1
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Sagner A. Temporal patterning of the vertebrate developing neural tube. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102179. [PMID: 38490162 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The chronologically ordered generation of distinct cell types is essential for the establishment of neuronal diversity and the formation of neuronal circuits. Recently, single-cell transcriptomic analyses of various areas of the developing vertebrate nervous system have provided evidence for the existence of a shared temporal patterning program that partitions neurons based on the timing of neurogenesis. In this review, I summarize the findings that lead to the proposal of this shared temporal program before focusing on the developing spinal cord to discuss how temporal patterning in general and this program specifically contributes to the ordered formation of neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sagner
- Institut für Biochemie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstraße 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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2
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Xie L, Liu H, You Z, Wang L, Li Y, Zhang X, Ji X, He H, Yuan T, Zheng W, Wu Z, Xiong M, Wei W, Chen Y. Comprehensive spatiotemporal mapping of single-cell lineages in developing mouse brain by CRISPR-based barcoding. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1244-1255. [PMID: 37460718 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental interest in developmental neuroscience lies in the ability to map the complete single-cell lineages within the brain. To this end, we developed a CRISPR editing-based lineage-specific tracing (CREST) method for clonal tracing in Cre mice. We then used two complementary strategies based on CREST to map single-cell lineages in developing mouse ventral midbrain (vMB). By applying snapshotting CREST (snapCREST), we constructed a spatiotemporal lineage landscape of developing vMB and identified six progenitor archetypes that could represent the principal clonal fates of individual vMB progenitors and three distinct clonal lineages in the floor plate that specified glutamatergic, dopaminergic or both neurons. We further created pandaCREST (progenitor and derivative associating CREST) to associate the transcriptomes of progenitor cells in vivo with their differentiation potentials. We identified multiple origins of dopaminergic neurons and demonstrated that a transcriptome-defined progenitor type comprises heterogeneous progenitors, each with distinct clonal fates and molecular signatures. Therefore, the CREST method and strategies allow comprehensive single-cell lineage analysis that could offer new insights into the molecular programs underlying neural specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianshun Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hengxin Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiwen You
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luyue Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwen Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoshan Ji
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui He
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingli Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenping Zheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyan Wu
- UniXell Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology-Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Big Data in Pediatric Precision Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuejun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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3
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Jiménez-Salvador I, Meade P, Iglesias E, Bayona-Bafaluy P, Ruiz-Pesini E. Developmental origins of Parkinson disease: Improving the rodent models. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101880. [PMID: 36773760 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101880] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Numerous pesticides are inhibitors of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction adversely affects neurogenesis and often accompanies Parkinson disease. Since brain development occurs mainly in the prenatal period, early exposure to pesticides could alter the development of the nervous system and increase the risk of Parkinson disease. Different rodent models have been used to confirm this hypothesis. However, more precise considerations of the selected strain, the xenobiotic, its mode of administration, and the timing of animal analysis, are necessary to resemble the model to the human clinical condition and obtain more reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Jiménez-Salvador
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009- and 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Patricia Meade
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009- and 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Eldris Iglesias
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009- and 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Pilar Bayona-Bafaluy
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009- and 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Ruiz-Pesini
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009- and 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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4
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Abstract
The midbrain dopamine (mDA) system is composed of molecularly and functionally distinct neuron subtypes that mediate specific behaviours and are linked to various brain diseases. Considerable progress has been made in identifying mDA neuron subtypes, and recent work has begun to unveil how these neuronal subtypes develop and organize into functional brain structures. This progress is important for further understanding the disparate physiological functions of mDA neurons and their selective vulnerability in disease, and will ultimately accelerate therapy development. This Review discusses recent advances in our understanding of molecularly defined mDA neuron subtypes and their circuits, ranging from early developmental events, such as neuron migration and axon guidance, to their wiring and function, and future implications for therapeutic strategies.
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5
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Simmons SC, Grecco GG, Atwood BK, Nugent FS. Effects of prenatal opioid exposure on synaptic adaptations and behaviors across development. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109312. [PMID: 36334764 PMCID: PMC10314127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109312] [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: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on prenatal opioid exposure (POE) given the significant concern for the mental health outcomes of children with parents affected by opioid use disorder (OUD) in the view of the current opioid crisis. We highlight some of the less explored interactions between developmental age and sex on synaptic plasticity and associated behavioral outcomes in preclinical POE research. We begin with an overview of the rich literature on hippocampal related behaviors and plasticity across POE exposure paradigms. We then discuss recent work on reward circuit dysregulation following POE. Additional risk factors such as early life stress (ELS) could further influence synaptic and behavioral outcomes of POE. Therefore, we include an overview on the use of preclinical ELS models where ELS exposure during key critical developmental periods confers considerable vulnerability to addiction and stress psychopathology. Here, we hope to highlight the similarity between POE and ELS on development and maintenance of opioid-induced plasticity and altered opioid-related behaviors where similar enduring plasticity in reward circuits may occur. We conclude the review with some of the limitations that should be considered in future investigations. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Opioid-induced addiction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Simmons
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Greg G Grecco
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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Chalazonitis A, Rao M, Sulzer D. Similarities and differences between nigral and enteric dopaminergic neurons unravel distinctive involvement in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:50. [PMID: 35459867 PMCID: PMC9033791 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00308-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the well-known degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, enteric neurons can also be affected in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic neurons have recently been identified in the enteric nervous system (ENS). While ENS dopaminergic neurons have been shown to degenerate in genetic mouse models of PD, analyses of their survival in enteric biopsies of PD patients have provided inconsistent results to date. In this context, this review seeks to highlight the distinctive and shared factors and properties that control the evolution of these two sets of dopaminergic neurons from neuronal precursors to aging neurons. Although their cellular sources and developmental times of origin differ, midbrain and ENS dopaminergic neurons express many transcription factors in common and their respective environments express similar neurotrophic molecules. For example, Foxa2 and Sox6 are expressed by both populations to promote the specification, differentiation, and long-term maintenance of the dopaminergic phenotype. Both populations exhibit sustained patterns of excitability that drive intrinsic vulnerability over time. In disorders such as PD, colon biopsies have revealed aggregation of alpha-synuclein in the submucosal plexus where dopaminergic neurons reside and lack blood barrier protection. Thus, these enteric neurons may be more susceptible to neurotoxic insults and aggregation of α-synuclein that spreads from gut to midbrain. Under sustained stress, inefficient autophagy leads to neurodegeneration, GI motility dysfunction, and PD symptoms. Recent findings suggest that novel neurotrophic factors such as CDNF have the potential to be used as neuroprotective agents to prevent and treat ENS symptoms of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alcmène Chalazonitis
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Meenakshi Rao
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pharmacology, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatry Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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7
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Pathophysiological Studies of Monoaminergic Neurotransmission Systems in Valproic Acid-Induced Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030560. [PMID: 35327362 PMCID: PMC8945169 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with complex etiology. The core syndromes of ASD are deficits in social communication and self-restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Social communication relies on the proper integration of sensory and motor functions, which is tightly interwoven with the limbic function of reward, motivation, and emotion in the brain. Monoamine neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, are key players in the modulation of neuronal activity. Owing to their broad distribution, the monoamine neurotransmitter systems are well suited to modulate social communication by coordinating sensory, motor, and limbic systems in different brain regions. The complex and diverse functions of monoamine neurotransmission thus render themselves as primary targets of pathophysiological investigation of the etiology of ASD. Clinical studies have reported that children with maternal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) have an increased risk of developing ASD. Extensive animal studies have confirmed that maternal treatments of VPA include ASD-like phenotypes, including impaired social communication and repetitive behavior. Here, given that ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, we begin with an overview of the neural development of monoaminergic systems with their neurochemical properties in the brain. We then review and discuss the evidence of human clinical and animal model studies of ASD with a focus on the VPA-induced pathophysiology of monoamine neurotransmitter systems. We also review the potential interactions of microbiota and monoamine neurotransmitter systems in ASD pathophysiology. Widespread and complex changes in monoamine neurotransmitters are detected in the brains of human patients with ASD and validated in animal models. ASD animal models are not only essential to the characterization of pathogenic mechanisms, but also provide a preclinical platform for developing therapeutic approaches to ASD.
