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Tian Y, Wu X, Luo S, Xiong D, Liu R, Hu L, Yuan Y, Shi G, Yao J, Huang Z, Fu F, Yang X, Tang Z, Zhang J, Hu K. A multi-omic single-cell landscape of cellular diversification in the developing human cerebral cortex. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2173-2189. [PMID: 38827229 PMCID: PMC11141146 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.019] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The vast neuronal diversity in the human neocortex is vital for high-order brain functions, necessitating elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms underlying such unparalleled diversity. However, recent studies have yet to comprehensively reveal the diversity of neurons and the molecular logic of neocortical origin in humans at single-cell resolution through profiling transcriptomic or epigenomic landscapes, owing to the application of unimodal data alone to depict exceedingly heterogeneous populations of neurons. In this study, we generated a comprehensive compendium of the developing human neocortex by simultaneously profiling gene expression and open chromatin from the same cell. We computationally reconstructed the differentiation trajectories of excitatory projection neurons of cortical origin and inferred the regulatory logic governing lineage bifurcation decisions for neuronal diversification. We demonstrated that neuronal diversity arises from progenitor cell lineage specificity and postmitotic differentiation at distinct stages. Our data paves the way for understanding the primarily coordinated regulatory logic for neuronal diversification in the neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Tian
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xia Wu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Songhao Luo
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Dan Xiong
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Lanqi Hu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yuchen Yuan
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Guowei Shi
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Junjie Yao
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zhiwei Huang
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Fang Fu
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Zhonghui Tang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jiajun Zhang
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Kunhua Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Public Platform Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
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2
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van der Geest AT, Jakobs CE, Ljubikj T, Huffels CFM, Cañizares Luna M, Vieira de Sá R, Adolfs Y, de Wit M, Rutten DH, Kaal M, Zwartkruis MM, Carcolé M, Groen EJN, Hol EM, Basak O, Isaacs AM, Westeneng HJ, van den Berg LH, Veldink JH, Schlegel DK, Pasterkamp RJ. Molecular pathology, developmental changes and synaptic dysfunction in (pre-) symptomatic human C9ORF72-ALS/FTD cerebral organoids. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:152. [PMID: 39289761 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01857-1] [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: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Human brain imaging and experimental studies indicate early changes in brain structure and connectivity in C9-ALS/FTD, even before symptom onset. Because these early disease phenotypes remain incompletely understood, we generated iPSC-derived cerebral organoid models from C9-ALS/FTD patients, presymptomatic C9ORF72-HRE (C9-HRE) carriers, and controls. Our work revealed the presence of all three C9-HRE-related molecular pathologies and developmental stage-dependent size phenotypes in cerebral organoids from C9-ALS/FTD patients. In addition, single-cell RNA sequencing identified changes in cell type abundance and distribution in C9-ALS/FTD organoids, including a reduction in the number of deep layer cortical neurons and the distribution of neural progenitors. Further, molecular and cellular analyses and patch-clamp electrophysiology detected various changes in synapse structure and function. Intriguingly, organoids from all presymptomatic C9-HRE carriers displayed C9-HRE molecular pathology, whereas the extent to which more downstream cellular defects, as found in C9-ALS/FTD models, were detected varied for the different presymptomatic C9-HRE cases. Together, these results unveil early changes in 3D human brain tissue organization and synaptic connectivity in C9-ALS/FTD that likely constitute initial pathologies crucial for understanding disease onset and the design of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid T van der Geest
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Channa E Jakobs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tijana Ljubikj
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan F M Huffels
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Cañizares Luna
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Renata Vieira de Sá
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Youri Adolfs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marina de Wit
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daan H Rutten
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marthe Kaal
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria M Zwartkruis
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Dept. of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ewout J N Groen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elly M Hol
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Onur Basak
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Dept. of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Henk-Jan Westeneng
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Domino K Schlegel
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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3
