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Kawabata H, Konno A, Matsuzaki Y, Sato Y, Kawachi M, Aoki R, Tsutsumi S, Togai S, Kobayashi R, Horii T, Hatada I, Hirai H. Improving cell-specific recombination using AAV vectors in the murine CNS by capsid and expression cassette optimization. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101185. [PMID: 38282896 PMCID: PMC10811426 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The production of cell-type- and age-specific genetically modified mice is a powerful approach for unraveling unknown gene functions. Here, we present a simple and timesaving method that enables adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated cell-type- and age-specific recombination in floxed mice. To achieve astrocyte-specific recombination in floxed Ai14 reporter mice, we intravenously injected blood-brain barrier-penetrating AAV-PHP.eB vectors expressing Cre recombinase (Cre) using the astrocyte-specific mouse glial fibrillary acidic protein (mGfaABC1D) promoter. However, we observed nonspecific neuron-predominant transduction despite the use of an astrocyte-specific promoter. We speculated that subtle but continuous Cre expression in nonastrocytic cells triggers recombination, and that excess production of Cre in astrocytes inhibits recombination by forming Cre-DNA aggregates. Here, we resolved this paradoxical event by dividing a single AAV into two mGfaABC1D-promoter-driven AAV vectors, one expressing codon-optimized flippase (FlpO) and another expressing flippase recognition target-flanked rapidly degrading Cre (dCre), together with switching the neuron-tropic PHP.eB capsid to astrocyte-tropic AAV-F. Moreover, we found that the FlpO-dCre system with a target cell-tropic capsid can also function in neuron-targeting recombination in floxed mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Kawabata
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University, Initiative for Advanced Research, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Yasunori Matsuzaki
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University, Initiative for Advanced Research, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Yumika Sato
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Mika Kawachi
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Ryo Aoki
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Saki Tsutsumi
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Shota Togai
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Takuro Horii
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Izuho Hatada
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University, Initiative for Advanced Research, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Department of Neurophysiology & Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University, Initiative for Advanced Research, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
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2
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Bacman SR, Barrera-Paez JD, Pinto M, Van Booven D, Stewart JB, Griswold AJ, Moraes CT. mitoTALEN reduces the mutant mtDNA load in neurons. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102132. [PMID: 38404505 PMCID: PMC10883830 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Mutations within mtDNA frequently give rise to severe encephalopathies. Given that a majority of these mtDNA defects exist in a heteroplasmic state, we harnessed the precision of mitochondrial-targeted TALEN (mitoTALEN) to selectively eliminate mutant mtDNA within the CNS of a murine model harboring a heteroplasmic mutation in the mitochondrial tRNA alanine gene (m.5024C>T). This targeted approach was accomplished by the use of AAV-PHP.eB and a neuron-specific synapsin promoter for effective neuronal delivery and expression of mitoTALEN. We found that most CNS regions were effectively transduced and showed a significant reduction in mutant mtDNA. This reduction was accompanied by an increase in mitochondrial tRNA alanine levels, which are drastically reduced by the m.5024C>T mutation. These results showed that mitochondrial-targeted gene editing can be effective in reducing CNS-mutant mtDNA in vivo, paving the way for clinical trials in patients with mitochondrial encephalopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra R. Bacman
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jose Domingo Barrera-Paez
- Graduate Program in Human Genetics and Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Milena Pinto
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Derek Van Booven
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - James B. Stewart
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Anthony J. Griswold
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Carlos T. Moraes
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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3
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Borzou A, Miller SN, Hommel JD, Schwarz JM. Cocaine diminishes functional network robustness and destabilizes the energy landscape of neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae092. [PMID: 38476665 PMCID: PMC10929585 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
