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:9260592. [PMID: 27293450 PMCID: PMC4884839 DOI: 10.1155/2016/9260592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Substantial progress has been made in identifying the extracellular signalling pathways that regulate neural stem and precursor cell biology in the central nervous system (CNS). The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), in particular BMP4, are key players regulating neuronal and glial cell development from neural precursor cells in the embryonic, postnatal, and injured CNS. Here we review recent studies on BMP4 signalling in the generation of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendroglial cells in the CNS. We also discuss putative mechanisms that BMP4 may utilise to influence glial cell development following CNS injury and highlight some questions for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair E. Cole
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Simon S. Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Junhua Xiao
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Genomic DISC1 Disruption in hiPSCs Alters Wnt Signaling and Neural Cell Fate. Cell Rep 2015; 12:1414-29. [PMID: 26299970 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.07.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic and clinical association studies have identified disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) as a candidate risk gene for major mental illness. DISC1 is interrupted by a balanced chr(1;11) translocation in a Scottish family in which the translocation predisposes to psychiatric disorders. We investigate the consequences of DISC1 interruption in human neural cells using TALENs or CRISPR-Cas9 to target the DISC1 locus. We show that disruption of DISC1 near the site of the translocation results in decreased DISC1 protein levels because of nonsense-mediated decay of long splice variants. This results in an increased level of canonical Wnt signaling in neural progenitor cells and altered expression of fate markers such as Foxg1 and Tbr2. These gene expression changes are rescued by antagonizing Wnt signaling in a critical developmental window, supporting the hypothesis that DISC1-dependent suppression of basal Wnt signaling influences the distribution of cell types generated during cortical development.
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35
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Winata CL, Kondrychyn I, Korzh V. Changing Faces of Transcriptional Regulation Reflected by Zic3. Curr Genomics 2015; 16:117-27. [PMID: 26085810 PMCID: PMC4467302 DOI: 10.2174/1389202916666150205124519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of genomics in the study of developmental mechanisms has brought a trove of information
on gene datasets and regulation during development, where the Zic family of zinc-finger proteins
plays an important role. Genomic analysis of the modes of action of Zic3 in pluripotent cells demonstrated its
requirement for maintenance of stem cells pluripotency upon binding to the proximal regulatory regions
(promoters) of genes associated with cell pluripotency (Nanog, Sox2, Oct4, etc.) as well as cell cycle, proliferation, oncogenesis
and early embryogenesis. In contrast, during gastrulation and neurulation Zic3 acts by binding the distal regulatory
regions (enhancers, etc) associated with control of gene transcription in the Nodal and Wnt signaling pathways, including
genes that act to break body symmetry. This illustrates a general role of Zic3 as a transcriptional regulator that
acts not only alone, but in many instances in conjunction with other transcription factors. The latter is done by binding to
adjacent sites in the context of multi-transcription factor complexes associated with regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Lanny Winata
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland; Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | - Vladimir Korzh
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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36
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Wang G, Li Y, Wang XY, Chuai M, Yeuk-Hon Chan J, Lei J, Münsterberg A, Lee KKH, Yang X. Misexpression of BRE gene in the developing chick neural tube affects neurulation and somitogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:978-92. [PMID: 25568339 PMCID: PMC4342032 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-06-1144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This is the first study of the role of BRE in embryonic development using early chick embryos. BRE is expressed in the developing neural tube, neural crest cells, and somites. BRE thus plays an important role in regulating neurogenesis and indirectly somitogenesis during early chick embryo development. The brain and reproductive expression (BRE) gene is expressed in numerous adult tissues and especially in the nervous and reproductive systems. However, little is known about BRE expression in the developing embryo or about its role in embryonic development. In this study, we used in situ hybridization to reveal the spatiotemporal expression pattern for BRE in chick embryo during development. To determine the importance of BRE in neurogenesis, we overexpressed BRE and also silenced BRE expression specifically in the neural tube. We established that overexpressing BRE in the neural tube indirectly accelerated Pax7+ somite development and directly increased HNK-1+ neural crest cell (NCC) migration and TuJ-1+ neurite outgrowth. These altered morphogenetic processes were associated with changes in the cell cycle of NCCs and neural tube cells. The inverse effect was obtained when BRE expression was silenced in the neural tube. We also determined that BMP4 and Shh expression in the neural tube was affected by misexpression of BRE. This provides a possible mechanism for how altering BRE expression was able to affect somitogenesis, neurogenesis, and NCC migration. In summary, our results demonstrate that BRE plays an important role in regulating neurogenesis and indirectly somite differentiation during early chick embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Manli Chuai