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Abe P, Lavalley A, Morassut I, Santinha AJ, Roig-Puiggros S, Javed A, Klingler E, Baumann N, Prados J, Platt RJ, Jabaudon D. Molecular programs guiding arealization of descending cortical pathways. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07895-y. [PMID: 39261725 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07895-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Layer 5 extratelencephalic (ET) neurons are present across neocortical areas and send axons to multiple subcortical targets1-6. Two cardinal subtypes exist7,8: (1) Slco2a1-expressing neurons (ETdist), which predominate in the motor cortex and project distally to the pons, medulla and spinal cord; and (2) Nprs1- or Hpgd-expressing neurons (ETprox), which predominate in the visual cortex and project more proximally to the pons and thalamus. An understanding of how area-specific ETdist and ETprox emerge during development is important because they are critical for fine motor skills and are susceptible to spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis9-12. Here, using cross-areal mapping of axonal projections in the mouse neocortex, we identify the subtype-specific developmental dynamics of ET neurons. Whereas subsets of ETprox emerge by pruning of ETdist axons, others emerge de novo. We outline corresponding subtype-specific developmental transcriptional programs using single-nucleus sequencing. Leveraging these findings, we use postnatal in vivo knockdown of subtype-specific transcription factors to reprogram ET neuron connectivity towards more proximal targets. Together, these results show the functional transcriptional programs driving ET neuron diversity and uncover cell subtype-specific gene regulatory networks that can be manipulated to direct target specificity in motor corticofugal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Abe
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Dresden, Germany
| | - Adrien Lavalley
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ilaria Morassut
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Antonio J Santinha
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergi Roig-Puiggros
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Awais Javed
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Esther Klingler
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalia Baumann
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julien Prados
- Bioinformatic Support Platform, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Randall J Platt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
- Basel Research Center for Child Health, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Denis Jabaudon
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Université Paris Cité, Imagine Institute, Paris, France.
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4
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Greig LC, Woodworth MB, Poulopoulos A, Lim S, Macklis JD. BEAM: A combinatorial recombinase toolbox for binary gene expression and mosaic genetic analysis. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114650. [PMID: 39159043 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114650] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
We describe a binary expression aleatory mosaic (BEAM) system, which relies on DNA delivery by transfection or viral transduction along with nested recombinase activity to generate two genetically distinct, non-overlapping populations of cells for comparative analysis. Control cells labeled with red fluorescent protein (RFP) can be directly compared with experimental cells manipulated by genetic gain or loss of function and labeled with GFP. Importantly, BEAM incorporates recombinase-dependent signal amplification and delayed reporter expression to enable sharper delineation of control and experimental cells and to improve reliability relative to existing methods. We applied BEAM to a variety of known phenotypes to illustrate its advantages for identifying temporally or spatially aberrant phenotypes, for revealing changes in cell proliferation or death, and for controlling for procedural variability. In addition, we used BEAM to test the cortical protomap hypothesis at the individual radial unit level, revealing that area identity is cell autonomously specified in adjacent radial units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano C Greig
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mollie B Woodworth
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandros Poulopoulos
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie Lim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Li M, Qi B, Li Q, Zheng T, Wang Y, Liu B, Guan Y, Bai Y, Jian F, Xu ZQD, Xu Q, Chen Z. Human induced pluripotent stem cell/embryonic stem cell-derived pyramidal neuronal precursors show safety and efficacy in a rat spinal cord injury model. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:318. [PMID: 39073571 PMCID: PMC11335242 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05350-9] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Nerve regeneration and circuit reconstruction remain a challenge following spinal cord injury (SCI). Corticospinal pyramidal neurons possess strong axon projection ability. In this study, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were differentiated into pyramidal neuronal precursors (PNPs) by addition of small molecule dorsomorphin into the culture. iPSC-derived PNPs were transplanted acutely into a rat contusion SCI model on the same day of injury. Following engraftment, the SCI rats showed significantly improved motor functions compared with vehicle control group as revealed by behavioral tests. Eight weeks following engraftment, the PNPs matured into corticospinal pyramidal neurons and extended axons into distant host spinal cord tissues, mostly in a caudal direction. Host neurons rostral to the lesion site also grew axons into the graft. Possible synaptic connections as a bridging relay may have been formed between host and graft-derived neurons, as indicated by pre- and post-synaptic marker staining and the regulation of chemogenetic regulatory systems. PNP graft showed an anti-inflammatory effect at the injury site and could bias microglia/macrophages towards a M2 phenotype. In addition, PNP graft was safe and no tumor formation was detected after transplantation into immunodeficient mice and SCI rats. The potential to reconstruct a neuronal relay circuitry across the lesion site and to modulate the microenvironment in SCI makes PNPs a promising cellular candidate for treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Li