We present analysis of neuronal activity recordings from a subset of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats before and after the administration of cocaine. Using an underlying modern Hopfield model as a description for the neuronal network, combined with a machine learning approach, we compute the underlying functional connectivity of the neuronal network. We find that the functional connectivity changes after the administration of cocaine with both functional-excitatory and functional-inhibitory neurons being affected. Using conventional network analysis, we find that the diameter of the graph, or the shortest length between the two most distant nodes, increases with cocaine, suggesting that the neuronal network is less robust. We also find that the betweenness centrality scores for several of the functional-excitatory and functional-inhibitory neurons decrease significantly, while other scores remain essentially unchanged, to also suggest that the neuronal network is less robust. Finally, we study the distribution of neuronal activity and relate it to energy to find that cocaine drives the neuronal network towards destabilization in the energy landscape of neuronal activation. While this destabilization is presumably temporary given one administration of cocaine, perhaps this initial destabilization indicates a transition towards a new stable state with repeated cocaine administration. However, such analyses are useful more generally to understand how neuronal networks respond to perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Borzou
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
- CompuFlair, Houston, TX 77064, USA
| | - Sierra N Miller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jonathan D Hommel
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - J M Schwarz
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
- Indian Creek Farm, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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4
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Albrechet‐Souza L, Kasten CR, Bertagna NB, Wills TA. Sex-specific negative affect-like behaviour and parabrachial nucleus activation induced by BNST stimulation in adult mice with adolescent alcohol history. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13366. [PMID: 38380710 PMCID: PMC10883599 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13366] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol use is a strong predictor for the subsequent development of alcohol use disorders later in life. Additionally, adolescence is a critical period for the onset of affective disorders, which can contribute to problematic drinking behaviours and relapse, particularly in females. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that exposure to adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) vapour alters glutamatergic transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and, when combined with adult stress, elicits sex-specific changes in glutamatergic plasticity and negative affect-like behaviours in mice. Building on these findings, the current work investigated whether BNST stimulation could substitute for stress exposure to increase the latency to consume a palatable food in a novel context (hyponeophagia) and promote social avoidance in adult mice with AIE history. Given the dense connections between the BNST and the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), a region involved in mediating threat assessment and feeding behaviours, we hypothesized that increased negative affect-like behaviours would be associated with PBN activation. Our results revealed that the chemogenetic stimulation of the dorsolateral BNST induced hyponeophagia in females with AIE history, but not in female controls or males of either group. Social interaction remained unaffected in both sexes. Notably, this behavioural phenotype was associated with higher activation of calcitonin gene-related peptide and dynorphin cells in the PBN. These findings provide new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the development of negative affect in females and highlight the potential involvement of the BNST-PBN circuitry in regulating emotional responses to alcohol-related stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Albrechet‐Souza
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Chelsea R. Kasten
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Natalia B. Bertagna
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Department of PharmacologyFederal University of São PauloSão PauloSPBrazil
| | - Tiffany A. Wills
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of MedicineLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
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5
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Banks E, Gutekunst CA, Vargish GA, Eaton A, Pelkey KA, McBain CJ, Zheng JQ, Oláh VJ, Rowan MJM. An enhancer-AAV approach selectively targeting dentate granule cells of the mouse hippocampus. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100684. [PMID: 38211592 PMCID: PMC10831952 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian brain contains a diverse array of cell types, including dozens of neuronal subtypes with distinct anatomical and functional characteristics. The brain leverages these neuron-type specializations to perform diverse circuit operations and thus execute different behaviors properly. Through the use of Cre lines, access to specific neuron types has improved over past decades. Despite their extraordinary utility, development and cross-breeding of Cre lines is time consuming and expensive, presenting a significant barrier to entry for investigators. Furthermore, cell-based therapeutics developed in Cre mice are not clinically translatable. Recently, several adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors utilizing neuron-type-specific regulatory transcriptional sequences (enhancer-AAVs) were developed that overcome these limitations. Using a publicly available RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset, we evaluated the potential of several candidate enhancers for neuron-type-specific targeting in the hippocampus. Here, we demonstrate that a previously identified enhancer-AAV selectively targets dentate granule cells over other excitatory neuron types in the hippocampus of wild-type adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmie Banks