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - John Yeuk-Hon Chan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jian Lei
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Andrea Münsterberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth Ka Ho Lee
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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37
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Watanabe H, Kuhn A, Fushiki M, Agata K, Özbek S, Fujisawa T, Holstein TW. Sequential actions of β-catenin and Bmp pattern the oral nerve net in Nematostella vectensis. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5536. [PMID: 25534229 PMCID: PMC4284808 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal evolution is closely linked to the emergence of the nervous system. At present it is unknown how the basic mechanisms of neural induction and formation of central nervous systems evolved. We addressed this question in Nematostella vectensis, a member of cnidarians, the ancient sister group of bilaterians. We found that β-catenin signalling is crucial for the early induction of the embryonic nervous system. β-Catenin activity at the blastopore induces specific neurogenic genes required for development of the oral nervous system. β-Catenin signalling induces also Bmp signalling, which, at later larval stages, becomes indispensible for the maintenance and asymmetric patterning of the oral nervous system along the primary and secondary (directive) axes. We hypothesize that the consecutive and functionally linked involvement of β-catenin and Bmp signalling in the formation of the cnidarian oral nervous system reflects an ancestral mechanism that evolved before the cnidarian/bilaterian split. The bilaterian central nervous system is thought to have evolved from a cnidarian-like ancestor, but the mechanisms of neural induction in cnidarians are largely unknown. Here the authors study the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis and show that β-catenin signalling is crucial for the early induction of its embryonic nervous system, suggesting evolutionary roots for this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Watanabe
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Kuhn
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manami Fushiki
- 1] Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany [2] Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Suat Özbek
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Toshitaka Fujisawa
- 1] Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany [2] Center for the Promotion of Integrated Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Higashiyama 5-1, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Thomas W Holstein
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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38
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Lovrics A, Gao Y, Juhász B, Bock I, Byrne HM, Dinnyés A, Kovács KA. Boolean modelling reveals new regulatory connections between transcription factors orchestrating the development of the ventral spinal cord. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111430. [PMID: 25398016 PMCID: PMC4232242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We have assembled a network of cell-fate determining transcription factors that play a key role in the specification of the ventral neuronal subtypes of the spinal cord on the basis of published transcriptional interactions. Asynchronous Boolean modelling of the network was used to compare simulation results with reported experimental observations. Such comparison highlighted the need to include additional regulatory connections in order to obtain the fixed point attractors of the model associated with the five known progenitor cell types located in the ventral spinal cord. The revised gene regulatory network reproduced previously observed cell state switches between progenitor cells observed in knock-out animal models or in experiments where the transcription factors were overexpressed. Furthermore the network predicted the inhibition of Irx3 by Nkx2.2 and this prediction was tested experimentally. Our results provide evidence for the existence of an as yet undescribed inhibitory connection which could potentially have significance beyond the ventral spinal cord. The work presented in this paper demonstrates the strength of Boolean modelling for identifying gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yu Gao
- Biotalentum Ltd., Gödöllö, Hungary
| | | | - István Bock
- Biotalentum Ltd., Gödöllö, Hungary
- Molecular Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Szent Istvan University, Gödöllö, Hungary
| | - Helen M. Byrne
- Oxford Centre for Collaborative Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - András Dinnyés
- Biotalentum Ltd., Gödöllö, Hungary