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Boling Qi
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Li
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianqi Zheng
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bochao Liu
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Yunqian Guan
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfei Bai
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fengzeng Jian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qing David Xu
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qunyuan Xu
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiguo Chen
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
- Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
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6
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Murthy S, Nongthomba U. Role of the BCL11A/B Homologue Chronophage (Cph) in Locomotor Behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster. Neuroscience 2024; 551:1-16. [PMID: 38763224 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.015] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Functioning of the nervous system requires proper formation and specification of neurons as well as accurate connectivity and signalling between them. Locomotor behaviour depends upon these events that occur during neural development, and any aberration in them could result in motor disorders. Transcription factors are believed to be master regulators that control these processes, but very few linked to behaviour have been identified so far. The Drosophila homologue of BCL11A (CTIP1) and BCL11B (CTIP2), Chronophage (Cph), was recently shown to be involved in temporal patterning of neural stem cells but its role in post-mitotic neurons is not known. We show that knockdown of Cph in neurons during development results in animals with locomotor defects at both larval and adult stages. The defects are more severe in adults, with inability to stand, uncoordinated behaviour and complete loss of ability to walk, climb, or fly. These defects are similar to the motor difficulties observed in some patients with mutations in BCL11A and BCL11B. Electrophysiological recordings showed reduced evoked activity and irregular neuronal firing. All Cph-expressing neurons in the ventral nerve cord are glutamatergic. Our results imply that Cph modulates primary locomotor activity through configuration of glutamatergic neurons. Thus, this study ascribes a hitherto unknown role to Cph in locomotor behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Murthy
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India.
| | - Upendra Nongthomba
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India.
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7
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Di Bella DJ, Domínguez-Iturza N, Brown JR, Arlotta P. Making Ramón y Cajal proud: Development of cell identity and diversity in the cerebral cortex. Neuron 2024; 112:2091-2111. [PMID: 38754415 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.021] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Since the beautiful images of Santiago Ramón y Cajal provided a first glimpse into the immense diversity and complexity of cell types found in the cerebral cortex, neuroscience has been challenged and inspired to understand how these diverse cells are generated and how they interact with each other to orchestrate the development of this remarkable tissue. Some fundamental questions drive the field's quest to understand cortical development: what are the mechanistic principles that govern the emergence of neuronal diversity? How do extrinsic and intrinsic signals integrate with physical forces and activity to shape cell identity? How do the diverse populations of neurons and glia influence each other during development to guarantee proper integration and function? The advent of powerful new technologies to profile and perturb cortical development at unprecedented resolution and across a variety of modalities has offered a new opportunity to integrate past knowledge with brand new data. Here, we review some of this progress using cortical excitatory projection neurons as a system to draw out general principles of cell diversification and the role of cell-cell interactions during cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela J Di Bella
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Nuria Domínguez-Iturza
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Juliana R Brown
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Paola Arlotta
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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8
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Ventura GC, Dyshliuk N, Dmytriyeva O, Nordsten MJB, Haugaard MM, Christiansen LI, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Pankratova S. Enteral plasma supports brain repair in newborn pigs after birth asphyxia. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:693-708. [PMID: 38677626 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Newborns exposed to birth asphyxia transiently experience deficient blood flow and a lack of oxygen, potentially inducing hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and subsequent neurological damage. Immunomodulatory components in plasma may dampen these responses. Using caesarean-delivered pigs as a model, we hypothesized that dietary plasma supplementation improves brain outcomes in pigs exposed to birth asphyxia. Mild birth asphyxia was induced by temporary occlusion of the umbilical cord prior to caesarean delivery. Motor development was assessed in asphyxiated (ASP) and control (CON) piglets using neonatal arousal, physical activity and gait test parameters before euthanasia on Day 4. The ASP pigs exhibited increased plasma lactate at birth, deficient motor skills and increased glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in CSF and astrogliosis in the putamen. The