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; GDBBS Graduate Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Claire-Anne Gutekunst
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Geoffrey A Vargish
- Section on Cellular and Synaptic Physiology, NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anna Eaton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth A Pelkey
- Section on Cellular and Synaptic Physiology, NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chris J McBain
- Section on Cellular and Synaptic Physiology, NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James Q Zheng
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Viktor Janos Oláh
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Matthew J M Rowan
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Wang J, Lin J, Chen Y, Liu J, Zheng Q, Deng M, Wang R, Zhang Y, Feng S, Xu Z, Ye W, Hu Y, Duan J, Lin Y, Dai J, Chen Y, Li Y, Luo T, Chen Q, Lu Z. An ultra-compact promoter drives widespread neuronal expression in mouse and monkey brains. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113348. [PMID: 37910509 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoters are essential tools for basic and translational neuroscience research. An ideal promoter should possess the shortest possible DNA sequence with cell-type selectivity. However, whether ultra-compact promoters can offer neuron-specific expression is unclear. Here, we report the development of an extremely short promoter that enables selective gene expression in neurons, but not glial cells, in the brain. The promoter sequence originates from the human CALM1 gene and is only 120 bp in size. The CALM1 promoter (pCALM1) embedded in an adeno-associated virus (AAV) genome directed broad reporter expression in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in mouse and monkey brains. Moreover, pCALM1, when inserted into an all-in-one AAV vector expressing SpCas9 and sgRNA, drives constitutive and conditional in vivo gene editing in neurons and elicits functional alterations. These data demonstrate the ability of pCALM1 to conduct restricted neuronal gene expression, illustrating the feasibility of ultra-miniature promoters for targeting brain-cell subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518034, China; Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianbang Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yefei Chen
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518027, China
| | - Qiongping Zheng
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mao Deng
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Ruiqi Wang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shijing Feng
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhenyan Xu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Weiyi Ye
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yu Hu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiamei Duan
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yunping Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ji Dai
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuantao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518027, China; Biomedical Research Institute, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518034, China
| | - Qian Chen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Biomedical Imaging Science and System Key Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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7
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Gerasimov E, Mitenev A, Pchitskaya E, Chukanov V, Bezprozvanny I. NeuroActivityToolkit-Toolbox for Quantitative Analysis of Miniature Fluorescent Microscopy Data. J Imaging 2023; 9:243. [PMID: 37998090 PMCID: PMC10672520 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging9110243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The visualization of neuronal activity in vivo is an urgent task in modern neuroscience. It allows neurobiologists to obtain a large amount of information about neuronal network architecture and connections between neurons. The miniscope technique might help to determine changes that occurred in the network due to external stimuli and various conditions: processes of learning, stress, epileptic seizures and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, using the miniscope method, functional changes in the early stages of such disorders could be detected. The miniscope has become a modern approach for recording hundreds to thousands of neurons simultaneously in a certain brain area of a freely behaving animal. Nevertheless, the analysis and interpretation of the large recorded data is still a nontrivial task. There are a few well-working algorithms for miniscope data preprocessing and calcium trace extraction. However, software for further high-level quantitative analysis of neuronal calcium signals is not publicly available. NeuroActivityToolkit is a toolbox that provides diverse statistical metrics calculation, reflecting the neuronal network properties such as the number of neuronal activations per minute, amount of simultaneously co-active neurons, etc. In addition, the module for analyzing neuronal pairwise correlations is implemented. Moreover, one can visualize and characterize neuronal network states and detect changes in 2D coordinates using PCA analysis. This toolbox, which is deposited in a public software repository, is accompanied by a detailed tutorial and is highly valuable for the statistical interpretation of miniscope data in a wide range of experimental tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenii Gerasimov
