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Ye D, Walsh JT, Junker IP, Ding Y. Changes in the cellular makeup of motor patterning circuits drive courtship song evolution in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00460-3. [PMID: 38688283 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.020] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
How evolutionary changes in genes and neurons encode species variation in complex motor behaviors is largely unknown. Here, we develop genetic tools that permit a neural circuit comparison between the model species Drosophila melanogaster and the closely related species D. yakuba, which has undergone a lineage-specific loss of sine song, one of the two major types of male courtship song in Drosophila. Neuroanatomical comparison of song-patterning neurons called TN1 across the phylogeny demonstrates a link between the loss of sine song and a reduction both in the number of TN1 neurons and the neurites supporting the sine circuit connectivity. Optogenetic activation confirms that TN1 neurons in D. yakuba have lost the ability to drive sine song, although they have maintained the ability to drive the singing wing posture. Single-cell transcriptomic comparison shows that D. yakuba specifically lacks a cell type corresponding to TN1A neurons, the TN1 subtype that is essential for sine song. Genetic and developmental manipulation reveals a functional divergence of the sex determination gene doublesex in D. yakuba to reduce TN1 number by promoting apoptosis. Our work illustrates the contribution of motor patterning circuits and cell type changes in behavioral evolution and uncovers the evolutionary lability of sex determination genes to reconfigure the cellular makeup of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajia Ye
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Justin T Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian P Junker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yun Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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2
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Ye D, Walsh JT, Junker IP, Ding Y. Changes in the cellular makeup of motor patterning circuits drive courtship song evolution in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576861. [PMID: 38328135 PMCID: PMC10849698 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
How evolutionary changes in genes and neurons encode species variation in complex motor behaviors are largely unknown. Here, we develop genetic tools that permit a neural circuit comparison between the model species Drosophila melanogaster and the closely-related species D. yakuba, who has undergone a lineage-specific loss of sine song, one of the two major types of male courtship song in Drosophila. Neuroanatomical comparison of song patterning neurons called TN1 across the phylogeny demonstrates a link between the loss of sine song and a reduction both in the number of TN1 neurons and the neurites serving the sine circuit connectivity. Optogenetic activation confirms that TN1 neurons in D. yakuba have lost the ability to drive sine song, while maintaining the ability to drive the singing wing posture. Single-cell transcriptomic comparison shows that D. yakuba specifically lacks a cell type corresponding to TN1A neurons, the TN1 subtype that is essential for sine song. Genetic and developmental manipulation reveals a functional divergence of the sex determination gene doublesex in D. yakuba to reduce TN1 number by promoting apoptosis. Our work illustrates the contribution of motor patterning circuits and cell type changes in behavioral evolution, and uncovers the evolutionary lability of sex determination genes to reconfigure the cellular makeup of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajia Ye
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Justin T Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ian P Junker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yun Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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3
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Wang X, Yue M, Cheung JPY, Cheung PWH, Fan Y, Wu M, Wang X, Zhao S, Khanshour AM, Rios JJ, Chen Z, Wang X, Tu W, Chan D, Yuan Q, Qin D, Qiu G, Wu Z, Zhang TJ, Ikegawa S, Wu N, Wise CA, Hu Y, Luk KDK, Song YQ, Gao B. Impaired glycine neurotransmission causes adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e168783. [PMID: 37962965 PMCID: PMC10786698 DOI: 10.1172/jci168783] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of spinal deformity, affecting millions of adolescents worldwide, but it lacks a defined theory of etiopathogenesis. Because of this, treatment of AIS is limited to bracing and/or invasive surgery after onset. Preonset diagnosis or preventive treatment remains unavailable. Here, we performed a genetic analysis of a large multicenter AIS cohort and identified disease-causing and predisposing variants of SLC6A9 in multigeneration families, trios, and sporadic patients. Variants of SLC6A9, which encodes glycine transporter 1 (GLYT1), reduced glycine-uptake activity in cells, leading to increased extracellular glycine levels and aberrant glycinergic neurotransmission. Slc6a9 mutant zebrafish exhibited discoordination of spinal neural activities and pronounced lateral spinal curvature, a phenotype resembling human patients. The penetrance and severity of curvature were sensitive to the dosage of functional glyt1. Administration of a glycine receptor antagonist or a clinically used glycine neutralizer (sodium benzoate) partially rescued the phenotype. Our results indicate a neuropathic origin for "idiopathic" scoliosis, involving the dysfunction of synaptic neurotransmission and central pattern generators (CPGs), potentially a common cause of AIS. Our work further suggests avenues for early diagnosis and intervention of AIS in preadolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ming Yue
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jason Pui Yin Cheung
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Prudence Wing Hang Cheung
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yanhui Fan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Meicheng Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sen Zhao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical Research Center, Key Laboratory of Big Data for Spinal Deformities, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetic Research of Skeletal Deformity, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anas M. Khanshour
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children (SRC), Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Rios
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children (SRC), Dallas, Texas, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Zheyi Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiwei Wang
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wenwei Tu
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Danny Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qiuju Yuan
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dajiang Qin