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Lo PS, Rymar VV, Kennedy TE, Sadikot AF. The Netrin-1 Receptor DCC Promotes the Survival of a Subpopulation of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons: Relevance for Ageing and Parkinson's Disease. J Neurochem 2022; 161:254-265. [PMID: 35118677 PMCID: PMC9305203 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms that determine the survival of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons in the adult central nervous system (CNS) are not fully understood. Netrins are a family of secreted proteins that are essential for normal neural development. In the mature CNS, mDA neurons express particularly high levels of netrin‐1 and its receptor Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC). Recent findings indicate that overexpressing netrin‐1 protects mDA neurons in animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD), with a proposed pro‐apoptotic dependence function for DCC that triggers cell death in the absence of a ligand. Here, we sought to determine if DCC expression influences mDA neuron survival in young adult and ageing mice. To circumvent the perinatal lethality of DCC null mice, we selectively deleted DCC from mDA neurons utilizing DATcre/loxP gene‐targeting and examined neuronal survival in adult and aged animals. Reduced numbers of mDA neurons were detected in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of young adult DATcre/DCCfl/fl mice, with further reduction in aged DATcre/DCCfl/fl animals. In contrast to young adults, aged mice also exhibited a gene dosage effect, with fewer SNc mDA neurons in DCC heterozygotes (DATcre/DCCfl/wt). Notably, loss of mDA neurons in the SN was not uniform. Neuronal loss in the SN was limited to ventral tier mDA neurons, while mDA neurons in the dorsal tier of the SN, which resist degeneration in PD, were spared from the effect of DCC deletion in both young and aged mice. In the ventral tegmental area (VTA), young adult mice with conditional deletion of DCC had normal mDA neuronal numbers, while significant loss occurred in aged DATcre/DCCfl/fl and DATcre/DCCfl/wt mice compared to age‐matched wild‐type mice. Our results indicate that expression of DCC is required for the survival of subpopulations of mDA neurons and may be relevant to the degenerative processes in PD.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Pik-Shan Lo
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada.,Cone Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vladimir V Rymar
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada.,Cone Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothy E Kennedy
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada
| | - Abbas F Sadikot
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada.,Cone Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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9
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Kikkawa T, Osumi N. Multiple Functions of the Dmrt Genes in the Development of the Central Nervous System. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:789583. [PMID: 34955736 PMCID: PMC8695973 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.789583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Dmrt genes encode the transcription factor containing the DM (doublesex and mab-3) domain, an intertwined zinc finger-like DNA binding module. While Dmrt genes are mainly involved in the sexual development of various species, recent studies have revealed that Dmrt genes, which belong to the DmrtA subfamily, are differentially expressed in the embryonic brain and spinal cord and are essential for the development of the central nervous system. Herein, we summarize recent studies that reveal the multiple functions of the Dmrt genes in various aspects of vertebrate neural development, including brain patterning, neurogenesis, and the specification of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Sagner A, Zhang I, Watson T, Lazaro J, Melchionda M, Briscoe J. A shared transcriptional code orchestrates temporal patterning of the central nervous system. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001450. [PMID: 34767545 PMCID: PMC8612522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that produce the full array of neuronal subtypes in the vertebrate nervous system are incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence of a global temporal patterning program comprising sets of transcription factors that stratifies neurons based on the developmental time at which they are generated. This transcriptional code acts throughout the central nervous system, in parallel to spatial patterning, thereby increasing the diversity of neurons generated along the neuraxis. We further demonstrate that this temporal program operates in stem cell-derived neurons and is under the control of the TGFβ signaling pathway. Targeted perturbation of components of the temporal program, Nfia and Nfib, reveals their functional requirement for the generation of late-born neuronal subtypes. Together, our results provide evidence for the existence of a previously unappreciated global temporal transcriptional program of neuronal subtype identity and suggest that the integration of spatial and temporal patterning mechanisms diversifies and organizes neuronal subtypes in the vertebrate nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sagner
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Isabel Zhang
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jorge Lazaro
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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Islam KUS, Meli N, Blaess S. The Development of the Mesoprefrontal Dopaminergic System in Health and Disease. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:746582. [PMID: 34712123 PMCID: PMC8546303 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.746582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area are the main source of dopamine in the brain. They send out projections to a variety of forebrain structures, including dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex (PFC), establishing the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesoprefrontal pathways, respectively. The dopaminergic input to the PFC is essential for the performance of higher cognitive functions such as working memory, attention, planning, and decision making. The gradual maturation of these cognitive skills during postnatal development correlates with the maturation of PFC local circuits, which undergo a lengthy functional remodeling process during the neonatal and adolescence stage. During this period, the mesoprefrontal dopaminergic innervation also matures: the fibers are rather sparse at prenatal stages and slowly increase in density during postnatal development to finally reach a stable pattern in early adulthood. Despite the prominent role of dopamine in the regulation of PFC function, relatively little is known about how the dopaminergic innervation is established in the PFC, whether and how it influences the maturation of local circuits and how exactly it facilitates cognitive functions in the PFC. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of the mesoprefrontal dopaminergic system in rodents and primates and discuss the role of altered dopaminergic signaling in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ushna S Islam
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Norisa Meli
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Neuropathology, Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sandra Blaess
- Neurodevelopmental Genetics, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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12
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Mesman S, Wever I, Smidt MP. Tcf4 Is Involved in Subset Specification of Mesodiencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9030317. [PMID: 33804772 PMCID: PMC8003918 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9030317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During development, mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons form into different molecular subsets. Knowledge of which factors contribute to the specification of these subsets is currently insufficient. In this study, we examined the role of Tcf4, a member of the E-box protein family, in mdDA neuronal development and subset specification. We show that Tcf4 is expressed throughout development, but is no longer detected in adult midbrain. Deletion of Tcf4 results in an initial increase in TH-expressing neurons at E11.5, but this normalizes at later embryonic stages. However, the caudal subset marker Nxph3 and rostral subset marker Ahd2 are affected at E14.5, indicating that Tcf4 is involved in correct differentiation of mdDA neuronal subsets. At P0, expression of these markers partially recovers, whereas expression of Th transcript and TH protein appears to be affected in lateral parts of the mdDA neuronal population. The initial increase in TH-expressing cells and delay in subset specification could be due to the increase in expression of the bHLH factor Ascl1, known for its role in mdDA neuronal differentiation, upon loss of Tcf4. Taken together, our data identified a minor role for Tcf4 in mdDA neuronal development and subset specification.
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13
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Martí-Clúa J. Developmental timetables and gradients of neurogenesis in cerebellar Purkinje cells and deep glutamatergic neurons: A comparative study between the mouse and the rat. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 304:2856-2864. [PMID: 33620144 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this report is to determine whether the times of neuron origin and neurogenetic gradients of PCs and Deep cerebellar nucli (DCN) glutamatergic neurons are different between mice and rats. Purkinje cells (PCs) were analyzed in each compartment of the cerebellar cortex (vermis, paravermis, medial, and lateral hemispheres), and deep glutamatergic neurons at the level of the medialis, interpositus, and lateralis nuclei. Tritiated thymidine ([3 H]TdR) autoradiography was applied on sections. The experimental rodents were the offspring of pregnant dams injected with [3 H]TdR on embryonic days (E) 11-12, E12-13, E13-14, E14-15, E15-16, and E16-17. Our results indicate that systematic differences exist in the pattern of neurogenesis and the spatial location of cerebellar PCs and deep glutamatergic neurons between mice and rats. In mice, PCs and deep glutamatergic neurons neurogenesis extend from E10 to E14, with a predominance of neurogenesis on E12 for PCs, and on E12, E11, and E10 for the medialis, interpositus, and lateralis neurons, respectively. When neurogenesis in rats was considered, the data reveal that PCs and deep glutamatergic neurons production extends from E12 to E16, with a peak of production on E14 for PCs, and on E14, E13, and E12 for the medialis, interpositus, and lateralis neurons, respectively. Current data also indicate that, both in mice and rats, both types of macroneurons are generated according to a lateral-to-medial gradient. Thus, the lateral hemisphere and the lateralis nucleus present more early-generated neurons than the vermis and the medialis nucleus, which in their turn have more late-produced neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Martí-Clúa
- Unidad de Citología e Histología. Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, de Fisiologia i d'Immunologia. Facultad de Biociencias, Institut de Neurociències. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Mesman S, Smidt MP. Acquisition of the Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Identity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134638. [PMID: 32629812 PMCID: PMC7369932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) group of neurons comprises molecularly distinct subgroups, of which the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the best known, due to the selective degeneration of the SN during Parkinson’s disease. However, although significant research has been conducted on the molecular build-up of these subsets, much is still unknown about how these subsets develop and which factors are involved in this process. In this review, we aim to describe the life of an mdDA neuron, from specification in the floor plate to differentiation into the different subsets. All mdDA neurons are born in the mesodiencephalic floor plate under the influence of both SHH-signaling, important for floor plate patterning, and WNT-signaling, involved in establishing the progenitor pool and the start of the specification of mdDA neurons. Furthermore, transcription factors, like Ngn2, Ascl1, Lmx1a, and En1, and epigenetic factors, like Ezh2, are important in the correct specification of dopamine (DA) progenitors. Later during development, mdDA neurons are further subdivided into different molecular subsets by, amongst others, Otx2, involved in the specification of subsets in the VTA, and En1, Pitx3, Lmx1a, and WNT-signaling, involved in the specification of subsets in the SN. Interestingly, factors involved in early specification in the floor plate can serve a dual function and can also be involved in subset specification. Besides the mdDA group of neurons, other systems in the embryo contain different subsets, like the immune system. Interestingly, many factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons are similarly involved in immune system development and vice versa. This indicates that similar mechanisms are used in the development of these systems, and that knowledge about the development of the immune system may hold clues for the factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons, which may be used in culture protocols for cell replacement therapies.