- Molecular Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Szent Istvan University, Gödöllö, Hungary
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Krisztián A. Kovács
- Biotalentum Ltd., Gödöllö, Hungary
- Institute of Science and Technology, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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Stifani N. Motor neurons and the generation of spinal motor neuron diversity. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:293. [PMID: 25346659 PMCID: PMC4191298 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor neurons (MNs) are neuronal cells located in the central nervous system (CNS) controlling a variety of downstream targets. This function infers the existence of MN subtypes matching the identity of the targets they innervate. To illustrate the mechanism involved in the generation of cellular diversity and the acquisition of specific identity, this review will focus on spinal MNs (SpMNs) that have been the core of significant work and discoveries during the last decades. SpMNs are responsible for the contraction of effector muscles in the periphery. Humans possess more than 500 different skeletal muscles capable to work in a precise time and space coordination to generate complex movements such as walking or grasping. To ensure such refined coordination, SpMNs must retain the identity of the muscle they innervate. Within the last two decades, scientists around the world have produced considerable efforts to elucidate several critical steps of SpMNs differentiation. During development, SpMNs emerge from dividing progenitor cells located in the medial portion of the ventral neural tube. MN identities are established by patterning cues working in cooperation with intrinsic sets of transcription factors. As the embryo develop, MNs further differentiate in a stepwise manner to form compact anatomical groups termed pools connecting to a unique muscle target. MN pools are not homogeneous and comprise subtypes according to the muscle fibers they innervate. This article aims to provide a global view of MN classification as well as an up-to-date review of the molecular mechanisms involved in the generation of SpMN diversity. Remaining conundrums will be discussed since a complete understanding of those mechanisms constitutes the foundation required for the elaboration of prospective MN regeneration therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Stifani
- Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
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40
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Faravelli I, Bucchia M, Rinchetti P, Nizzardo M, Simone C, Frattini E, Corti S. Motor neuron derivation from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells: experimental approaches and clinical perspectives. Stem Cell Res Ther 2014; 5:87. [PMID: 25157556 PMCID: PMC4100331 DOI: 10.1186/scrt476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor neurons are cells located in specific areas of the central nervous system, such as brain cortex (upper motor neurons), brain stem, and spinal cord (lower motor neurons), which maintain control over voluntary actions. Motor neurons are affected primarily by a wide spectrum of neurological disorders, generally indicated as motor neuron diseases (MNDs): these disorders share symptoms related to muscular atrophy and paralysis leading to death. No effective treatments are currently available. Stem cell-derived motor neurons represent a promising research tool in disease modeling, drug screening, and development of therapeutic approaches for MNDs and spinal cord injuries. Directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells - human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) - toward specific lineages is the first crucial step in order to extensively employ these cells in early human development investigation and potential clinical applications. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be generated from patients' own somatic cells (for example, fibroblasts) by reprogramming them with specific factors. They can be considered embryonic stem cell-like cells, which express stem cell markers and have the ability to give rise to all three germ layers, bypassing the ethical concerns. Thus, hiPSCs constitute an appealing alternative source of motor neurons. These motor neurons might be a great research tool, creating a model for investigating the cellular and molecular interactions underlying early human brain development and pathologies during neurodegeneration. Patient-specific iPSCs may also provide the premises for autologous cell replacement therapies without related risks of immune rejection. Here, we review the most recent reported methods by which hESCs or iPSCs can be differentiated toward functional motor neurons with an overview on the potential clinical applications.