expression of genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation and synaptic functions was transiently altered in the motor cortex and caudate nucleus. The number of apoptotic cells among CTIP2-positive neurons in the motor cortex and striatal medium spiny neurons was increased, and maturation of preoligodendrocytes in the internal capsule was delayed. Plasma supplementation improved gait performance in the beam test, attenuated neuronal apoptosis and affected gene expression related to neuroinflammation, neurotransmission and antioxidants (motor cortex, caudate). We present a new clinically relevant animal model of moderate birth asphyxia inducing structural and functional brain damage. The components in plasma that support brain repair remain to be identified but may represent a therapeutic potential for infants and animals after birth asphyxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Chavarria Ventura
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nadiya Dyshliuk
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oksana Dmytriyeva
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mads Jacob Bagi Nordsten
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria Mathilde Haugaard
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Iadsatian Christiansen
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Thymann
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Per Torp Sangild
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Stanislava Pankratova
- Section of Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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9
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Limone F, Mordes DA, Couto A, Joseph BJ, Mitchell JM, Therrien M, Ghosh SD, Meyer D, Zhang Y, Goldman M, Bortolin L, Cobos I, Stevens B, McCarroll SA, Kadiu I, Burberry A, Pietiläinen O, Eggan K. Single-nucleus sequencing reveals enriched expression of genetic risk factors in extratelencephalic neurons sensitive to degeneration in ALS. NATURE AGING 2024; 4:984-997. [PMID: 38907103 PMCID: PMC11257952 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00640-0] [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: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of motor function linked to degenerating extratelencephalic neurons/Betz cells (ETNs). The reasons why these neurons are selectively affected remain unclear. Here, to understand the unique molecular properties that may sensitize ETNs to ALS, we performed RNA sequencing of 79,169 single nuclei from cortices of patients and controls. In both patients and unaffected individuals, we found significantly higher expression of ALS risk genes in THY1+ ETNs, regardless of diagnosis. In patients, this was accompanied by the induction of genes involved in protein homeostasis and stress responses that were significantly induced in a wide collection of ETNs. Examination of oligodendroglial and microglial nuclei revealed patient-specific downregulation of myelinating genes in oligodendrocytes and upregulation of an endolysosomal reactive state in microglia. Our findings suggest that selective vulnerability of extratelencephalic neurons is partly connected to their intrinsic molecular properties sensitizing them to genetics and mechanisms of degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Limone
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Daniel A Mordes
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Couto
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Joseph
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jana M Mitchell
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Martine Therrien
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sulagna Dia Ghosh
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Meyer
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Melissa Goldman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Bortolin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Inma Cobos
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Irena Kadiu
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, UCB Pharma, Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Aaron Burberry
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Olli Pietiläinen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kevin Eggan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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10
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Borisova E, Newman AG, Couce Iglesias M, Dannenberg R, Schaub T, Qin B, Rusanova A, Brockmann M, Koch J, Daniels M, Turko P, Jahn O, Kaplan DR, Rosário M, Iwawaki T, Spahn CMT, Rosenmund C, Meierhofer D, Kraushar ML, Tarabykin V, Ambrozkiewicz MC. Protein translation rate determines neocortical neuron fate. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4879. [PMID: 38849354 PMCID: PMC11161512 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex comprises an enormous diversity regarding cell types, morphology, and connectivity. In this work, we discover a post-transcriptional mechanism of gene expression regulation, protein translation, as a determinant of cortical neuron identity. We find specific upregulation of protein synthesis in the progenitors of later-born neurons and show that translation rates and concomitantly protein half-lives are inherent features of cortical neuron subtypes. In a small molecule screening, we identify Ire1α as a regulator of Satb2 expression and neuronal polarity. In the developing brain, Ire1α regulates global translation rates, coordinates ribosome traffic, and the expression of eIF4A1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Satb2 mRNA translation requires eIF4A1 helicase activity towards its 5'-untranslated region. Altogether, we show that cortical neuron diversity is generated by mechanisms operating beyond gene transcription, with Ire1α-safeguarded proteostasis serving as an essential regulator of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Borisova
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew G Newman
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Couce Iglesias
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestraße 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rike Dannenberg