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15
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Ásgrímsdóttir ES, Arenas E. Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuron Development at the Single Cell Level: In vivo and in Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:463. [PMID: 32733875 PMCID: PMC7357704 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra. Current treatment options for PD are symptomatic and typically involve the replacement of DA neurotransmission by DA drugs, which relieve the patients of some of their motor symptoms. However, by the time of diagnosis, patients have already lost about 70% of their substantia nigra DA neurons and these drugs offer only temporary relief. Therefore, cell replacement therapy has garnered much interest as a potential treatment option for PD. Early studies using human fetal tissue for transplantation in PD patients provided proof of principle for cell replacement therapy, but they also highlighted the ethical and practical difficulties associated with using human fetal tissue as a cell source. In recent years, advancements in stem cell research have made human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) an attractive source of material for cell replacement therapy. Studies on how DA neurons are specified and differentiated in the developing mouse midbrain have allowed us to recapitulate many of the positional and temporal cues needed to generate DA neurons in vitro. However, little is known about the developmental programs that govern human DA neuron development. With the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bioinformatics, it has become possible to analyze precious human samples with unprecedented detail and extract valuable high-quality information from large data sets. This technology has allowed the systematic classification of cell types present in the human developing midbrain along with their gene expression patterns. By studying human development in such an unbiased manner, we can begin to elucidate human DA neuron development and determine how much it differs from our knowledge of the rodent brain. Importantly, this molecular description of the function of human cells has become and will increasingly be a reference to define, evaluate, and engineer cell types for PD cell replacement therapy and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Brignani S, Raj DDA, Schmidt ERE, Düdükcü Ö, Adolfs Y, De Ruiter AA, Rybiczka-Tesulov M, Verhagen MG, van der Meer C, Broekhoven MH, Moreno-Bravo JA, Grossouw LM, Dumontier E, Cloutier JF, Chédotal A, Pasterkamp RJ. Remotely Produced and Axon-Derived Netrin-1 Instructs GABAergic Neuron Migration and Dopaminergic Substantia Nigra Development. Neuron 2020; 107:684-702.e9. [PMID: 32562661 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The midbrain dopamine (mDA) system is composed of molecularly and functionally distinct neuron subtypes that mediate specific behaviors and show select disease vulnerability, including in Parkinson's disease. Despite progress in identifying mDA neuron subtypes, how these neuronal subsets develop and organize into functional brain structures remains poorly understood. Here we generate and use an intersectional genetic platform, Pitx3-ITC, to dissect the mechanisms of substantia nigra (SN) development and implicate the guidance molecule Netrin-1 in the migration and positioning of mDA neuron subtypes in the SN. Unexpectedly, we show that Netrin-1, produced in the forebrain and provided to the midbrain through axon projections, instructs the migration of GABAergic neurons into the ventral SN. This migration is required to confine mDA neurons to the dorsal SN. These data demonstrate that neuron migration can be controlled by remotely produced and axon-derived secreted guidance cues, a principle that is likely to apply more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Brignani
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Divya D A Raj
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ewoud R E Schmidt
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Özge Düdükcü
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Youri Adolfs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anna A De Ruiter
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mateja Rybiczka-Tesulov
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke G Verhagen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan van der Meer
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mark H Broekhoven
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Juan A Moreno-Bravo
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, 17 Rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Laurens M Grossouw
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Emilie Dumontier
- Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | - Alain Chédotal
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, 17 Rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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17
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Ádám Á, Kemecsei R, Company V, Murcia-Ramón R, Juarez I, Gerecsei LI, Zachar G, Echevarría D, Puelles E, Martínez S, Csillag A. Gestational Exposure to Sodium Valproate Disrupts Fasciculation of the Mesotelencephalic Dopaminergic Tract, With a Selective Reduction of Dopaminergic Output From the Ventral Tegmental Area. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:29. [PMID: 32581730 PMCID: PMC7290005 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is known to cause behavioral deficits of sociability, matching similar alterations in human autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Available data are scarce on the neuromorphological changes in VPA-exposed animals. Here, we focused on alterations of the dopaminergic system, which is implicated in motivation and reward, with relevance to social cohesion. Whole brains from 7-day-old mice born to mothers given a single injection of VPA (400 mg/kg b.wt.) on E13.5 were immunostained against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). They were scanned using the iDISCO method with a laser light-sheet microscope, and the reconstructed images were analyzed in 3D for quantitative morphometry. A marked reduction of mesotelencephalic (MT) axonal fascicles together with a widening of the MT tract were observed in VPA treated mice, while other major brain tracts appeared anatomically intact. We also found a reduction in the abundance of dopaminergic ventral tegmental (VTA) neurons, accompanied by diminished tissue level of DA in ventrobasal telencephalic regions (including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), olfactory tubercle, BST, substantia innominata). Such a reduction of DA was not observed in the non-limbic caudate-putamen. Conversely, the abundance of TH+ cells in the substantia nigra (SN) was increased, presumably due to a compensatory mechanism or to an altered distribution of TH+ neurons occupying the SN and the VTA. The findings suggest that defasciculation of the MT tract and neuronal loss in VTA, followed by diminished dopaminergic input to the ventrobasal telencephalon at a critical time point of embryonic development (E13-E14) may hinder the patterning of certain brain centers underlying decision making and sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágota Ádám
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Róbert Kemecsei
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Verónica Company
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Raquel Murcia-Ramón
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Iris Juarez
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - László I Gerecsei
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Zachar
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Diego Echevarría
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Eduardo Puelles
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Salvador Martínez
- Institute of Neuroscience (UMH-CSIC), University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - András Csillag
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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18
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Molecular Regulation in Dopaminergic Neuron Development. Cues to Unveil Molecular Pathogenesis and Pharmacological Targets of Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113995. [PMID: 32503161 PMCID: PMC7312927 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relatively few dopaminergic neurons in the mammalian brain are mostly located in the midbrain and regulate many important neural functions, including motor integration, cognition, emotive behaviors and reward. Therefore, alteration of their function or degeneration leads to severe neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. Unraveling the mechanisms of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) phenotype induction and maturation and elucidating the role of the gene network involved in the development and maintenance of these neurons is of pivotal importance to rescue or substitute these cells in order to restore dopaminergic functions. Recently, in addition to morphogens and transcription factors, microRNAs have been identified as critical players to confer mDA identity. The elucidation of the gene network involved in mDA neuron development and function will be crucial to identify early changes of mDA neurons that occur in pre-symptomatic pathological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease. In addition, it can help to identify targets for new therapies and for cell reprogramming into mDA neurons. In this essay, we review the cascade of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation that confers mDA identity and regulates their functions. Additionally, we highlight certain mechanisms that offer important clues to unveil molecular pathogenesis of mDA neuron dysfunction and potential pharmacological targets for the treatment of mDA neuron dysfunction.
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Masgutova G, Harris A, Jacob B, Corcoran LM, Clotman F. Pou2f2 Regulates the Distribution of Dorsal Interneurons in the Mouse Developing Spinal Cord. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:263. [PMID: 31787878 PMCID: PMC6853997 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal dorsal interneurons, which are generated during embryonic development, relay and process sensory inputs from the periphery to the central nervous system. Proper integration of these cells into neuronal circuitry depends on their correct positioning within the spinal parenchyma. Molecular cues that control neuronal migration have been extensively characterized but the genetic programs that regulate their production remain poorly investigated. Onecut (OC) transcription factors have been shown to control the migration of the dorsal interneurons (dINs) during spinal cord development. Here, we report that the OC factors moderate the expression of Pou2f2, a transcription factor essential for B-cell differentiation, in spinal dINs. Overexpression or inactivation of Pou2f2 leads to alterations in the differentiation of dI2, dI3 and Phox2a-positive dI5 populations and to defects in the distribution of dI2-dI6 interneurons. Thus, an OC-Pou2f2 genetic cascade regulates adequate diversification and distribution of dINs during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauhar Masgutova
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benvenuto Jacob
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, System and Cognition Division, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lynn M Corcoran
- Molecular Immunology Division and Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
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20
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Ahmed M, Marziali LN, Arenas E, Feltri ML, Ffrench-Constant C. Laminin α2 controls mouse and human stem cell behaviour during midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. Development 2019; 146:dev.172668. [PMID: 31371375 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Development of the central nervous system requires coordination of the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Here, we show that laminin alpha 2 (lm-α2) is a component of the midbrain dopaminergic neuron (mDA) progenitor niche in the ventral midbrain (VM) and identify a concentration-dependent role for laminin α2β1γ1 (lm211) in regulating mDA progenitor proliferation and survival via a distinct set of receptors. At high concentrations, lm211-rich environments maintain mDA progenitors in a proliferative state via integrins α6β1 and α7β1, whereas low concentrations of lm211 support mDA lineage survival via dystroglycan receptors. We confirmed our findings in vivo, demonstrating that the VM was smaller in the absence of lm-α2, with increased apoptosis; furthermore, the progenitor pool was depleted through premature differentiation, resulting in fewer mDA neurons. Examination of mDA neuron subtype composition showed a reduction in later-born mDA neurons of the ventral tegmental area, which control a range of cognitive behaviours. Our results identify a novel role for laminin in neural development and provide a possible mechanism for autism-like behaviours and the brainstem hypoplasia seen in some individuals with mutations of LAMA2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maqsood Ahmed
- MRC Centre of Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Leandro N Marziali
- Departments of Biochemistry and Neurology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - M Laura Feltri
- Departments of Biochemistry and Neurology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