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Galli LM, Szabo LA, Li L, Htaik YM, Onguka O, Burrus LW. Concentration-dependent effects of WNTLESS on WNT1/3A signaling. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:1095-105. [PMID: 24866848 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND WNTLESS (WLS) is a multi-transmembrane protein that transports Wnt ligands from the Golgi to the cell surface. Although WLS loss-of-function experiments in the developing central nervous system reveal phenotypes consistent with defects in WNT1 and WNT3A signaling, data from complementary gain-of-function experiments have not yet been reported. Here, we report the phenotypic consequences of WLS overexpression in cultured cells and in the developing chick spinal cord. RESULTS Overexpression of small amounts of WLS along with either WNT1 or WNT3A promotes the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in HEK293T cells, while overexpression of higher levels of WLS inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in these cells. Similarly, overexpressed WLS inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the developing spinal cord, as assessed by cell proliferation and specification. These effects appear to be Wnt-specific as overexpression of WLS inhibits the expression of FZD10, a target of β-catenin-dependent transcription. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that overexpression of WLS inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the spinal cord. As the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the spinal cord requires WNT1 or WNT3A, our results are consistent with a model in which the relative concentration of WLS to Wnt regulates WNT1/3A signaling in the developing spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Galli
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
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Lin J, Wang C, Redies C. Restricted expression of classic cadherins in the spinal cord of the chicken embryo. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:18. [PMID: 24744704 PMCID: PMC3978366 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Classic cadherins belong to the family of cadherin genes and play important roles in neurogenesis, neuron migration, and axon growth. In the present study, we compared the expression patterns of 10 classic cadherins (Cdh2, Cdh4, Cdh6, Cdh7, Cdh8, Cdh9, Cdh11, Cdh12, Cdh18, and Cdh20) in the developing chicken spinal cord (SP) by in situ hybridization. Our results indicate that each of the investigated cadherins exhibits a spatially restricted and temporally regulated pattern of expression. At early developmental stages (E2.5–E3), Cdh2 is expressed throughout the neuroepithelial layer. Cdh6 is strongly positive in the roof plate and later also in the floor plate. Cdh7, Cdh11, Cdh12, and Cdh20 are expressed in restricted regions of the basal plate of the SP. At intermediate stages of development (E4–E10), specific expression profiles are observed for all investigated cadherins in the differentiating mantle layer along the dorsoventral, mediolateral, and rostrocaudal dimensions. Expression profiles are especially diverse for Cdh2, Cdh4, Cdh8, Cdh11, and Cdh20 in the dorsal horn, while different pools of motor neurons exhibit signal for Cdh6, Cdh7, Cdh8, Cdh9, Cdh12, and Cdh20 in the ventral horn. Interestingly, subpopulations of cells in the dorsal root ganglion express combinations of different cadherins. In the surrounding tissues, such as the boundary cap cells and the notochord, the cadherins are also expressed differentially. The highly regulated spatiotemporal expression patterns of the classic cadherins indicate that these genes potentially play multiple and diverse roles during the development of the SP and its surrounding tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntang Lin
- Institute of Anatomy I, University of Jena School of Medicine - Jena University Hospital Jena, Germany ; Xinxiang Medical University Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Congrui Wang
- Institute of Anatomy I, University of Jena School of Medicine - Jena University Hospital Jena, Germany ; Xinxiang Medical University Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Christoph Redies
- Institute of Anatomy I, University of Jena School of Medicine - Jena University Hospital Jena, Germany
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Novel insights into the development and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 355:687-99. [PMID: 24590145 PMCID: PMC3972432 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-1811-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for maintaining homeostasis within the central nervous system (CNS) and is a prerequisite for proper neuronal function. The BBB is localized to microvascular endothelial cells that strictly control the passage of metabolites into and out of the CNS. Complex and continuous tight junctions and lack of fenestrae combined with low pinocytotic activity make the BBB endothelium a tight barrier for water soluble moleucles. In combination with its expression of specific enzymes and transport molecules, the BBB endothelium is unique and distinguishable from all other endothelial cells in the body. During embryonic development, the CNS is vascularized by angiogenic sprouting from vascular networks originating outside of the CNS in a precise spatio-temporal manner. The particular barrier characteristics of BBB endothelial cells are induced during CNS angiogenesis by cross-talk with cellular and acellular elements within the developing CNS. In this review, we summarize the currently known cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating brain angiogenesis and introduce more recently discovered CNS-specific pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, Norrin/Frizzled4 and hedgehog) and molecules (GPR124) that are crucial in BBB differentiation and maturation. Finally, based on observations that BBB dysfunction is associated with many human diseases such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and brain tumors, we discuss recent insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining barrier characteristics in the mature BBB endothelium.