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Theres Schaub
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bo Qin
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestraße 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Rusanova
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Marisa Brockmann
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janina Koch
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marieatou Daniels
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Turko
- Institute of Integrative Neuroanatomy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olaf Jahn
- Neuroproteomics Group, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Translational Neuroproteomics Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University, Von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David R Kaplan
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marta Rosário
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Takao Iwawaki
- Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku, Ishikawa, 920-0293, Japan
| | - Christian M T Spahn
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Rosenmund
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestraße 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthew L Kraushar
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestraße 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Tarabykin
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mateusz C Ambrozkiewicz
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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11
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Martins-Costa C, Wiegers A, Pham VA, Sidhaye J, Doleschall B, Novatchkova M, Lendl T, Piber M, Peer A, Möseneder P, Stuempflen M, Chow SYA, Seidl R, Prayer D, Höftberger R, Kasprian G, Ikeuchi Y, Corsini NS, Knoblich JA. ARID1B controls transcriptional programs of axon projection in an organoid model of the human corpus callosum. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:866-885.e14. [PMID: 38718796 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.04.014] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in ARID1B, a member of the mSWI/SNF complex, cause severe neurodevelopmental phenotypes with elusive mechanisms in humans. The most common structural abnormality in the brain of ARID1B patients is agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), characterized by the absence of an interhemispheric white matter tract that connects distant cortical regions. Here, we find that neurons expressing SATB2, a determinant of callosal projection neuron (CPN) identity, show impaired maturation in ARID1B+/- neural organoids. Molecularly, a reduction in chromatin accessibility of genomic regions targeted by TCF-like, NFI-like, and ARID-like transcription factors drives the differential expression of genes required for corpus callosum (CC) development. Through an in vitro model of the CC tract, we demonstrate that this transcriptional dysregulation impairs the formation of long-range axonal projections, causing structural underconnectivity. Our study uncovers new functions of the mSWI/SNF during human corticogenesis, identifying cell-autonomous axonogenesis defects in SATB2+ neurons as a cause of ACC in ARID1B patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Martins-Costa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Wiegers
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent A Pham
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jaydeep Sidhaye
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Balint Doleschall
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Lendl
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marielle Piber
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Angela Peer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Möseneder
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Stuempflen
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Siu Yu A Chow
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 153-8505 Tokyo, Japan; Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, 113-0032 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Romana Höftberger
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yoshiho Ikeuchi
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 153-8505 Tokyo, Japan; Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, 113-0032 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nina S Corsini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jürgen A Knoblich
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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12
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García-Aznar JM, Alonso Alvarez S, Bernal Del Castillo T. Pivotal role of BCL11B in the immune, hematopoietic and nervous systems: a review of the BCL11B-associated phenotypes from the genetic perspective. Genes Immun 2024; 25:232-241. [PMID: 38472338 PMCID: PMC11178493 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-024-00263-w] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The transcription factor BCL11B plays an essential role in the development of central nervous system and T cell differentiation by regulating the expression of numerous genes involved in several pathways. Monoallelic defects in the BCL11B gene leading to loss-of-function are associated with a wide spectrum of phenotypes, including neurological disorders with or without immunological features and susceptibility to hematological malignancies. From the genetic point of view, the landscape of BCL11B mutations reported so far does not fully explain the genotype-phenotype correlation. In this review, we sought to compile the phenotypic and genotypic variables associated with previously reported mutations in this gene in order to provide a better understanding of the consequences of deleterious variants. We also highlight the importance of a careful evaluation of the mutation type, its location and the pattern of inheritance of the variants in order to assign the most accurate pathogenicity and actionability of the genetic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María García-Aznar
- Healthincode, A Coruña, Spain.