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Khlopina St. 11, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander Mitenev
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Khlopina St. 11, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Pchitskaya
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Khlopina St. 11, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Viacheslav Chukanov
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Khlopina St. 11, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ilya Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Khlopina St. 11, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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8
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Cheng W, Huang J, Fu XQ, Tian WY, Zeng PM, Li Y, Luo ZG. Intrathecal delivery of AAV-NDNF ameliorates disease progression of ALS mice. Mol Ther 2023; 31:3277-3289. [PMID: 37766430 PMCID: PMC10638056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a uniformly lethal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive deterioration of motor neurons and neuromuscular denervation. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of trophic factors is being considered as a potential disease-modifying therapeutic avenue. Here we show a marked effect of AAV-mediated over-expression of neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF) on SOD1G93A ALS model mice. First, we adopt AAV-PHP.eB capsid to enable widespread expression of target proteins in the brain and spinal cord when delivered intrathecally. Then we tested the effects of AAV-NDNF on SOD1G93A mice at different stages of disease. Interestingly, AAV-NDNF markedly improved motor performance and alleviated weight loss when delivered at early post-symptomatic stage. Injection in the middle post-symptomatic stages still improved the locomotion ability, although it did not alleviate the loss of body weight. Injection in the late stage also extended the life span of SOD1G93A mice. Furthermore, NDNF expression promoted the survival of spinal motoneurons, reduced abnormal protein aggregation, and preserved the innervated neuromuscular functions. We further analyzed the signaling pathways of NDNF expression and found that it activates cell survival and growth-associated mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway and downregulates apoptosis-related pathways. Thus, intrathecally AAV-NDNF delivery has provided a potential strategy for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiu-Qing Fu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wei-Ya Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Peng-Ming Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhen-Ge Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
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9
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Li L, Vasan L, Kartono B, Clifford K, Attarpour A, Sharma R, Mandrozos M, Kim A, Zhao W, Belotserkovsky A, Verkuyl C, Schmitt-Ulms G. Advances in Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2725. [PMID: 37893099 PMCID: PMC10603849 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are gene therapy delivery tools that offer a promising platform for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Keeping up with developments in this fast-moving area of research is a challenge. This review was thus written with the intention to introduce this field of study to those who are new to it and direct others who are struggling to stay abreast of the literature towards notable recent studies. In ten sections, we briefly highlight early milestones within this field and its first clinical success stories. We showcase current clinical trials, which focus on gene replacement, gene augmentation, or gene suppression strategies. Next, we discuss ongoing efforts to improve the tropism of rAAV vectors for brain applications and introduce pre-clinical research directed toward harnessing rAAV vectors for gene editing applications. Subsequently, we present common genetic elements coded by the single-stranded DNA of rAAV vectors, their so-called payloads. Our focus is on recent advances that are bound to increase treatment efficacies. As needed, we included studies outside the neurodegenerative disease field that showcased improved pre-clinical designs of all-in-one rAAV vectors for gene editing applications. Finally, we discuss risks associated with off-target effects and inadvertent immunogenicity that these technologies harbor as well as the mitigation strategies available to date to make their application safer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyao Li
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Lakshmy Vasan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Bryan Kartono
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Kevan Clifford
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Ahmadreza Attarpour
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College St., Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Raghav Sharma
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Matthew Mandrozos