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21
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Collazo-Navarrete O, Hernández-García D, Guerrero-Flores G, Drucker-Colín R, Guerra-Crespo M, Covarrubias L. The Substantia Nigra Is Permissive and Gains Inductive Signals When Lesioned for Dopaminergic Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2019; 28:1104-1115. [PMID: 31140356 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2018.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of dopaminergic (DA) cells into the striatum can rescue from dopamine deficiency in a Parkinson's disease condition, but this is not a suitable procedure for regaining the full control of motor activity. The minimal condition toward recovering the nigrostriatal pathway is the proper innervation of transplanted DA neurons or their precursors from the substancia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) to their target areas. However, functional integration of transplanted cells would require first that the host SNpc is suitable for their survival and/or differentiation. We recently reported that the intact adult SNpc holds a strong neurogenic environment, but primed embryonic stem cells (ie, embryoid body cells, EBCs) could not derive into DA neurons. In this study, we transplanted into the intact or lesioned SNpc, EBCs derived from embryonic stem cells that were prompt to differentiate into DA neurons by the forced expression of Lmx1a in neural precursor cells (R1B5/NesE-Lmx1a). We observed that, 6 days posttransplantation (dpt), R1B5 or R1B5/NesE-Lmx1a EBCs gave rise to Nes+ and Dcx+ cells within the host SNpc, but a large number of Th+ cells derived only from EBCs exogenously expressing Lmx1a. In contrast, when transplantation was carried out into the 6-hydroxidopamine-lesioned SNpc, the emergence of Th+ cells from EBCs was independent of exogenous Lmx1a expression, although these cells were not found by 15 dpt. These results suggest that the adult SNpc is not only a permissive niche for initiation of DA differentiation of non-neuralized cells but also releases factors upon damage that promote the acquisition of DA characteristics by transplanted EBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Collazo-Navarrete
- 1Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.,2Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - David Hernández-García
- 2Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Gilda Guerrero-Flores
- 2Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - René Drucker-Colín
- 1Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Magdalena Guerra-Crespo
- 1Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Covarrubias
- 2Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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Martin-Lopez E, Xu C, Liberia T, Meller SJ, Greer CA. Embryonic and postnatal development of mouse olfactory tubercle. Mol Cell Neurosci 2019; 98:82-96. [PMID: 31200100 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The olfactory tubercle (OT) is located in the ventral-medial region of the brain where it receives primary input from olfactory bulb (OB) projection neurons and processes olfactory behaviors related to motivation, hedonics of smell and sexual encounters. The OT is part of the dopamine reward system that shares characteristics with the striatum. Together with the nucleus accumbens, the OT has been referred to as the "ventral striatum". However, despite its functional importance little is known about the embryonic development of the OT and the phenotypic properties of the OT cells. Here, using thymidine analogs, we establish that mouse OT neurogenesis occurs predominantly between E11-E15 in a lateral-to-medial gradient. Then, using a piggyBac multicolor technique we characterized the migratory route of OT neuroblasts from their embryonic point of origin. Following neurogenesis in the ventral lateral ganglionic eminence (vLGE), neuroblasts destined for the OT followed a dorsal-ventral pathway we named "ventral migratory course" (VMC). Upon reaching the nascent OT, neurons established a prototypical laminar distribution that was determined, in part, by the progenitor cell of origin. A phenotypic analysis of OT neuroblasts using a single-color piggyBac technique, showed that OT shared the molecular specification of striatal neurons. In addition to primary afferent input from the OB, the OT also receives a robust dopaminergic input from ventral tegmentum (Ikemoto, 2007). We used tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression as a proxy for dopaminergic innervation and showed that TH onset occurs at E13 and progressively increased until postnatal stages following an 'inside-out' pattern. Postnatally, we established the myelination in the OT occurring between P7 and P14, as shown with CNPase staining, and we characterized the cellular phenotypes populating the OT by immunohistochemistry. Collectively, this work provides the first detailed analysis of the developmental and maturation processes occurring in mouse OT, and demonstrates the striatal nature of the OT as part of the ventral striatum (vST).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Martin-Lopez
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Christine Xu
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Teresa Liberia
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sarah J Meller
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; The Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Greer
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; The Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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23
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Wever I, Wagemans CMRJ, Smidt MP. EZH2 Is Essential for Fate Determination in the Mammalian Isthmic Area. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:76. [PMID: 31024250 PMCID: PMC6465967 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The polycomb group proteins (PcGs) are a group of epigenetic factors associated with gene silencing. They are found in several families of multiprotein complexes, including polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). EZH2, EED and SUZ12 form the core components of the PRC2 complex, which is responsible for the mono, di- and trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27Me3), the chromatin mark associated with gene silencing. Loss-of-function studies of Ezh2, the catalytic subunit of PRC2, have shown that PRC2 plays a role in regulating developmental transitions of neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs); from self-renewal to differentiation and the neurogenic-to-gliogenic fate switch. To further address the function of EZH2 and H3K27me3 during neuronal development, we generated a conditional mutant in which Ezh2 was removed in the mammalian isthmic (mid-hindbrain) region from E10.5 onward. Loss of Ezh2 changed the molecular coding of the anterior ventral hindbrain leading to a fate switch and the appearance of ectopic dopaminergic (DA) neurons. The correct specification of the isthmic region is dependent on the signaling factors produced by the Isthmic organizer (IsO), located at the border of the mid- and hindbrain. We propose that the change of cellular fate is a result of the presence of Otx2 in the hindbrain of Ezh2 conditional knock-outs (cKOs) and a dysfunctional IsO, as represented by the loss of Fgf8 and Wnt1. Our work implies that next to controlling developmental transitions, EZH2 mediated gene silencing is important for specification of the isthmic region by influencing IsO functioning and repressing Otx2 in the hindbrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wever
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cindy M R J Wagemans
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marten P Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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24
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Wever I, von Oerthel L, Wagemans CMRJ, Smidt MP. EZH2 Influences mdDA Neuronal Differentiation, Maintenance and Survival. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 11:491. [PMID: 30705619 PMCID: PMC6344421 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade several components have been identified to be differentially expressed in subsets of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons. These differences in molecular profile have been implied to be involved in the selective degeneration of the SNc neurons in Parkinson’s disease. The emergence and maintenance of individual subsets is dependent on different transcriptional programs already present during development. In addition to the influence of transcription factors, recent studies have led to the hypothesis that modifications of histones might also influence the developmental program of neurons. In this study we focus on the histone methyltransferase EZH2 and its role in the development and maintenance of mdDA neurons. We generated two different conditional knock out (cKO) mice; an En1Cre driven cKO, for deletion of Ezh2 in mdDA progenitors and a Pitx3Cre driven cKO, to study the effect of post-mitotic deletion of Ezh2 on mdDA neurons maturation and neuronal survival. During development Ezh2 was found to be important for the generation of the proper amount of TH+ neurons. The loss of neurons primarily affected a rostrolateral population, which is also reflected in the analysis of the subset marks, Ahd2 and Cck. In contrast to early genetic ablation, post-mitotic deletion of Ezh2 did not lead to major developmental defects at E14.5. However, in 6 months old animals Cck was found ectopically in the rostral domain of mdDA neurons and Ahd2 expression was reduced in more mediocaudal positioned cells. In addition, Pitx3Cre driven deletion of Ezh2 led to a progressive loss of TH+ cells in the VTA and these animals display reduced climbing behavior. Together, our data demonstrates that Ezh2 is important for the generation of mdDA neurons during development and that during adult stages Ezh2 is important for the preservation of proper neuronal subset identity and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wever
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lars von Oerthel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cindy M R J Wagemans
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marten P Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Shepard AR, Scheffel JL, Yu WM. Relationships between neuronal birthdates and tonotopic positions in the mouse cochlear nucleus. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:999-1011. [PMID: 30414323 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tonotopy is a key anatomical feature of the vertebrate auditory system, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying its development. Since date of birth of a neuron correlates with tonotopic position in the cochlea, we investigated if it also correlates with tonotopic position in the cochlear nucleus (CN). In the cochlea, spiral ganglion neurons are organized in a basal to apical progression along the length of the cochlea based on birthdates, with neurons in the base (responding to high-frequency sounds) born early around mouse embryonic day (E) 9.5-10.5, and those in the apex (responding to low-frequency sounds) born late around E12.5-13.5. Using a low-dose thymidine analog incorporation assay, we examine whether CN neurons are arranged in a spatial gradient according to their birthdates. Most CN neurons are born between E10.5 ānd E13.5, with a peak at E12.5. A second wave of neuron birth was observed in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) beginning on E14.5 and lasts until E18.5. Large excitatory neurons were born in the first wave, and small local circuit neurons were born in the second. No spatial gradient of cell birth was observed in the DCN. In contrast, neurons in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) were found to be arranged in a dorsal to ventral progression according to their birthdates, which are aligned with the tonotopic axis. Most of these AVCN neurons are endbulb-innervated bushy cells. The correlation between birthdate and tonotopic position suggests testable mechanisms for specification of tonotopic position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin R Shepard
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Wei-Ming Yu
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Prenatal exposure to oxidative phosphorylation xenobiotics and late-onset Parkinson disease. Ageing Res Rev 2018; 45:24-32. [PMID: 29689408 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Late-onset Parkinson disease is a multifactorial and multietiological disorder, age being one of the factors implicated. Genetic and/or environmental factors, such as pesticides, can also be involved. Up to 80% of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra are lost before motor features of the disorder begin to appear. In humans, these neurons are only formed a few weeks after fertilization. Therefore, prenatal exposure to pesticides or industrial chemicals during crucial steps of brain development might also alter their proliferation and differentiation. Oxidative phosphorylation is one of the metabolic pathways sensitive to environmental toxicants and it is crucial for neuronal differentiation. Many inhibitors of this biochemical pathway, frequently found as persistent organic pollutants, affect dopaminergic neurogenesis, promote the degeneration of these neurons and increase the risk of suffering late-onset Parkinson disease. Here, we discuss how an early, prenatal, exposure to these oxidative phosphorylation xenobiotics might trigger a late-onset, old age, Parkinson disease.