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guixing Qiu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical Research Center, Key Laboratory of Big Data for Spinal Deformities, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetic Research of Skeletal Deformity, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Wu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical Research Center, Key Laboratory of Big Data for Spinal Deformities, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetic Research of Skeletal Deformity, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Terry Jianguo Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical Research Center, Key Laboratory of Big Data for Spinal Deformities, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetic Research of Skeletal Deformity, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shiro Ikegawa
- Laboratory of Bone and Joint Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nan Wu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical Research Center, Key Laboratory of Big Data for Spinal Deformities, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetic Research of Skeletal Deformity, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Carol A. Wise
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children (SRC), Dallas, Texas, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Yong Hu
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keith Dip Kei Luk
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - You-Qiang Song
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bo Gao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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4
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Casartelli L, Maronati C, Cavallo A. From neural noise to co-adaptability: Rethinking the multifaceted architecture of motor variability. Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:245-263. [PMID: 37976727 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, the source and the functional meaning of motor variability have attracted considerable attention in behavioral and brain sciences. This construct classically combined different levels of description, variable internal robustness or coherence, and multifaceted operational meanings. We provide here a comprehensive review of the literature with the primary aim of building a precise lexicon that goes beyond the generic and monolithic use of motor variability. In the pars destruens of the work, we model three domains of motor variability related to peculiar computational elements that influence fluctuations in motor outputs. Each domain is in turn characterized by multiple sub-domains. We begin with the domains of noise and differentiation. However, the main contribution of our model concerns the domain of adaptability, which refers to variation within the same exact motor representation. In particular, we use the terms learning and (social)fitting to specify the portions of motor variability that depend on our propensity to learn and on our largely constitutive propensity to be influenced by external factors. A particular focus is on motor variability in the context of the sub-domain named co-adaptability. Further groundbreaking challenges arise in the modeling of motor variability. Therefore, in a separate pars construens, we attempt to characterize these challenges, addressing both theoretical and experimental aspects as well as potential clinical implications for neurorehabilitation. All in all, our work suggests that motor variability is neither simply detrimental nor beneficial, and that studying its fluctuations can provide meaningful insights for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Casartelli
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Italy
| | - Camilla Maronati
- Move'n'Brains Lab, Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavallo
- Move'n'Brains Lab, Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy; C'MoN Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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5
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Schwark RW, Fuxjager MJ, Schmidt MF. Proposing a neural framework for the evolution of elaborate courtship displays. eLife 2022; 11:e74860. [PMID: 35639093 PMCID: PMC9154748 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many vertebrates, courtship occurs through the performance of elaborate behavioral displays that are as spectacular as they are complex. The question of how sexual selection acts upon these animals' neuromuscular systems to transform a repertoire of pre-existing movements into such remarkable (if not unusual) display routines has received relatively little research attention. This is a surprising gap in knowledge, given that unraveling this extraordinary process is central to understanding the evolution of behavioral diversity and its neural control. In many vertebrates, courtship displays often push the limits of neuromuscular performance, and often in a ritualized manner. These displays can range from songs that require rapid switching between two independently controlled 'voice boxes' to precisely choreographed acrobatics. Here, we propose a framework for thinking about how the brain might not only control these displays, but also shape their evolution. Our framework focuses specifically on a major midbrain area, which we view as a likely important node in the orchestration of the complex neural control of behavior used in the courtship process. This area is the periaqueductal grey (PAG), as studies suggest that it is both necessary and sufficient for the production of many instinctive survival behaviors, including courtship vocalizations. Thus, we speculate about why the PAG, as well as its key inputs, might serve as targets of sexual selection for display behavior. In doing so, we attempt to combine core ideas about the neural control of behavior with principles of display evolution. Our intent is to spur research in this area and bring together neurobiologists and behavioral ecologists to more fully understand the role that the brain might play in behavioral innovation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Schwark
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Marc F Schmidt
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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6
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Dasen JS. Establishing the Molecular and Functional Diversity of Spinal Motoneurons. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 28:3-44. [PMID: 36066819 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07167-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Spinal motoneurons are a remarkably diverse class of neurons responsible for facilitating a broad range of motor behaviors and autonomic functions. Studies of motoneuron differentiation have provided fundamental insights into the developmental mechanisms of neuronal diversification, and have illuminated principles of neural fate specification that operate throughout the central nervous system. Because of their relative anatomical simplicity and accessibility, motoneurons have provided a tractable model system to address multiple facets of neural development, including early patterning, neuronal migration, axon guidance, and synaptic specificity. Beyond their roles in providing direct communication between central circuits and muscle, recent studies have revealed that motoneuron subtype-specific programs also play important roles in determining the central connectivity and function of motor circuits. Cross-species comparative analyses have provided novel insights into how evolutionary changes in subtype specification programs may have contributed to adaptive changes in locomotor behaviors. This chapter focusses on the gene regulatory networks governing spinal motoneuron specification, and how studies of spinal motoneurons have informed our understanding of the basic mechanisms of neuronal specification and spinal circuit assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Dasen