- Universitary Institute of Oncology of Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Oviedo, Spain.
- Health Research Institute of Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Sara Alonso Alvarez
- Universitary Institute of Oncology of Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Oviedo, Spain
- Health Research Institute of Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
- Hematology Department, Hospital Universitario Clínico de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Teresa Bernal Del Castillo
- Universitary Institute of Oncology of Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Oviedo, Spain
- Health Research Institute of Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
- Hematology Department, Hospital Universitario Clínico de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
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13
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Bragg-Gonzalo L, Aguilera A, González-Arias C, De León Reyes NS, Sánchez-Cruz A, Carballeira P, Leroy F, Perea G, Nieto M. Early cortical GABAergic interneurons determine the projection patterns of L4 excitatory neurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj9911. [PMID: 38728406 PMCID: PMC11086621 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj9911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
During cerebral cortex development, excitatory pyramidal neurons (PNs) establish specific projection patterns while receiving inputs from GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (INs). Whether these inhibitory inputs can shape PNs' projection patterns is, however, unknown. While layer 4 (L4) PNs of the primary somatosensory (S1) cortex are all born as long-range callosal projection neurons (CPNs), most of them acquire local connectivity upon activity-dependent elimination of their interhemispheric axons during postnatal development. Here, we demonstrate that precise developmental regulation of inhibition is key for the retraction of S1L4 PNs' callosal projections. Ablation of somatostatin INs leads to premature inhibition from parvalbumin INs onto S1L4 PNs and prevents them from acquiring their barrel-restricted local connectivity pattern. As a result, adult S1L4 PNs retain interhemispheric projections responding to tactile stimuli, and the mice lose whisker-based texture discrimination. Overall, we show that temporally ordered IN activity during development is key to shaping local ipsilateral S1L4 PNs' projection pattern, which is required for fine somatosensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Bragg-Gonzalo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Alfonso Aguilera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Candela González-Arias
- Functional and Systems Neurobiology Department, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Noelia S. De León Reyes
- Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Av. Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Alonso Sánchez-Cruz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Paula Carballeira
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Félix Leroy
- Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Av. Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Gertrudis Perea
- Functional and Systems Neurobiology Department, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Marta Nieto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Madrid 28049, Spain
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14
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Ozkan A, Padmanabhan HK, Shipman SL, Azim E, Kumar P, Sadegh C, Basak AN, Macklis JD. Directed differentiation of functional corticospinal-like neurons from endogenous SOX6+/NG2+ cortical progenitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.21.590488. [PMID: 38712174 PMCID: PMC11071355 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.21.590488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Corticospinal neurons (CSN) centrally degenerate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), along with spinal motor neurons, and loss of voluntary motor function in spinal cord injury (SCI) results from damage to CSN axons. For functional regeneration of specifically affected neuronal circuitry in vivo , or for optimally informative disease modeling and/or therapeutic screening in vitro , it is important to reproduce the type or subtype of neurons involved. No such appropriate in vitro models exist with which to investigate CSN selective vulnerability and degeneration in ALS, or to investigate routes to regeneration of CSN circuitry for ALS or SCI, critically limiting the relevance of much research. Here, we identify that the HMG-domain transcription factor Sox6 is expressed by a subset of NG2+ endogenous cortical progenitors in postnatal and adult cortex, and that Sox6 suppresses a latent neurogenic program