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Xu D, Zhao W, Pan G, Qian M, Zhu X, Liu W, Cai G, Cui Z. Expression of Nemo-like kinase after spinal cord injury in rats. J Mol Neurosci 2014; 52:410-8. [PMID: 24395089 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-0191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Wnt can induce signal transduction via the canonical pathway, which was involved in many processes in the nervous system. Nemo-like kinase (NLK) acts as a negative regulator of β-catenin/T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF) and functions downstream of transforming growth factor β-activated kinase-1 in the Wnt signaling pathway. In this study, we performed a spinal cord injury (SCI) test in adult Sprague-Dawley rats and investigated the dynamic changes and role of NLK expression in the spinal cord. Western blot analysis revealed that NLK expression was low in normal spinal cord. It then increased markedly, peaked at 3 days, and declined to basal levels from 5 days after injury. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that NLK immunoactivity was expressed at low levels in gray and white matter under normal conditions and increased prominently in gray matter after the SCI test. Double immunofluorescent staining for NLK, caspase-3, β-catenin, and NeuN (neuronal nuclei) revealed that NLK and β-catenin were markedly increased and colocalized in apoptotic neurons. Coimmunoprecipitation data demonstrated that overexpression of NLK protein reduced β-catenin binding to LEF-1. Our results suggested that NLK was associated with neuronal apoptosis through attenuating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway after SCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
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Akawi NA, Al-Jasmi F, Al-Shamsi AM, Ali BR, Al-Gazali L. LINS, a modulator of the WNT signaling pathway, is involved in human cognition. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2013; 8:87. [PMID: 23773660 PMCID: PMC3847167 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1172-8-87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inherited intellectual disability (ID) conditions are a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders that lead to variable degrees of cognition deficits. It has been shown that inherited ID can be caused by mutations in over 100 different genes and there is evidence for the presence of as yet unidentified genes in a significant proportion of patients. We aimed at identifying the defective gene underlying an autosomal recessive ID in two sibs of an Emirati family. METHODS A combined approach involving homozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing was used to identify the causative mutation. RNA analysis was performed to gain further insight into the pathogenic effect of the detected mutation. RESULTS We have identified a homozygous splicing mutation (c.1219_1222+1delAAAGG) in the LINS gene in the affected children. LINS is the human homologue of the Drosophila segment polarity gene lin that encodes an essential regulator of the wingless/Wnt signaling. The identified mutation alters the first consensus nucleotide of the 5' donor splice junction of intron 5 and the 3' end of exon 5. Transcript analysis revealed that this change leads to an exon skipping event resulting in direct splicing of exon 4 to exon 6. Another mutation in LINS has been described very briefly in an Iranian family with autosomal recessive ID and microcephaly. CONCLUSION Our study confirms that LINS, a modulator of the WNT pathway, is an indispensable gene to human cognition and this finding sheds further light on the importance of WNT signaling in human brain development and/or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia A Akawi
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences United Arab Emirates University, P,O, Box 17666, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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Gray JD, Kholmanskikh S, Castaldo BS, Hansler A, Chung H, Klotz B, Singh S, Brown AMC, Ross ME. LRP6 exerts non-canonical effects on Wnt signaling during neural tube closure. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:4267-81. [PMID: 23773994 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 6 (Lrp6) mutational effects on neurulation were examined using gain (Crooked tail, Lrp6(Cd)) and loss (Lrp6(-)) of function mouse lines. Two features often associated with canonical Wnt signaling, dorsal-ventral patterning and proliferation, were no different from wild-type (WT) in the Lrp6(Cd/Cd) neural tube. Lrp6(-/-) embryos showed reduced proliferation and subtle patterning changes in the neural folds. Cell polarity defects in both Lrp6(Cd/Cd) and Lrp6(-/-) cranial folds were indicated by cell shape, centrosome displacement and failure of F-actin and GTP-RhoA accumulation at the apical surface. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Lrp6(Cd/Cd) or Lrp6(-/-) embryos exhibited elevated and decreased RhoA basal activity levels, respectively. While ligand-independent activation of canonical Wnt signaling, bypassing Lrp-Frizzled receptors, did not activate RhoA, non-canonical Wnt5a stimulation of RhoA activity was impaired in Lrp6(-/-) MEFs. RhoA inhibition exacerbated NTDs in cultured Lrp6 knockout embryos compared with WT littermates. In contrast, a ROCK inhibitor rescued Lrp6(Cd/Cd) embryos from NTDs. Lrp6 co-immunoprecipitated with Disheveled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (DAAM1), a formin promoting GEF activity in Wnt signaling. Biochemical and cell biological data revealed intracellular accumulation of Lrp6(Cd) protein where interaction with DAAM1 could account for observed elevated RhoA activity. Conversely, null mutation that eliminates Lrp6 interaction with DAAM1 led to lower basal RhoA activity in Lrp6(-/-) embryos. These results indicate that Lrp6 mediates not only canonical Wnt signaling, but can also modulate non-canonical pathways involving RhoA-dependent mechanisms to impact neurulation, possibly through intracellular complexes with DAAM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Gray
- Brain and Mind Research Institute and Department of Neurology