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Hines JH. Evolutionary Origins of the Oligodendrocyte Cell Type and Adaptive Myelination. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:757360. [PMID: 34924932 PMCID: PMC8672417 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.757360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligodendrocytes are multifunctional central nervous system (CNS) glia that are essential for neural function in gnathostomes. The evolutionary origins and specializations of the oligodendrocyte cell type are among the many remaining mysteries in glial biology and neuroscience. The role of oligodendrocytes as CNS myelinating glia is well established, but recent studies demonstrate that oligodendrocytes also participate in several myelin-independent aspects of CNS development, function, and maintenance. Furthermore, many recent studies have collectively advanced our understanding of myelin plasticity, and it is now clear that experience-dependent adaptations to myelination are an additional form of neural plasticity. These observations beg the questions of when and for which functions the ancestral oligodendrocyte cell type emerged, when primitive oligodendrocytes evolved new functionalities, and the genetic changes responsible for these evolutionary innovations. Here, I review recent findings and propose working models addressing the origins and evolution of the oligodendrocyte cell type and adaptive myelination. The core gene regulatory network (GRN) specifying the oligodendrocyte cell type is also reviewed as a means to probe the existence of oligodendrocytes in basal vertebrates and chordate invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H. Hines
- Biology Department, Winona State University, Winona, MN, United States
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8
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Poliacikova G, Maurel-Zaffran C, Graba Y, Saurin AJ. Hox Proteins in the Regulation of Muscle Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:731996. [PMID: 34733846 PMCID: PMC8558437 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.731996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox genes encode evolutionary conserved transcription factors that specify the anterior-posterior axis in all bilaterians. Being well known for their role in patterning ectoderm-derivatives, such as CNS and spinal cord, Hox protein function is also crucial in mesodermal patterning. While well described in the case of the vertebrate skeleton, much less is known about Hox functions in the development of different muscle types. In contrast to vertebrates however, studies in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have provided precious insights into the requirement of Hox at multiple stages of the myogenic process. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of Hox protein function in Drosophila and vertebrate muscle development, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying target gene regulation in this process. Emphasizing a tight ectoderm/mesoderm cross talk for proper locomotion, we discuss shared principles between CNS and muscle lineage specification and the emerging role of Hox in neuromuscular circuit establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yacine Graba
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Marseille, France
| | - Andrew J Saurin
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Marseille, France
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9
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Mukaigasa K, Sakuma C, Yaginuma H. The developmental hourglass model is applicable to the spinal cord based on single-cell transcriptomes and non-conserved cis-regulatory elements. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:372-391. [PMID: 34473348 PMCID: PMC9293469 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The developmental hourglass model predicts that embryonic morphology is most conserved at the mid‐embryonic stage and diverges at the early and late stages. To date, this model has been verified by examining the anatomical features or gene expression profiles at the whole embryonic level. Here, by data mining approach utilizing multiple genomic and transcriptomic datasets from different species in combination, and by experimental validation, we demonstrate that the hourglass model is also applicable to a reduced element, the spinal cord. In the middle of spinal cord development, dorsoventrally arrayed neuronal progenitor domains are established, which are conserved among vertebrates. By comparing the publicly available single‐cell transcriptome datasets of mice and zebrafish, we found that ventral subpopulations of post‐mitotic spinal neurons display divergent molecular profiles. We also detected the non‐conservation of cis‐regulatory elements located around the progenitor fate determinants, indicating that the cis‐regulatory elements contributing to the progenitor specification are evolvable. These results demonstrate that, despite the conservation of the progenitor domains, the processes before and after the progenitor domain specification diverged. This study will be helpful to understand the molecular basis of the developmental hourglass model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuki Mukaigasa
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Chie Sakuma
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yaginuma
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
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10
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Development of motor circuits: From neuronal stem cells and neuronal diversity to motor circuit assembly. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 142:409-442. [PMID: 33706923 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss motor circuit assembly starting from neuronal stem cells. Until recently, studies of neuronal stem cells focused on how a relatively small pool of stem cells could give rise to a large diversity of different neuronal identities. Historically, neuronal identity has been assayed in embryos by gene expression, gross anatomical features, neurotransmitter expression, and physiological properties. However, these definitions of identity are largely unlinked to mature functional neuronal features relevant to motor circuits. Such mature neuronal features include presynaptic and postsynaptic partnerships, dendrite morphologies, as well as neuronal firing patterns and roles in behavior. This review focuses on recent work that links the specification of neuronal molecular identity in neuronal stem cells to mature, circuit-relevant identity specification. Specifically, these studies begin to address the question: to what extent are the decisions that occur during motor circuit assembly controlled by the same genetic information that generates diverse embryonic neuronal diversity? Much of the research addressing this question has been conducted using the Drosophila larval motor system. Here, we focus largely on Drosophila motor circuits and we point out parallels to other systems. And we highlight outstanding questions in the field. The main concepts addressed in this review are: (1) the description of temporal cohorts-novel units of developmental organization that link neuronal stem cell lineages to motor circuit configuration and (2) the discovery that temporal transcription factors expressed in neuronal stem cells control aspects of circuit assembly by controlling the size of temporal cohorts and influencing synaptic partner choice.