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Mesman S, Smidt MP. Tcf12 Is Involved in Early Cell-Fate Determination and Subset Specification of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:353. [PMID: 29163030 PMCID: PMC5671939 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00353] [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: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein family has previously been shown to be involved in the development of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons in the murine midbrain. Specifically, Ngn2 and Mash1 are known to have a role in the specification of neural progenitors in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the midbrain towards an mdDA neuronal cell-fate. Furthermore, other members of the bHLH protein family, the E-box factors, are expressed in the developing midbrain and are thought to have a role in neuronal differentiation. Here we show that the E-box factor Tcf12 is implicated in early and late development of mdDA neurons. Tcf12 is expressed in the midbrain and in young TH-expressing mdDA neurons throughout development. Tcf12lox/lox;En1cre/+ embryos, that lose Tcf12 at ~embryonic day (E)9 throughout the En1 expression domain, have a changed spatial expression of Lmx1a and Nurr1 and a consistent loss of rostral TH expression. Expression of the subset marker Ahd2 is initially delayed, but recovers during development, eventually showing an ~10% increase in AHD2-expressing cells at postnatal day (P)30. Tcf12lox/lox;Pitx3cre/+ embryos, that lose Tcf12 at ~E12 in post-mitotic mdDA neurons, show no effect on the amount of TH-expressing neurons in the developing midbrain. However, similar as to Tcf12lox/lox;En1cre/+ embryos, subset specification is delayed during development. Taken together, we have identified Tcf12 as a novel factor in mdDA neuronal development. It serves a dual function; one in early cell-fate commitment of neural progenitors and one late in subset specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mesman
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marten P Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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28
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Bordt EA. The importance of controlling in vitro oxygen tension to accurately model in vivo neurophysiology. Neurotoxicology 2017; 66:213-220. [PMID: 29102646 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The majority of in vitro studies modeling in vivo conditions are performed on the lab bench in atmospheric air. However, the oxygen tension (pO2) present in atmospheric air (160mm Hg, ∼21% O2) is in great excess to the pO2 that permeates tissues within the brain (5-45mm Hg, ∼1-6% O2). This review will discuss the differentiation between pO2 in the in vivo environment and the pO2 commonly used during in vitro experiments, and how this could affect assay outcomes. Also highlighted are studies linking changes in pO2 to changes in cellular function, particularly the role of pO2 in mitochondrial function, reactive oxygen species production, and cellular growth and differentiation. The role of hypoxia inducible factor 1 and oxygen sensing is also presented. Finally, emerging literature exploring sex differences in tissue oxygenation is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA.
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29
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Homophilic binding of the neural cell adhesion molecule CHL1 regulates development of ventral midbrain dopaminergic pathways. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9368. [PMID: 28839197 PMCID: PMC5570898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09599-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal development of ventral midbrain (VM) dopaminergic (DA) pathways, essential for motor and cognitive function, may underpin a number of neurological disorders and thereby highlight the importance of understanding the birth and connectivity of the associated neurons. While a number of regulators of VM DA neurogenesis are known, processes involved in later developmental events, including terminal differentiation and axon morphogenesis, are less well understood. Recent transcriptional analysis studies of the developing VM identified genes expressed during these stages, including the cell adhesion molecule with homology to L1 (Chl1). Here, we map the temporal and spatial expression of CHL1 and assess functional roles of substrate-bound and soluble-forms of the protein during VM DA development. Results showed early CHL1 in the VM, corresponding with roles in DA progenitor migration and differentiation. Subsequently, we demonstrated roles for CHL1 in both axonal extension and repulsion, selectively of DA neurons, suggestive of a role in guidance towards forebrain targets and away from hindbrain nuclei. In part, CHL1 mediates these roles through homophilic CHL1-CHL1 interactions. Collectively, these findings enhance our knowledge of VM DA pathways development, and may provide new insights into understanding DA developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorders.
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Brignani S, Pasterkamp RJ. Neuronal Subset-Specific Migration and Axonal Wiring Mechanisms in the Developing Midbrain Dopamine System. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:55. [PMID: 28740464 PMCID: PMC5502286 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The midbrain dopamine (mDA) system is involved in the control of cognitive and motor behaviors, and is associated with several psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. mDA neurons receive diverse afferent inputs and establish efferent connections with many brain areas. Recent studies have unveiled a high level of molecular and cellular heterogeneity within the mDA system with specific subsets of mDA neurons displaying select molecular profiles and connectivity patterns. During mDA neuron development, molecular differences between mDA neuron subsets allow the establishment of subset-specific afferent and efferent connections and functional roles. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent work defining novel mDA neuron subsets based on specific molecular signatures. Then, molecular cues are highlighted that control mDA neuron migration during embryonic development and that facilitate the formation of selective patterns of efferent connections. The review focuses largely on studies that show differences in these mechanisms between different subsets of mDA neurons and for which in vivo data is available, and is concluded by a section that discusses open questions and provides directions for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Brignani
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - R J Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands
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31
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Meehan C, Harms L, Frost JD, Barreto R, Todd J, Schall U, Shannon Weickert C, Zavitsanou K, Michie PT, Hodgson DM. Effects of immune activation during early or late gestation on schizophrenia-related behaviour in adult rat offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:8-20. [PMID: 27423491 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.07.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal exposure to infectious agents during gestation has been identified as a significant risk factor for schizophrenia. Using a mouse model, past work has demonstrated that the gestational timing of the immune-activating event can impact the behavioural phenotype and expression of dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission markers in the offspring. In order to determine the inter-species generality of this effect to rats, another commonly used model species, the current study investigated the impact of a viral mimetic Poly (I:C) at either an early (gestational day 10) or late (gestational day 19) time-point on schizophrenia-related behaviour and neurotransmitter receptor expression in rat offspring. Exposure to Poly (I:C) in late, but not early, gestation resulted in transient impairments in working memory. In addition, male rats exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA) in either early or late gestation exhibited sensorimotor gating deficits. Conversely, neither early nor late MIA exposure altered locomotor responses to MK-801 or amphetamine. In addition, increased dopamine 1 receptor mRNA levels were found in the nucleus accumbens of male rats exposed to early gestational MIA. The findings from this study diverge somewhat from previous findings in mice with MIA exposure, which were often found to exhibit a more comprehensive spectrum of schizophrenia-like phenotypes in both males and females, indicating potential differences in the neurodevelopmental vulnerability to MIA exposure in the rat with regards to schizophrenia related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Meehan
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Lauren Harms
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jade D Frost
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Rafael Barreto
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Juanita Todd
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Patricia T Michie
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah M Hodgson
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
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Zheng M, Jiao L, Tang X, Xiang X, Wan X, Yan Y, Li X, Zhang G, Li Y, Jiang B, Cai H, Lin X. Tau haploinsufficiency causes prenatal loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and reduction of transcription factor orthodenticle homeobox 2 expression. FASEB J 2017; 31:3349-3358. [PMID: 28424350 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601303r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Homozygous tau knockout (Mapt-/-) mice develop age-dependent dopaminergic (DA) neuronal loss in the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), supporting an important function of tau in maintaining the survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDANs) during aging. However, it remains to be determined whether the microtubule-associated protein tau regulates the differentiation and survival of mDANs during embryonic developmental stages. Here, we show that tau haploinsufficiency in postnatal day 0 (P0) heterozygous (Mapt+/-) pups, but not a complete loss of tau in the Mapt-/- littermates, led to a significant reduction of DA neurons in the VTA. This selective loss of DA neurons correlated with a similar reduction in orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2), which is restricted to VTA neurons at the postmitotic stage and selectively controls the neurogenesis and survival of specific neuronal subtypes of VTA. Moreover, the prenatal developmental cell death in the Mapt+/- VTA specifically increased, and the expression of microtubule-associated protein (MAP)-1A was significantly up-regulated in the P0 Mapt-/- , but not the Mapt+/- , pups. These results suggest that tau haploinsufficiency, without the compensation effect of MAP1A, induces reduction of Otx2 expression, increases prenatal cell death, and accordingly leads to selective loss of VTA DA neurons in the early postnatal stage. Our findings highlight the impact of tau haploinsufficiency on the survival of mDANs and indicate that tau may participate in midbrain development in a dose-dependent way.-Zheng, M., Jiao, L., Tang, X., Xiang, X., Wan, X., Yan, Y., Li, X., Zhang, G., Li, Y., Jiang, B., Cai, H., Lin, X. Tau haploinsufficiency causes prenatal loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and reduction of transcription factor orthodenticle homeobox 2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meige Zheng
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luyan Jiao
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolu Tang
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianhong Xiang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaomei Wan
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingjian Li
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guofeng Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huaibin Cai
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Transgenics Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; and
| | - Xian Lin
- Department of Anatomy, Research Center for Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; .,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Luan W, Hammond LA, Cotter E, Osborne GW, Alexander SA, Nink V, Cui X, Eyles DW. Developmental Vitamin D (DVD) Deficiency Reduces Nurr1 and TH Expression in Post-mitotic Dopamine Neurons in Rat Mesencephalon. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:2443-2453. [PMID: 28365874 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency has been proposed as an important risk factor for schizophrenia. Our previous study using Sprague Dawley rats found that DVD deficiency disrupted the ontogeny of mesencephalic dopamine neurons by decreasing the mRNA level of a crucial differentiation factor of dopamine cells, the nuclear receptor related 1 protein (Nurr1). However, it remains unknown whether this reflects a reduction in dopamine cell number or in Nurr1 expression. It is also unclear if any particular subset of developing dopamine neurons in the mesencephalon is selectively affected. In this study, we employed state-of-the-art spinning disk confocal microscopy optimized for the imaging of tissue sections and 3D segmentation to assess post-mitotic dopamine cells on a single-cell basis in the rat mesencephalon at embryonic day 15. Our results showed that DVD deficiency did not alter the number, morphology, or positioning of post-mitotic dopamine cells. However, the ratio of Nurr1+TH+ cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) compared with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) was increased in DVD-deficient embryos. In addition, the expression of Nurr1 in immature dopamine cells and mature dopamine neurons in the VTA was decreased in DVD-deficient group. Tyrosine hydroxylase was selectively reduced in SNc of DVD-deficient mesencephalon. We conclude that DVD deficiency induced early alterations in mesencephalic dopamine development may in part explain the abnormal dopamine-related behaviors found in this model. Our findings may have broader implications for how certain environmental risk factors for schizophrenia may shape the ontogeny of dopaminergic systems and by inference increase the risk of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Luan