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Avilés EC, Wilson NH, Stoeckli ET. Sonic hedgehog and Wnt: antagonists in morphogenesis but collaborators in axon guidance. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:86. [PMID: 23772206 PMCID: PMC3677135 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As indicated by their name, morphogens were first identified for their role in the formation of tissues early in development. Secreted from a source, they spread through the tissue to form gradients by which they affect the differentiation of precursor cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In this context, the antagonistic roles of the morphogens of the Wnt family and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in the specification of cell types along the dorso-ventral axis of the neural tube have been studied in detail. However, more recently, morphogens have been demonstrated to act well beyond the early stages of nervous system development, as additional roles of morphogen gradients in vertebrate neural circuit formation have been identified. Both Wnt and Shh affect neural circuit formation at several stages by their influence on neurite extension, axon pathfinding and synapse formation. In this review, we will summarize the mechanisms of morphogen function during axon guidance in the vertebrate nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Avilés
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
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Yamaguchi Y, Miura M. How to form and close the brain: insight into the mechanism of cranial neural tube closure in mammals. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 70:3171-86. [PMID: 23242429 PMCID: PMC3742426 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-1227-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The development of the embryonic brain critically depends on successfully completing cranial neural tube closure (NTC). Failure to properly close the neural tube results in significant and potentially lethal neural tube defects (NTDs). We believe these malformations are caused by disruptions in normal developmental programs such as those involved in neural plate morphogenesis and patterning, tissue fusion, and coordinated cell behaviors. Cranial NTDs include anencephaly and craniorachischisis, both lethal human birth defects. Newly emerging methods for molecular and cellular analysis offer a deeper understanding of not only the developmental NTC program itself but also mechanical and kinetic aspects of closure that may contribute to cranial NTDs. Clarifying the underlying mechanisms involved in NTC and how they relate to the onset of specific NTDs in various experimental models may help us develop novel intervention strategies to prevent NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Yamaguchi
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, and CREST, JST, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Ross AW, Bonner J. Activation of Wnt signaling using lithium chloride: inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory exercises. Zebrafish 2012; 9:220-5. [PMID: 23098089 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2012.0739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish provide researchers and students alike with an excellent model of vertebrate nervous system development due to a high degree of conserved developmental mechanisms and transparent embryos that develop in synchrony. In these laboratory exercises, undergraduate students explore cell biological concepts while performing hypothesis-driven novel research utilizing methodologies such as immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, image analysis, pharmacology, and basic statistics. In the first block of exercises, students perform anti-acetylated tubulin (anti-AT) immunofluorescence, identify spinal tracts and neuronal subtypes, and perform conventional and confocal microscopy. Building on knowledge acquired in the first block of exercises, during the second block, students subsequently perform pharmacological activation of Wnt signaling through lithium chloride treatments, and assess nervous system integrity through anti-AT immunofluorescence. Students perform various quantitative methods and apply statistics to determine outcomes of Wnt activation. In their final laboratory report, students contextualize their results with foundations of molecular mechanisms of nervous system development. In sum, these exercises offer undergraduate students a model of independent research at the graduate level.
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50
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Li Y, Sun Y, Fu Y, Li M, Huang G, Zhang C, Liang J, Huang S, Shen G, Yuan S, Chen L, Chen S, Xu A. Dynamic landscape of tandem 3' UTRs during zebrafish development. Genome Res 2012; 22:1899-906. [PMID: 22955139 PMCID: PMC3460185 DOI: 10.1101/gr.128488.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Tandem 3' untranslated regions (UTRs), produced by alternative polyadenylation (APA) in the terminal exon of a gene, could have critical roles in regulating gene networks. Here we profiled tandem poly(A) events on a genome-wide scale during the embryonic development of zebrafish (Danio rerio) using a recently developed SAPAS method. We showed that 43% of the expressed protein-coding genes have tandem 3' UTRs. The average 3' UTR length follows a V-shaped dynamic pattern during early embryogenesis, in which the 3' UTRs are first shortened at zygotic genome activation, and then quickly lengthened during gastrulation. Over 4000 genes are found to switch tandem APA sites, and the distinct functional roles of these genes are indicated by Gene Ontology analysis. Three families of cis-elements, including miR-430 seed, U-rich element, and canonical poly(A) signal, are enriched in 3' UTR-shortened/lengthened genes in a stage-specific manner, suggesting temporal regulation coordinated by APA and trans-acting factors. Our results highlight the regulatory role of tandem 3' UTR control in early embryogenesis and suggest that APA may represent a new epigenetic paradigm of physiological regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, National Engineering Center of South China Sea for Marine Biotechnology, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
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