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11
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Catela C, Kratsios P. Transcriptional mechanisms of motor neuron development in vertebrates and invertebrates. Dev Biol 2019; 475:193-204. [PMID: 31479648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Across phylogeny, motor neurons (MNs) represent a single but often remarkably diverse neuronal class composed of a multitude of subtypes required for vital behaviors, such as eating and locomotion. Over the past decades, seminal studies in multiple model organisms have advanced our molecular understanding of the early steps of MN development, such as progenitor specification and acquisition of MN subtype identity, by revealing key roles for several evolutionarily conserved transcription factors. However, very little is known about the molecular strategies that allow distinct MN subtypes to maintain their identity- and function-defining features during the late steps of development and postnatal life. Here, we provide an overview of invertebrate and vertebrate studies on transcription factor-based strategies that control early and late steps of MN development, aiming to highlight evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory principles necessary for establishment and maintenance of neuronal identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Catela
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; The Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paschalis Kratsios
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; The Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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12
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Bahrampour S, Jonsson C, Thor S. Brain expansion promoted by polycomb-mediated anterior enhancement of a neural stem cell proliferation program. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000163. [PMID: 30807568 PMCID: PMC6407790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, genetic programs establish neural stem cells and drive both stem and daughter cell proliferation. However, the prominent anterior expansion of the CNS implies anterior–posterior (A–P) modulation of these programs. In Drosophila, a set of neural stem cell factors acts along the entire A–P axis to establish neural stem cells. Brain expansion results from enhanced stem and daughter cell proliferation, promoted by a Polycomb Group (PcG)->Homeobox (Hox) homeotic network. But how does PcG->Hox modulate neural-stem-cell–factor activity along the A–P axis? We find that the PcG->Hox network creates an A–P expression gradient of neural stem cell factors, thereby driving a gradient of proliferation. PcG mutants can be rescued by misexpression of the neural stem cell factors or by mutation of one single Hox gene. Hence, brain expansion results from anterior enhancement of core neural-stem-cell–factor expression, mediated by PcG repression of brain Hox expression. A study in fruit flies shows that the anterior expansion of the central nervous system, to form the brain, is driven by Polycomb-mediated repression of Hox genes, resulting in anterior enhancement of a neural stem cell program. The central nervous system displays a pronounced anterior expansion that forms the brain. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, this expansion is driven by enhanced anterior cell proliferation. Recent studies reveal that cell proliferation in the brain is promoted by the Polycomb Group Complex, a key epigenetic complex. During development of the central nervous system, the Polycomb Group Complex acts to exclude Hox homeotic gene expression from the brain, thereby rendering the brain a Hox-free zone. Hox genes act in an antiproliferative manner, which explains the hyperproliferation observed in the brain, as well as the gradient of proliferation along the anterior–posterior axis of the central nervous system. Here, we find that Hox genes act by repressing a common neural stem cell proliferation program in more posterior regions, resulting in an anterior–posterior gradient of “stemness.” Hence, elevated anterior proliferation is promoted by the Polycomb Group Complex acting to keep the brain free of negative Hox input, thereby ensuring elevated expression of neural stem cell factors in the brain. Strikingly, mutants of the Polycomb Group Complex can be rescued by mutation of one single Hox gene, demonstrating that the primary role of the Polycomb Group Complex is indeed Hox repression. This study advances our understanding of how neural stem cell programs operate at different axial levels of the central nervous system and may have implications also for stem cell and organoid biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Bahrampour
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Carolin Jonsson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
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13
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Abstract
Topographic maps are a basic organizational feature of nervous systems, and their construction involves both spatial and temporal cues. A recent study reports a novel mechanism of topographic map formation which relies on the timing of axon initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen P D'Elia
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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14
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Dasen JS. Evolution of Locomotor Rhythms. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:648-651. [PMID: 30274599 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Nervous systems control locomotion using rhythmically active networks that orchestrate motor neuron firing patterns. Whether animals use common or distinct genetic programs to encode motor rhythmicity remains unclear. Cross-species comparisons have revealed remarkably conserved neural patterning systems but have also unveiled divergent circuit architectures that can generate similar locomotor behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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15