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ain Kim
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wenda Zhao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ari Belotserkovsky
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Claire Verkuyl
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Gerold Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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10
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Conlisk D, Ceau M, Fiancette JF, Winke N, Darmagnac E, Herry C, Deroche-Gamonet V. Integrating operant behavior and fiber photometry with the open-source python library Pyfiber. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16562. [PMID: 37783729 PMCID: PMC10545777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43565-1] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the popularity of fiber photometry (FP), its integration with operant behavior paradigms is progressing slowly. This can be attributed to the complex protocols in operant behavior - resulting in a combination of diverse non-predictable behavioral responses and scheduled events, thereby complicating data analysis. To overcome this, we developed Pyfiber, an open-source python library which facilitates the merge of FP with operant behavior by relating changes in fluorescent signals within a neuronal population to behavioral responses and events. Pyfiber helps to 1. Extract events and responses that occur in operant behavior, 2. Extract and process the FP signals, 3. Select events of interest and align them to the corresponding FP signals, 4. Apply appropriate signal normalization and analysis according to the type of events, 5. Run analysis on multiple individuals and sessions, 6. Collect results in an easily readable format. Pyfiber is suitable for use with many different fluorescent sensors and operant behavior protocols. It was developed using Doric lenses FP systems and Imetronic behavioral systems, but it possesses the capability to process data from alternative systems. This work sets a solid foundation for analyzing the relationship between different dimensions of complex behavioral paradigms with fluorescent signals from brain regions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Conlisk
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Matias Ceau
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Nanci Winke
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
- UCL, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, London, UK
| | - Elise Darmagnac
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cyril Herry
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
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11
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Challa NVD, Chen S, Yuan H, Duncan MR, Moreno WJ, Bramlett H, Dietrich WD, Benny M, Schmidt AF, Young K, Wu S. GSDMD gene knockout alleviates hyperoxia-induced hippocampal brain injury in neonatal mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:205. [PMID: 37679766 PMCID: PMC10486051 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02878-8] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal hyperoxia exposure is associated with brain injury and poor neurodevelopment outcomes in preterm infants. Our previous studies in neonatal rodent models have shown that hyperoxia stimulates the brain's inflammasome pathway, leading to the activation of gasdermin D (GSDMD), a key executor of pyroptotic inflammatory cell death. Moreover, we found pharmacological inhibition of caspase-1, which blocks GSDMD activation, attenuates hyperoxia-induced brain injury in neonatal mice. We hypothesized that GSDMD plays a pathogenic role in hyperoxia-induced neonatal brain injury and that GSDMD gene knockout (KO) will alleviate hyperoxia-induced brain injury. METHODS Newborn GSDMD knockout mice and their wildtype (WT) littermates were randomized within 24 h after birth to be exposed to room air or hyperoxia (85% O2) from postnatal days 1 to 14. Hippocampal brain inflammatory injury was assessed in brain sections by immunohistology for allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF1) and CD68, markers of microglial activation. Cell proliferation was evaluated by Ki-67 staining, and cell death was determined by TUNEL assay. RNA sequencing of the hippocampus was performed to identify the transcriptional effects of hyperoxia and GSDMD-KO, and qRT-PCR was performed to confirm some of the significantly regulated genes. RESULTS Hyperoxia-exposed WT mice had increased microglia consistent with activation, which was associated with decreased cell proliferation and increased cell death in the hippocampal area. Conversely, hyperoxia-exposed GSDMD-KO mice exhibited considerable resistance to hyperoxia as O2 exposure did not increase AIF1 + , CD68 + , or TUNEL + cell numbers or decrease cell proliferation. Hyperoxia exposure differentially regulated 258 genes in WT and only 16 in GSDMD-KO mice compared to room air-exposed WT and GSDMD-KO, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that in the WT brain, hyperoxia differentially regulated genes associated with neuronal and vascular development and differentiation, axonogenesis, glial cell differentiation, hypoxia-induced factor 1 pathway, and neuronal growth factor pathways. These changes were prevented by GSDMD-KO. CONCLUSIONS GSDMD-KO alleviates hyperoxia-induced inflammatory injury, cell survival and death, and alterations of transcriptional gene expression of pathways involved in neuronal growth, development, and differentiation in the hippocampus of neonatal mice. This suggests that GSDMD plays a pathogenic role in preterm brain injury, and targeting GSDMD may be beneficial in preventing and treating brain injury and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naga Venkata Divya Challa