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Edmund Cotter
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Geoffrey William Osborne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Virginia Nink
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Xiaoying Cui
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Darryl Walter Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Mesman S, van Hooft JA, Smidt MP. Mest/Peg1 Is Essential for the Development and Maintenance of a SNc Neuronal Subset. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 9:166. [PMID: 28133444 PMCID: PMC5233686 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons originate at the floor plate and floor plate-basal plate boundary of the midbrain ventricular zone. During development mdDA neurons are specified by a unique set of transcription factors and signaling cascades, to form the different molecular subsets of the mdDA neuronal population. In a time series micro-array study performed previously, mesoderm specific transcript (Mest) was found to be one of the most upregulated genes during early mdDA neuronal development. Here, we show that Mest transcript is expressed in the midbrain throughout development and becomes restricted to the substantia nigra (SNc) at late stages. In Mest KO animals mdDA neurons are progressively lost in the adult, mostly affecting the SNc, reflected by a 50% decrease of TH protein and DA release in the striatum and a reduction of climbing behavior. Analysis of Lrp6 KO embryos suggest a subtle opposite phenotype to the Mest KO, hinting toward the possibility that specific loss of mdDA neurons in Mest ablated animals could be due to affected WNT-signaling. Interestingly, the mdDA neuronal region affected by the loss of Mest remains relatively unaffected in Pitx3 mutants, suggesting that both genes are essential for the development and/or maintenance of different mdDA neuronal subsets within the SNc. Overall, the neuroanatomical and phenotypical consequences detected upon the loss of Mest, resemble the loss of SNc neurons and loss of movement control as seen in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), suggesting that the Mest mouse model may be used as a model-system for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mesman
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Johannes A van Hooft
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marten P Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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35
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Enduring, Sexually Dimorphic Impact of In Utero Exposure to Elevated Levels of Glucocorticoids on Midbrain Dopaminergic Populations. Brain Sci 2016; 7:brainsci7010005. [PMID: 28042822 PMCID: PMC5297294 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) released from the fetal/maternal glands during late gestation are required for normal development of mammalian organs and tissues. Accordingly, synthetic glucocorticoids have proven to be invaluable in perinatal medicine where they are widely used to accelerate fetal lung maturation when there is risk of pre-term birth and to promote infant survival. However, clinical and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that inappropriate exposure of the developing brain to elevated levels of GCs, either as a result of clinical over-use or after stress-induced activation of the fetal/maternal adrenal cortex, is linked with significant effects on brain structure, neurological function and behaviour in later life. In order to understand the underlying neural processes, particular interest has focused on the midbrain dopaminergic systems, which are critical regulators of normal adaptive behaviours, cognitive and sensorimotor functions. Specifically, using a rodent model of GC exposure in late gestation (approximating human brain development at late second/early third trimester), we demonstrated enduring effects on the shape and volume of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) (origins of the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways) on the topographical organisation and size of the dopaminergic neuronal populations and astrocytes within these nuclei and on target innervation density and neurochemical markers of dopaminergic transmission (receptors, transporters, basal and amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release at striatal and prefrontal cortical sites) that impact on the adult brain. The effects of antenatal GC treatment (AGT) were both profound and sexually-dimorphic, not only in terms of quantitative change but also qualitatively, with several parameters affected in the opposite direction in males and females. Although such substantial neurobiological changes might presage marked behavioural effects, in utero GC exposure had only a modest or no effect, depending on sex, on a range of conditioned and unconditioned behaviours known to depend on midbrain dopaminergic transmission. Collectively, these findings suggest that apparent behavioural normality in certain tests, but not others, arises from AGT-induced adaptations or compensatory mechanisms within the midbrain dopaminergic systems, which preserve some, but not all functions. Furthermore, the capacities for molecular adaptations to early environmental challenge are different, even opponent, in males and females, which may account for their differential resilience or failure to perform adequately in behavioural tests. Behavioural "normality" is thus achieved by the midbrain dopaminergic network operating outside its normal limits (in a state of allostasis), rendering it at greater risk to malfunction when challenged in later life. Sex-specific neurobiological programming of midbrain dopaminergic systems may, therefore, have psychopathological relevance for the sex bias commonly found in brain disorders associated with these systems, and which have a neurodevelopmental component, including schizophrenia, ADHD (attention/deficit hyperactivity disorders), autism, depression and substance abuse.
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Engel M, Do-Ha D, Muñoz SS, Ooi L. Common pitfalls of stem cell differentiation: a guide to improving protocols for neurodegenerative disease models and research. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3693-709. [PMID: 27154043 PMCID: PMC5002043 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2265-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells have revolutionized cellular neuroscience, providing the opportunity to model neurological diseases and test potential therapeutics in a pre-clinical setting. The power of these models has been widely discussed, but the potential pitfalls of stem cell differentiation in this research are less well described. We have analyzed the literature that describes differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into three neural cell types that are commonly used to study diseases, including forebrain cholinergic neurons for Alzheimer's disease, midbrain dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson's disease and cortical astrocytes for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Published protocols for differentiation vary widely in the reported efficiency of target cell generation. Additionally, characterization of the cells by expression profile and functionality differs between studies and is often insufficient, leading to highly variable protocol outcomes. We have synthesized this information into a simple methodology that can be followed when performing or assessing differentiation techniques. Finally we propose three considerations for future research, including the use of physiological O2 conditions, three-dimensional co-culture systems and microfluidics to control feeding cycles and growth factor gradients. Following these guidelines will help researchers to ensure that robust and meaningful data is generated, enabling the full potential of stem cell differentiation for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Engel
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Dzung Do-Ha
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonia Sanz Muñoz
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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Kim S, Kwok S, Mayes LC, Potenza MN, Rutherford HJV, Strathearn L. Early adverse experience and substance addiction: dopamine, oxytocin, and glucocorticoid pathways. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1394:74-91. [PMID: 27508337 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Substance addiction may follow a chronic, relapsing course and critically undermine the physical and psychological well-being of the affected individual and the social units of which the individual is a member. Despite the public health burden associated with substance addiction, treatment options remain suboptimal, with relapses often seen. The present review synthesizes growing insights from animal and human research to shed light upon developmental and neurobiological pathways that may increase susceptibility to addiction. We examine the dopamine system, the oxytocin system, and the glucocorticoid system, as they are particularly relevant to substance addiction. Our aim is to delineate how early adverse experience may induce long-lasting alterations in each of these systems at molecular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral levels and ultimately lead to heightened vulnerability to substance addiction. We further discuss how substance addiction in adulthood may increase the risk of suboptimal caregiving for the next generation, perpetuating the intergenerational cycle of early adverse experiences and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephanie Kwok
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASAColumbia), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Lane Strathearn
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
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Meyer U, Yee BK, Feldon J. The Neurodevelopmental Impact of Prenatal Infections at Different Times of Pregnancy: The Earlier the Worse? Neuroscientist 2016; 13:241-56. [PMID: 17519367 DOI: 10.1177/1073858406296401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental insults taking place in early brain development may have long-lasting consequences for adult brain functioning. There is a large body of epidemiological data linking maternal infections during pregnancy to a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders with a presumed neurodevelopmental origin in the offspring, including schizophrenia and autism. Although specific gestational windows may be associated with a differing vulnerability to infection-mediated disturbances in normal brain development, it still remains debatable whether and/or why certain gestation periods may confer maximal risk for neurodevelopmental disturbances following the prenatal exposure to infectious events. In this review, the authors integrate both epidemiological and experimental findings supporting the hypothesis that infection-associated immunological events in early fetal life may have a stronger neurodevelopmental impact compared to late pregnancy infections. This is because infections in early gestation may not only interfere with fundamental neurodevelopmental events such as cell proliferation and differentiation, but it may also predispose the developing nervous system to additional failures in subsequent cell migration, target selection, and synapse maturation, eventually leading to multiple brain and behavioral abnormalities in the adult offspring. The temporal dependency of the epidemiological link between maternal infections during pregnancy and a higher risk for brain disorders in the offspring may thus be explained by specific spatiotemporal events in the course of fetal brain development. NEUROSCIENTIST 13(3):241—256, 2007.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urs Meyer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
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Dopamine Receptor Antagonists Enhance Proliferation and Neurogenesis of Midbrain Lmx1a-expressing Progenitors. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26448. [PMID: 27246266 PMCID: PMC4887985 DOI: 10.1038/srep26448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Degeneration of dopamine neurons in the midbrain causes symptoms of the movement disorder, Parkinson disease. Dopamine neurons are generated from proliferating progenitor cells localized in the embryonic ventral midbrain. However, it remains unclear for how long cells with dopamine progenitor character are retained and if there is any potential for reactivation of such cells after cessation of normal dopamine neurogenesis. We show here that cells expressing Lmx1a and other progenitor markers remain in the midbrain aqueductal zone beyond the major dopamine neurogenic period. These cells express dopamine receptors, are located in regions heavily innervated by midbrain dopamine fibres and their proliferation can be stimulated by antagonizing dopamine receptors, ultimately leading to increased neurogenesis in vivo. Furthermore, treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists enhances neurogenesis in vitro, both from embryonic midbrain progenitors as well as from embryonic stem cells. Altogether our results indicate a potential for reactivation of resident midbrain cells with dopamine progenitor potential beyond the normal period of dopamine neurogenesis.