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D'Elia KP, Dasen JS. Development, functional organization, and evolution of vertebrate axial motor circuits. Neural Dev 2018; 13:10. [PMID: 29855378 PMCID: PMC5984435 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-018-0108-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal control of muscles associated with the central body axis is an ancient and essential function of the nervous systems of most animal species. Throughout the course of vertebrate evolution, motor circuits dedicated to control of axial muscle have undergone significant changes in their roles within the motor system. In most fish species, axial circuits are critical for coordinating muscle activation sequences essential for locomotion and play important roles in postural correction. In tetrapods, axial circuits have evolved unique functions essential to terrestrial life, including maintaining spinal alignment and breathing. Despite the diverse roles of axial neural circuits in motor behaviors, the genetic programs underlying their assembly are poorly understood. In this review, we describe recent studies that have shed light on the development of axial motor circuits and compare and contrast the strategies used to wire these neural networks in aquatic and terrestrial vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen P D'Elia
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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16
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Clark MQ, Zarin AA, Carreira-Rosario A, Doe CQ. Neural circuits driving larval locomotion in Drosophila. Neural Dev 2018; 13:6. [PMID: 29673388 PMCID: PMC5907184 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-018-0103-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 30 years of studies into Drosophila melanogaster neurogenesis have revealed fundamental insights into our understanding of axon guidance mechanisms, neural differentiation, and early cell fate decisions. What is less understood is how a group of neurons from disparate anterior-posterior axial positions, lineages and developmental periods of neurogenesis coalesce to form a functional circuit. Using neurogenetic techniques developed in Drosophila it is now possible to study the neural substrates of behavior at single cell resolution. New mapping tools described in this review, allow researchers to chart neural connectivity to better understand how an anatomically simple organism performs complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Q Clark
- Institute of Neuroscience, Institute of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasedena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Aref Arzan Zarin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Institute of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | | | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Institute of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
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17
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Jung H, Baek M, D'Elia KP, Boisvert C, Currie PD, Tay BH, Venkatesh B, Brown SM, Heguy A, Schoppik D, Dasen JS. The Ancient Origins of Neural Substrates for Land Walking. Cell 2018; 172:667-682.e15. [PMID: 29425489 PMCID: PMC5808577 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Walking is the predominant locomotor behavior expressed by land-dwelling vertebrates, but it is unknown when the neural circuits that are essential for limb control first appeared. Certain fish species display walking-like behaviors, raising the possibility that the underlying circuitry originated in primitive marine vertebrates. We show that the neural substrates of bipedalism are present in the little skate Leucoraja erinacea, whose common ancestor with tetrapods existed ∼420 million years ago. Leucoraja exhibits core features of tetrapod locomotor gaits, including left-right alternation and reciprocal extension-flexion of the pelvic fins. Leucoraja also deploys a remarkably conserved Hox transcription factor-dependent program that is essential for selective innervation of fin/limb muscle. This network encodes peripheral connectivity modules that are distinct from those used in axial muscle-based swimming and has apparently been diminished in most modern fish. These findings indicate that the circuits that are essential for walking evolved through adaptation of a genetic regulatory network shared by all vertebrates with paired appendages. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heekyung Jung
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Myungin Baek
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kristen P D'Elia
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Catherine Boisvert
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Peter D Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; EMBL Australia, Melbourne Node, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Boon-Hui Tay
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Byrappa Venkatesh
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Stuart M Brown
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratory, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Adriana Heguy
- Genome Technology Center, Division for Advanced Research Technologies, and Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David Schoppik
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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18