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Shaoyi Chen
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Huijun Yuan
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Matthew R Duncan
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - William Javier Moreno
- Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Helen Bramlett
- Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - W Dalton Dietrich
- Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Merline Benny
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Augusto F Schmidt
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Karen Young
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Shu Wu
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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12
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Ophir O, Levy G, Bar E, Kimchi Feldhorn O, Rokach M, Elad Sfadia G, Barak B. Deletion of Gtf2i via Systemic Administration of AAV-PHP.eB Virus Increases Social Behavior in a Mouse Model of a Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2273. [PMID: 37626769 PMCID: PMC10452363 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by distinctive cognitive and personality profiles which also impacts various physiological systems. The syndrome arises from the deletion of about 25 genes located on chromosome 7q11.23, including Gtf2i. Prior research indicated a strong association between pre-natal Gtf2i deletion, and the hyper-social phenotypes observed in WS, as well as myelination deficits. As most studies addressed pre-natal Gtf2i deletion in mouse models, post-natal neuronal roles of Gtf2i were unknown. To investigate the impact of post-natal deletion of neuronal Gtf2i on hyper-sociability, we intravenously injected an AAV-PHP.eB virus expressing Cre-recombinase under the control of αCaMKII, a promoter in a mouse model with floxed Gtf2i. This targeted deletion was performed in young mice, allowing for precise and efficient brain-wide infection leading to the exclusive removal of Gtf2i from excitatory neurons. As a result of such gene deletion, the mice displayed hyper-sociability, increased anxiety, impaired cognition, and hyper-mobility, relative to controls. These findings highlight the potential of systemic viral manipulation as a gene-editing technique to modulate behavior-regulating genes during the post-natal stage, thus presenting novel therapeutic approaches for addressing neurodevelopmental dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Ophir
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Gilad Levy
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ela Bar
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | | | - May Rokach
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Galit Elad Sfadia
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Boaz Barak
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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13
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Banks E, Gutekunst CA, Vargish GA, Eaton A, Pelkey KA, McBain CJ, Zheng JQ, Oláh VJ, Rowan MJ. A novel enhancer-AAV approach selectively targeting dentate granule cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.03.527045. [PMID: 37214904 PMCID: PMC10197561 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.03.527045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain contains the most diverse array of cell types of any organ, including dozens of neuronal subtypes with distinct anatomical and functional characteristics. The brain leverages these neuron-type-specializations to perform diverse circuit operations and thus execute different behaviors properly. Through the use of Cre lines, access to specific neuron types has steadily improved over past decades. Despite their extraordinary utility, development and cross-breeding of Cre lines is time-consuming and expensive, presenting a significant barrier to entry for many investigators. Furthermore, cell-based therapeutics developed in Cre mice are not clinically translatable. Recently, several AAV vectors utilizing neuron-type-specific regulatory transcriptional sequences (enhancer-AAVs) were developed which overcome these limitations. Using a publicly available RNAseq dataset, we evaluated the potential of several candidate enhancers for neuron-type-specific targeting in the hippocampus. Here we identified a promising enhancer-AAV for targeting dentate granule cells and validated its selectivity in wild-type adult mice.
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14
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Jung KM, Park KJ, Kim YM, Han JY. Efficient gene delivery into the embryonic chicken brain using neuron-specific promoters and in ovo electroporation. BMC Biotechnol 2022; 22:25. [PMID: 36056347 PMCID: PMC9440574 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-022-00756-4] [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: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The chicken in ovo model is an attractive system to explore underlying mechanisms of neural and brain development, and it is important to develop effective genetic modification techniques that permit analyses of gene functions in vivo. Although electroporation and viral vector-mediated gene delivery techniques have been used to introduce exogenous DNA into chicken embryonic cells, transducing neurons efficiently and specifically remains challenging.