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Gómez-López S, Martínez-Silva AV, Montiel T, Osorio-Gómez D, Bermúdez-Rattoni F, Massieu L, Escalante-Alcalde D. Neural ablation of the PARK10 candidate Plpp3 leads to dopaminergic transmission deficits without neurodegeneration. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24028. [PMID: 27063549 PMCID: PMC4827058 DOI: 10.1038/srep24028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder, characterised by the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and a variety of motor symptoms. The gene coding for the phospholipid phosphatase 3, PLPP3 (formerly PPAP2B or LPP3), maps within the PARK10 locus, a region that has been linked with increased risk to late-onset PD. PLPP3 modulates the levels of a range of bioactive lipids controlling fundamental cellular processes within the central nervous system. Here we show that PLPP3 is enriched in astroglial cells of the adult murine ventral midbrain. Conditional inactivation of Plpp3 using a Nestin::Cre driver results in reduced mesencephalic levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1), a well-known mediator of pro-survival responses. Yet, adult PLPP3-deficient mice exhibited no alterations in the number of dopaminergic neurons or in the basal levels of striatal extracellular dopamine (DA). Potassium-evoked DA overflow in the striatum, however, was significantly decreased in mutant mice. Locomotor evaluation revealed that, although PLPP3-deficient mice exhibit motor impairment, this is not progressive or responsive to acute L-DOPA therapy. These findings suggest that disruption of Plpp3 during early neural development leads to dopaminergic transmission deficits in the absence of nigrostriatal degeneration, and without causing an age-related locomotor decline consistent with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Gómez-López
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Ana Valeria Martínez-Silva
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Teresa Montiel
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Daniel Osorio-Gómez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Massieu
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Diana Escalante-Alcalde
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
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A two-hit model of suicide-trait-related behaviors in the context of a schizophrenia-like phenotype: Distinct effects of lithium chloride and clozapine. Physiol Behav 2016; 156:48-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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The substantia nigra and ventral tegmental dopaminergic neurons from development to degeneration. J Chem Neuroanat 2016; 76:98-107. [PMID: 26859066 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra parcompacta (A9), which results in the insufficient release of dopamine, and the appearance of motor symptoms. Not all neurons in the A9 subregions degenerate in PD, and the dopaminergic (DA) neurons located in the neighboring ventral tegmental area (A10) are relatively resistant to PD pathogenesis. An increasing number of quantitative studies using human tissue samples of these brain regions have revealed important biological differences. In this review, we first describe current knowledge on the multi-segmental neuromere origin of these DA neurons. We then compare the continued transcription factor and protein expression profile and morphological differences distinguishing subregions within the A9 substantia nigra, and between A9 and A10 DA neurons. We conclude that the expression of three types of factors and proteins contributes to the diversity observed in these DA neurons and potentially to their differential vulnerability to PD. In particular, the specific axonal structure of A9 neurons and the way A9 neurons maintain their DA usage makes them easily exposed to energy deficits, calcium overload and oxidative stress, all contributing to their decreased survival in PD. We highlight knowledge gaps in our understanding of the cellular biomarkers for and their different functions in DA neurons, knowledge which may assist to identify underpinning disease mechansims that could be targeted for the treatment of any subregional dysfunction and loss of these DA neurons.
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Wagenführ L, Meyer AK, Marrone L, Storch A. Oxygen Tension Within the Neurogenic Niche Regulates Dopaminergic Neurogenesis in the Developing Midbrain. Stem Cells Dev 2016; 25:227-38. [PMID: 26577812 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2015.0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen tension is an important factor controlling stem cell proliferation and maintenance in various stem cell populations with a particular relevance in midbrain dopaminergic progenitors. Further studies have shown that the oxygen-dependent transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is involved in these processes. However, all available studies on oxygen effects in dopaminergic neuroprogenitors were performed in vitro and thus it remains unclear whether tissue oxygen tension in the embryonic midbrain is also relevant for the regulation of dopaminergic neurogenesis in vivo. We thus dissect here the effects of oxygen tension in combination with HIF-1α conditional knockout on dopaminergic neurogenesis by using a novel experimental design allowing for the control of oxygen tension within the microenvironment of the neurogenic niche of the murine fetal midbrain in vivo. The microenvironment of the midbrain dopaminergic neurogenic niche was detected as hypoxic with oxygen tensions below 1.1%. Maternal oxygen treatment of 10%, 21%, and 75% atmospheric oxygen tension for 48 h translates into robust changes in fetal midbrain oxygenation. Fetal midbrain hypoxia hampered the generation of dopaminergic neurons and is accompanied with restricted fetal midbrain development. In contrast, induced hyperoxia stimulated proliferation and differentiation of dopaminergic progenitors during early and late embryogenesis. Oxygen effects were not directly mediated through HIF-1α signaling. These data--in agreement with in vitro data-indicate that oxygen is a crucial regulator of developmental dopaminergic neurogenesis. Our study provides the initial framework for future studies on molecular mechanisms mediating oxygen regulation of dopaminergic neurogenesis within the fetal midbrain as its natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wagenführ
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Karen Meyer
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Lara Marrone
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany .,2 Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) , Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Storch
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany .,2 Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) , Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany .,3 Department of Neurology, University of Rostock , Rostock, Germany .,4 German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Rostock, Germany
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Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Differentiation of a Rostrolateral Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Subset In Vivo and from Pluripotent Stem Cells In Vitro in the Mouse. J Neurosci 2015; 35:13385-401. [PMID: 26424886 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1722-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Wingless-related MMTV integration site 1 (WNT1)/β-catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the generation of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons, including the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) subpopulation that preferentially degenerates in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the precise functions of WNT1/β-catenin signaling in this context remain unknown. Stem cell-based regenerative (transplantation) therapies for PD have not been implemented widely in the clinical context, among other reasons because of the heterogeneity and incomplete differentiation of the transplanted cells. This might result in tumor formation and poor integration of the transplanted cells into the dopaminergic circuitry of the brain. Dickkopf 3 (DKK3) is a secreted glycoprotein implicated in the modulation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Using mutant mice, primary ventral midbrain cells, and pluripotent stem cells, we show that DKK3 is necessary and sufficient for the correct differentiation of a rostrolateral mdDA neuron subset. Dkk3 transcription in the murine ventral midbrain coincides with the onset of mdDA neurogenesis and is required for the activation and/or maintenance of LMX1A (LIM homeobox transcription factor 1α) and PITX3 (paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 3) expression in the corresponding mdDA precursor subset, without affecting the proliferation or specification of their progenitors. Notably, the treatment of differentiating pluripotent stem cells with recombinant DKK3 and WNT1 proteins also increases the proportion of mdDA neurons with molecular SNc DA cell characteristics in these cultures. The specific effects of DKK3 on the differentiation of rostrolateral mdDA neurons in the murine ventral midbrain, together with its known prosurvival and anti-tumorigenic properties, make it a good candidate for the improvement of regenerative and neuroprotective strategies in the treatment of PD. Significance statement: We show here that Dickkopf 3 (DKK3), a secreted modulator of WNT (Wingless-related MMTV integration site)/β-catenin signaling, is both necessary and sufficient for the proper differentiation and survival of a rostrolateral (parabrachial pigmented nucleus and dorsomedial substantia nigra pars compacta) mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neuron subset, using Dkk3 mutant mice and murine primary ventral midbrain and pluripotent stem cells. The progressive loss of these dopamine-producing mesodiencephalic neurons is a hallmark of human Parkinson's disease, which can up to now not be halted by clinical treatments of this disease. Thus, the soluble DKK3 protein might be a promising new agent for the improvement of current protocols for the directed differentiation of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells into mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons and for the promotion of their survival in situ.