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Yaghmaeian Salmani B, Monedero Cobeta I, Rakar J, Bauer S, Curt JR, Starkenberg A, Thor S. Evolutionarily conserved anterior expansion of the central nervous system promoted by a common PcG-Hox program. Development 2018. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.160747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A conserved feature of the central nervous system (CNS) is the prominent expansion of anterior regions (brain) when compared to posterior (nerve cord). The cellular and regulatory processes driving anterior CNS expansion are not well understood in any bilaterian species. Here, we address this expansion in Drosophila and mouse. We find that when compared to the nerve cord the brain, in both Drosophila and mouse, displays extended progenitor proliferation, more elaborate daughter cell proliferation and more rapid cell cycle speed. These features contribute to anterior CNS expansion in both species. With respect to genetic control, enhanced brain proliferation is severely reduced by ectopic Hox gene expression, by either Hox misexpression or by loss of Polycomb Group (PcG) function. Strikingly, in PcG mutants, early CNS proliferation appears unaffected, whereas subsequently, brain proliferation is severely reduced. Hence, a conserved PcG-Hox program promotes the anterior expansion of the CNS. The profound differences in proliferation and in the underlying genetic mechanisms between brain and nerve cord lend support to the emerging concept of separate evolutionary origins of these two CNS regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignacio Monedero Cobeta
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Jonathan Rakar
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Susanne Bauer
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Jesús Rodriguez Curt
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Annika Starkenberg
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Stefan Thor
- Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185, Linkoping, Sweden
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19
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Abstract
Motor neurons of the spinal cord are responsible for the assembly of neuromuscular connections indispensable for basic locomotion and skilled movements. A precise spatial relationship exists between the position of motor neuron cell bodies in the spinal cord and the course of their axonal projections to peripheral muscle targets. Motor neuron innervation of the vertebrate limb is a prime example of this topographic organization and by virtue of its accessibility and predictability has provided access to fundamental principles of motor system development and neuronal guidance. The seemingly basic binary map established by genetically defined motor neuron subtypes that target muscles in the limb is directed by a surprisingly large number of directional cues. Rather than being simply redundant, these converging signaling pathways are hierarchically linked and cooperate to increase the fidelity of axon pathfinding decisions. A current priority is to determine how multiple guidance signals are integrated by individual growth cones and how they synergize to delineate class-specific axonal trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Bonanomi
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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20
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Fritzsch B, Elliott KL, Glover JC. Gaskell revisited: new insights into spinal autonomics necessitate a revised motor neuron nomenclature. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 370:195-209. [PMID: 28856468 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2676-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Several concepts developed in the nineteenth century have formed the basis of much of our neuroanatomical teaching today. Not all of these were based on solid evidence nor have withstood the test of time. Recent evidence on the evolution and development of the autonomic nervous system, combined with molecular insights into the development and diversification of motor neurons, challenges some of the ideas held for over 100 years about the organization of autonomic motor outflow. This review provides an overview of the original ideas and quality of supporting data and contrasts this with a more accurate and in depth insight provided by studies using modern techniques. Several lines of data demonstrate that branchial motor neurons are a distinct motor neuron population within the vertebrate brainstem, from which parasympathetic visceral motor neurons of the brainstem evolved. The lack of an autonomic nervous system in jawless vertebrates implies that spinal visceral motor neurons evolved out of spinal somatic motor neurons. Consistent with the evolutionary origin of brainstem parasympathetic motor neurons out of branchial motor neurons and spinal sympathetic motor neurons out of spinal motor neurons is the recent revision of the organization of the autonomic nervous system into a cranial parasympathetic and a spinal sympathetic division (e.g., there is no sacral parasympathetic division). We propose a new nomenclature that takes all of these new insights into account and avoids the conceptual misunderstandings and incorrect interpretation of limited and technically inferior data inherent in the old nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Fritzsch
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, 129 E Jefferson Street, 214 Biology Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. .,Center on Aging & Aging Mind and Brain Initiative, Weslawn Office 2159 A-2, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1324, USA.