Methods In the present study, we performed a comparative study of the ubiquitous CMV promoter and three neuron-specific promoters, chicken Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (cCaMKII), chicken Nestin (cNestin), and human synapsin I. We explored the possibility of manipulating gene expression in chicken embryonic brain cells using in ovo electroporation with the selected promoters.
Results Transgene expression by two neuron-specific promoters (cCaMKII and cNestin) was preliminarily verified in vitro in cultured brain cells, and in vivo, expression levels of an EGFP transgene in brain cells by neuron-specific promoters were comparable to or higher than those of the ubiquitous CMV promoter. Overexpression of the FOXP2 gene driven by the cNestin promoter in brain cells significantly affected expression levels of target genes, CNTNAP2 and ELAVL4. Conclusion We demonstrated that exogenous DNA can be effectively introduced into neuronal cells in living embryos by in ovo electroporation with constructs containing neuron-specific promoters. In ovo electroporation offers an easier and more efficient way to manipulate gene expression during embryonic development, and this technique will be useful for neuron-targeted transgene expression. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-022-00756-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Min Jung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Kyung Je Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Young Min Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Jae Yong Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
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15
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Cantore A, Fraldi A, Meneghini V, Gritti A. In vivo Gene Therapy to the Liver and Nervous System: Promises and Challenges. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:774618. [PMID: 35118085 PMCID: PMC8803894 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.774618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo genetic engineering has recently shown remarkable potential as a novel effective treatment for an ever-growing number of diseases, as also witnessed by the recent marketing authorization of several in vivo gene therapy products. In vivo genetic engineering comprises both viral vector-mediated gene transfer and the more recently developed genome/epigenome editing strategies, as long as they are directly administered to patients. Here we first review the most advanced in vivo gene therapies that are commercially available or in clinical development. We then highlight the major challenges to be overcome to fully and broadly exploit in vivo gene therapies as novel medicines, discussing some of the approaches that are being taken to address them, with a focus on the nervous system and liver taken as paradigmatic examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Cantore
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessio Cantore
| | - Alessandro Fraldi
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Vasco Meneghini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Gritti
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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16
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Sydney-Smith JD, Spejo AB, Warren PM, Moon LDF. Peripherally delivered Adeno-associated viral vectors for spinal cord injury repair. Exp Neurol 2021; 348:113945. [PMID: 34896114 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Via the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, the spinal cord directly or indirectly connects reciprocally with many body systems (muscular, intengumentary, respiratory, immune, digestive, excretory, reproductive, cardiovascular, etc). Accordingly, spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in catastrophe for multiple body systems including muscle paralysis affecting movement and loss of normal sensation, as well as neuropathic pain, spasticity, reduced fertility and autonomic dysreflexia. Treatments and cure for an injured spinal cord will likely require access of therapeutic agents across the blood-CNS (central nervous system) barrier. However, some types of repair within the CNS may be possible by targeting treatment to peripherally located cells or by delivering Adeno-Associated Viral vectors (AAVs) by peripheral routes (e.g., intrathecal, intravenous). This review will consider some future possibilities for SCI repair generated by therapeutic peripheral gene delivery. There are now six gene therapies approved worldwide as safe and effective medicines of which three were created by modification of the apparently nonpathogenic Adeno-Associated Virus. One of these AAVs, Zolgensma, is injected intrathecally for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in children. One day, delivery of AAVs into peripheral tissues might improve recovery after spinal cord injury in humans; we discuss experiments by us and others delivering transgenes into nerves or muscles for sensorimotor recovery in animal models of SCI or of stroke including human Neurotrophin-3. We also describe ongoing efforts to develop AAVs that are delivered to particular targets within and without the CNS after peripheral administration using capsids with improved tropisms, promoters that are selective for particular cell types, and methods for controlling the dose and duration of expression of a transgene. In conclusion, in the future, minimally invasive administration of AAVs may improve recovery after SCI with minimal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared D Sydney-Smith
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Aline B Spejo
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Philippa M Warren
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Lawrence D F Moon
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.
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