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Gazea M, Tasouri E, Tolve M, Bosch V, Kabanova A, Gojak C, Kurtulmus B, Novikov O, Spatz J, Pereira G, Hübner W, Brodski C, Tucker KL, Blaess S. Primary cilia are critical for Sonic hedgehog-mediated dopaminergic neurogenesis in the embryonic midbrain. Dev Biol 2015; 409:55-71. [PMID: 26542012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons modulate various motor and cognitive functions, and their dysfunction or degeneration has been implicated in several psychiatric diseases. Both Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and Wnt signaling pathways have been shown to be essential for normal development of mDA neurons. Primary cilia are critical for the development of a number of structures in the brain by serving as a hub for essential developmental signaling cascades, but their role in the generation of mDA neurons has not been examined. We analyzed mutant mouse lines deficient in the intraflagellar transport protein IFT88, which is critical for primary cilia function. Conditional inactivation of Ift88 in the midbrain after E9.0 results in progressive loss of primary cilia, a decreased size of the mDA progenitor domain, and a reduction in mDA neurons. We identified Shh signaling as the primary cause of these defects, since conditional inactivation of the Shh signaling pathway after E9.0, through genetic ablation of Gli2 and Gli3 in the midbrain, results in a phenotype basically identical to the one seen in Ift88 conditional mutants. Moreover, the expansion of the mDA progenitor domain observed when Shh signaling is constitutively activated does not occur in absence of Ift88. In contrast, clusters of Shh-responding progenitors are maintained in the ventral midbrain of the hypomorphic Ift88 mouse mutant, cobblestone. Despite the residual Shh signaling, the integrity of the mDA progenitor domain is severely disturbed, and consequently very few mDA neurons are generated in cobblestone mutants. Our results identify for the first time a crucial role of primary cilia in the induction of mDA progenitors, define a narrow time window in which Shh-mediated signaling is dependent upon normal primary cilia function for this purpose, and suggest that later Wnt signaling-dependent events act independently of primary cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Gazea
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Evangelia Tasouri
- Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marianna Tolve
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Viktoria Bosch
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Kabanova
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Gojak
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of New Materials and Biosystems, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bahtiyar Kurtulmus
- Molecular Biology of Centrosomes and Cilia, German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Orna Novikov
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Joachim Spatz
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of New Materials and Biosystems, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gislene Pereira
- Molecular Biology of Centrosomes and Cilia, German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hübner
- Molecular Biophotonics, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Claude Brodski
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Kerry L Tucker
- Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, Biddeford, ME 04005, USA.
| | - Sandra Blaess
- University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, Biddeford, ME 04005, USA.
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Bodea GO, Blaess S. Establishing diversity in the dopaminergic system. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3773-85. [PMID: 26431946 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons (MbDNs) modulate cognitive processes, regulate voluntary movement, and encode reward prediction errors and aversive stimuli. While the degeneration of MbDNs underlies the motor defects in Parkinson's disease, imbalances in dopamine levels are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse. In recent years, progress has been made in understanding how MbDNs, which constitute a relatively small neuronal population in the brain, can contribute to such diverse functions and dysfunctions. In particular, important insights have been gained regarding the distinct molecular, neurochemical and network properties of MbDNs. How this diversity of MbDNs is established during brain development is only starting to be unraveled. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the diversity in MbDN progenitors and differentiated MbDNs in the developing rodent brain. We discuss the signaling pathways, transcription factors and transmembrane receptors that contribute to setting up these diverse MbDN subpopulations. A better insight into the processes that establish diversity in MbDNs will ultimately improve the understanding of the architecture and function of the dopaminergic system in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela O Bodea
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sandra Blaess
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Tripathi PP, Bozzi Y. The role of dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in neurodevelopmental disorders: a focus on epilepsy and seizure susceptibility. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 5:97-102. [PMID: 26191504 PMCID: PMC4492191 DOI: 10.15171/bi.2015.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
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Introduction: The embryonic development of the vertebrate Central Nervous System (CNS) requires the induction of transcription factors regulating the expression of specific subsets of genes in restricted CNS regions. Among these transcription factors, homeobox-containing proteins play a crucial role, and altered expression of these factors can impact the embryonic as well as adult CNS functions. Importantly, the homeobox-containing genes Otx2, Engrailed-1 (En1), and Engrailed-2 (En2) have been described to crucially regulate differentiation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons during vertebrate CNS development. Dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, located in midbrain and hindbrain regions respectively, diffusely innervate several forebrain areas including limbic system, contributing in regulating several physiological functions. Understanding the embryonic development of these neuronal populations is crucial to elucidate their physiological function including brain excitability in the adult brain. New evidence is emerging about the impact of an altered embryonic development of dopamine and serotonin neurons onto seizure susceptibility in the adult life.
Methods: In this mini-review, we summarized our kainic acid (KA) induced seizure susceptibility in adult mutant mouse lines with targeted manipulation of Otx2, En1, and En2 genes.
Results: Our results demonstrated that altered development of dopamine (DA) neurons does not interfere with KA seizure susceptibility, while increased serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) hyperinnervation leads to resistance to KA-induced seizure.
Conclusion: We propose that developmental alterations of serotonergic but not dopaminergic circuits play a crucial role in controlling seizure susceptibility in the adult life
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Prakash Tripathi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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48
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Anderegg A, Awatramani R. Making a mes: A transcription factor-microRNA pair governs the size of the midbrain and the dopaminergic progenitor pool. NEUROGENESIS 2015; 2:e998101. [PMID: 27502145 PMCID: PMC4973584 DOI: 10.1080/23262133.2014.998101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Canonical Wnt signaling is critical for midbrain dopaminergic progenitor specification, proliferation, and neurogenesis. Yet mechanisms that control Wnt signaling remain to be fully elucidated. Wnt1 is a key ligand in the embryonic midbrain, and directs proliferation, survival, specification and neurogenesis. In a recent study, we reveal that the transcription factor Lmx1b promotes Wnt1/Wnt signaling, and dopaminergic progenitor expansion, consistent with earlier studies. Additionally, Lmx1b drives expression of a non-coding RNA called Rmst, which harbors miR135a2 in its last intron. miR135a2 in turn targets Lmx1b as well as several Wnt pathway targets. Conditional overexpression of miR135a2 in the midbrain, particularly during an early time, results in a decreased dopaminergic progenitor pool, and less dopaminergic neurons, consistent with decreased Wnt signaling. We propose a model in which Lmx1b and miR135a2 influence levels of Wnt1 and Wnt signaling, and expansion of the dopaminergic progenitor pool. Further loss of function experiments and biochemical validation of targets will be critical to verify this model. Wnt agonists have recently been utilized for programming stem cells toward a dopaminergic fate in vitro, highlighting the importance of agents that modulate the Wnt pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Anderegg
- Department of Neurology; Northwestern University ; Chicago, IL USA
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Blaess S, Ang SL. Genetic control of midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:113-34. [PMID: 25565353 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Midbrain dopaminergic neurons are involved in regulating motor control, reward behavior, and cognition. Degeneration or dysfunction of midbrain dopaminergic neurons is implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease, substance use disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. Understanding the developmental processes that generate midbrain dopaminergic neurons will facilitate the generation of dopaminergic neurons from stem cells for cell replacement therapies to substitute degenerating cells in Parkinson's disease patients and will forward our understanding on how functional diversity of dopaminergic neurons in the adult brain is established. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons develop in a multistep process. Following the induction of the ventral midbrain, a distinct dopaminergic progenitor domain is specified and dopaminergic progenitors undergo proliferation, neurogenesis, and differentiation. Subsequently, midbrain dopaminergic neurons acquire a mature dopaminergic phenotype, migrate to their final position and establish projections and connections to their forebrain targets. This review will discuss insights gained on the signaling network of secreted molecules, cell surface receptors, and transcription factors that regulate specification and differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic progenitors and neurons, from the induction of the ventral midbrain to the migration of dopaminergic neurons. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Blaess
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Mesman S, von Oerthel L, Smidt MP. Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neuronal differentiation does not involve GLI2A-mediated SHH-signaling and is under the direct influence of canonical WNT signaling. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97926. [PMID: 24865218 PMCID: PMC4035267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) and WNT proteins are key regulators in many developmental processes, like embryonic patterning and brain development. In the brain, SHH is expressed in a gradient starting in the floor plate (FP) progressing ventrally in the midbrain, where it is thought to be involved in the development and specification of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons. GLI2A-mediated SHH-signaling induces the expression of Gli1, which is inhibited when cells start expressing SHH themselves. To determine whether mdDA neurons receive GLI2A-mediated SHH-signaling during differentiation, we used a BAC-transgenic mouse model expressing eGFP under the control of the Gli1 promoter. This mouse-model allowed for mapping of GLI2A-mediated SHH-signaling temporal and spatial in the mouse midbrain. Since mdDA neurons are born from E10.5, peaking at E11.0–E12.0, we examined Gli1-eGFP embryos at E11.5, E12.5, and E13.5, indicating whether Gli1 was induced before or during mdDA development and differentiation. Our data indicate that GLI2A-mediated SHH-signaling is not involved in mdDA neuronal differentiation. However, it appears to be involved in the differentiation of neurons which make up a subset of the red nucleus (RN). In order to detect whether mdDA neuronal differentiation may be under the control of canonical WNT-signaling, we used a transgenic mouse-line expressing LacZ under the influence of stable β-catenin. Here, we show that TH+ neurons of the midbrain receive canonical WNT-signaling during differentiation. Therefore, we suggest that early SHH-signaling is indirectly involved in mdDA development through early patterning of the midbrain area, whereas canonical WNT-signaling is directly involved in the differentiation of the mdDA neuronal population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mesman
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, CNS, FNWI University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lars von Oerthel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, CNS, FNWI University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marten P. Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, CNS, FNWI University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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