| | - Karen L Elliott
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, 129 E Jefferson Street, 214 Biology Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Joel C Glover
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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21
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Landry-Truchon K, Houde N, Boucherat O, Joncas FH, Dasen JS, Philippidou P, Mansfield JH, Jeannotte L. HOXA5 plays tissue-specific roles in the developing respiratory system. Development 2017; 144:3547-3561. [PMID: 28827394 DOI: 10.1242/dev.152686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Hoxa5 is essential for development of several organs and tissues. In the respiratory system, loss of Hoxa5 function causes neonatal death due to respiratory distress. Expression of HOXA5 protein in mesenchyme of the respiratory tract and in phrenic motor neurons of the central nervous system led us to address the individual contribution of these Hoxa5 expression domains using a conditional gene targeting approach. Hoxa5 does not play a cell-autonomous role in lung epithelium, consistent with lack of HOXA5 expression in this cell layer. In contrast, ablation of Hoxa5 in mesenchyme perturbed trachea development, lung epithelial cell differentiation and lung growth. Further, deletion of Hoxa5 in motor neurons resulted in abnormal diaphragm innervation and musculature, and lung hypoplasia. It also reproduced the neonatal lethality observed in null mutants, indicating that the defective diaphragm is the main cause of impaired survival at birth. Thus, Hoxa5 possesses tissue-specific functions that differentially contribute to the morphogenesis of the respiratory tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Landry-Truchon
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Nicolas Houde
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Olivier Boucherat
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - France-Hélène Joncas
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10036, USA
| | - Polyxeni Philippidou
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10036, USA
| | - Jennifer H Mansfield
- Department of Biology, Barnard College-Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Lucie Jeannotte
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec G1R 3S3, Canada
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22
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Divergent Hox Coding and Evasion of Retinoid Signaling Specifies Motor Neurons Innervating Digit Muscles. Neuron 2017; 93:792-805.e4. [PMID: 28190640 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of spinal motor neuron subclass diversity is achieved through developmental programs that are aligned with the organization of muscle targets in the limb. The evolutionary emergence of digits represents a specialized adaptation of limb morphology, yet it remains unclear how the specification of digit-innervating motor neuron subtypes parallels the elaboration of digits. We show that digit-innervating motor neurons can be defined by selective gene markers and distinguished from other LMC neurons by the expression of a variant Hox gene repertoire and by the failure to express a key enzyme involved in retinoic acid synthesis. This divergent developmental program is sufficient to induce the specification of digit-innervating motor neurons, emphasizing the specialized status of digit control in the evolution of skilled motor behaviors. Our findings suggest that the emergence of digits in the limb is matched by distinct mechanisms for specifying motor neurons that innervate digit muscles.
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23
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Dasen JS. Master or servant? emerging roles for motor neuron subtypes in the construction and evolution of locomotor circuits. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 42:25-32. [PMID: 27907815 PMCID: PMC5316365 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Execution of motor behaviors relies on the ability of circuits within the nervous system to engage functionally relevant subtypes of spinal motor neurons. While much attention has been given to the role of networks of spinal interneurons on setting the rhythm and pattern of output from locomotor circuits, recent studies suggest that motor neurons themselves can exert an instructive role in shaping the wiring and functional properties of locomotor networks. Alteration in the distribution of motor neuron subtypes also appears to have contributed to evolutionary transitions in the locomotor strategies used by land vertebrates. This review describes emerging evidence that motor neuron-derived cues can have a profound influence on the organization, wiring, and evolutionary diversification of locomotor circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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24
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Stollewerk A. A flexible genetic toolkit for arthropod neurogenesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150044. [PMID: 26598727 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropods show considerable variations in early neurogenesis. This includes the pattern of specification, division and movement of neural precursors and progenitors. In all metazoans with nervous systems, including arthropods, conserved genes regulate neurogenesis, which raises the question of how the various morphological mechanisms have emerged and how the same genetic toolkit might generate different morphological outcomes. Here I address this question by comparing neurogenesis across arthropods and show how variations in the regulation and function of the neural genes might explain this phenomenon and how they might have facilitated the evolution of the diverse morphological mechanisms of neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Stollewerk
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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25
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Katz PS. Evolution of central pattern generators and rhythmic behaviours. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150057. [PMID: 26598733 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparisons of rhythmic movements and the central pattern generators (CPGs) that control them uncover principles about the evolution of behaviour and neural circuits. Over the course of evolutionary history, gradual evolution of behaviours and their neural circuitry within any lineage of animals has been a predominant occurrence. Small changes in gene regulation can lead to divergence of circuit organization and corresponding changes in behaviour. However, some behavioural divergence has resulted from large-scale rewiring of the neural network. Divergence of CPG circuits has also occurred without a corresponding change in behaviour. When analogous rhythmic behaviours have evolved independently, it has generally been with different neural mechanisms. Repeated evolution of particular rhythmic behaviours has occurred within some lineages due to parallel evolution or latent CPGs. Particular motor pattern generating mechanisms have also evolved independently in separate lineages. The evolution of CPGs and rhythmic behaviours shows that although most behaviours and neural circuits are highly conserved, the nature of the behaviour does not dictate the neural mechanism and that the presence of homologous neural components does not determine the behaviour. This suggests that although behaviour is generated by neural circuits, natural selection can act separately on these two levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Katz
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA
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26
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Hanley O, Zewdu R, Cohen LJ, Jung H, Lacombe J, Philippidou P, Lee DH, Selleri L, Dasen JS. Parallel Pbx-Dependent Pathways Govern the Coalescence and Fate of Motor Columns. Neuron 2016; 91:1005-1020. [PMID: 27568519 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The clustering of neurons sharing similar functional properties and connectivity is a common organizational feature of vertebrate nervous systems. Within motor networks, spinal motor neurons (MNs) segregate into longitudinally arrayed subtypes, establishing a central somatotopic map of peripheral target innervation. MN organization and connectivity relies on Hox transcription factors expressed along the rostrocaudal axis; however, the developmental mechanisms governing the orderly arrangement of MNs are largely unknown. We show that Pbx genes, which encode Hox cofactors, are essential for the segregation and clustering of neurons within motor columns. In the absence of Pbx1 and Pbx3 function, Hox-dependent programs are lost and the remaining MN subtypes are unclustered and disordered. Identification of Pbx gene targets revealed an unexpected and apparently Hox-independent role in defining molecular features of dorsally projecting medial motor column (MMC) neurons. These results indicate Pbx genes act in parallel genetic pathways to orchestrate neuronal subtype differentiation, connectivity, and organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hanley
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rediet Zewdu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lisa J Cohen
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Heekyung Jung
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Julie Lacombe
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Polyxeni Philippidou
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David H Lee
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Licia Selleri
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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27
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Guzmán DA, Pellegrini S, Flesia AG, Aon MA, Marin RH, Kembro JM. High resolution, week-long, locomotion time series from Japanese quail in a home-box environment. Sci Data 2016; 3:160036. [PMID: 27271772 PMCID: PMC4896122 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2016.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal and spatial patterns of locomotion reflect both resting periods and the movement from one place to another to satisfy physiological and behavioural needs. Locomotion is studied in diverse areas of biology such as chronobiology and physiology, as well as in biomathematics. Herein, the locomotion of 24 visually-isolated Japanese quails in their home-box environment was recorded continuously over a 6.5 days at a 0.5 s sampling rate. Three time series are presented for each bird: (1) locomotor activity, (2) distance ambulated, and (3) zone of the box where the bird is located. These high resolution, week-long, time series consisting of 1.07×106 data points represent, to our knowledge, a unique data set in animal behavior, and are publically available on FigShare. The data obtained can be used for analyzing dynamic changes of daily or several day locomotion patterns, or for comparison with existing or future data sets or mathematical models across different taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Guzmán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, 20 Blichers Allé, Post Box 50, DK-8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Stefania Pellegrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana G Flesia
- Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios de Matemática (CIEM, CONICET), and Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física FAMAF, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ing. Medina Allende s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, CP X5000HUA, Argentina
| | - Miguel A Aon
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Raúl H Marin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Jackelyn M Kembro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
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28
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Hirasawa T, Fujimoto S, Kuratani S. Expansion of the neck reconstituted the shoulder-diaphragm in amniote evolution. Dev Growth Differ 2015; 58:143-53. [PMID: 26510533 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The neck acquired flexibility through modifications of the head-trunk interface in vertebrate evolution. Although developmental programs for the neck musculoskeletal system have attracted the attention of evolutionary developmental biologists, how the heart, shoulder and surrounding tissues are modified during development has remained unclear. Here we show, through observation of the lateral plate mesoderm at cranial somite levels in chicken-quail chimeras, that the deep part of the lateral body wall is moved concomitant with the caudal transposition of the heart, resulting in the infolding of the expanded cervical lateral body wall into the thorax. Judging from the brachial plexus pattern, an equivalent infolding also appears to take place in mammalian and turtle embryos. In mammals, this infolding process is particularly important because it separates the diaphragm from the shoulder muscle mass. In turtles, the expansion of the cervical lateral body wall affects morphogenesis of the shoulder. Our findings highlight the cellular expansion in developing amniote necks that incidentally brought about the novel adaptive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Hirasawa
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Satoko Fujimoto
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kuratani
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
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Abstract
Control of movement is a fundamental and complex task of the vertebrate nervous system, which relies on communication between circuits distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord. Many of the networks essential for the execution of basic locomotor behaviors are composed of discrete neuronal populations residing within the spinal cord. The organization and connectivity of these circuits is established through programs that generate functionally diverse neuronal subtypes, each contributing to a specific facet of motor output. Significant progress has been made in deciphering how neuronal subtypes are specified and in delineating the guidance and synaptic specificity determinants at the core of motor circuit assembly. Recent studies have shed light on the basic principles linking locomotor circuit connectivity with function, and they are beginning to reveal how more sophisticated motor behaviors are encoded. In this review, we discuss the impact of developmental programs in specifying motor behaviors governed by spinal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Catela
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
| | - Maggie M Shin
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
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