by repressing inappropriate proneural Neurog2 expression by progenitors. We FACS-purify these genetically accessible progenitors from postnatal mouse cortex and establish a pure culture system to investigate their potential for directed differentiation into CSN. We then employ a multi-component construct with complementary and differentiation-sharpening transcriptional controls (activating Neurog2, Fezf2 , while antagonizing Olig2 with VP16:Olig2 ). We generate corticospinal-like neurons from SOX6+/NG2+ cortical progenitors, and find that these neurons differentiate with remarkable fidelity compared with corticospinal neurons in vivo . They possess appropriate morphological, molecular, transcriptomic, and electrophysiological characteristics, without characteristics of the alternate intracortical or other neuronal subtypes. We identify that these critical specifics of differentiation are not reproduced by commonly employed Neurog2 -driven differentiation. Neurons induced by Neurog2 instead exhibit aberrant multi-axon morphology and express molecular hallmarks of alternate cortical projection subtypes, often in mixed form. Together, this developmentally-based directed differentiation from genetically accessible cortical progenitors sets a precedent and foundation for in vitro mechanistic and therapeutic disease modeling, and toward regenerative neuronal repopulation and circuit repair.
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15
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K. C. R, Tiemroth AS, Thurmon AN, Meadows SM, Galazo MJ. Zmiz1 is a novel regulator of brain development associated with autism and intellectual disability. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1375492. [PMID: 38686122 PMCID: PMC11057416 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1375492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a class of pathologies arising from perturbations in brain circuit formation and maturation with complex etiological triggers often classified as environmental and genetic. Neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) are common NDDs characterized by their hereditary underpinnings and inherent heterogeneity. Genetic risk factors for NDDs are increasingly being identified in non-coding regions and proteins bound to them, including transcriptional regulators and chromatin remodelers. Importantly, de novo mutations are emerging as important contributors to NDDs and neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, de novo mutations in transcriptional co-factor Zmiz1 or its regulatory regions have been identified in unrelated patients with syndromic ID and ASD. However, the role of Zmiz1 in brain development is unknown. Here, using publicly available databases and a Zmiz1 mutant mouse model, we reveal that Zmiz1 is highly expressed during embryonic brain development in mice and humans, and though broadly expressed across the brain, Zmiz1 is enriched in areas prominently impacted in ID and ASD such as cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. We investigated the relationship between Zmiz1 structure and pathogenicity of protein variants, the epigenetic marks associated with Zmiz1 regulation, and protein interactions and signaling pathways regulated by Zmiz1. Our analysis reveals that Zmiz1 regulates multiple developmental processes, including neurogenesis, neuron connectivity, and synaptic signaling. This work paves the way for future studies on the functions of Zmiz1 and highlights the importance of combining analysis of mouse models and human data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajan K. C.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Alina S. Tiemroth
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Abbigail N. Thurmon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Stryder M. Meadows
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Maria J. Galazo
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
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16
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Burkhalter A, Ji W, Meier AM, D’Souza RD. Modular horizontal network within mouse primary visual cortex. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1364675. [PMID: 38650594 PMCID: PMC11033472 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1364675] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions between feedback connections from higher cortical areas and local horizontal connections within primary visual cortex (V1) were shown to play a role in contextual processing in different behavioral states. Layer 1 (L1) is an important part of the underlying network. This cell-sparse layer is a target of feedback and local inputs, and nexus for contacts onto apical dendrites of projection neurons in the layers below. Importantly, L1 is a site for coupling inputs from the outside world with internal information. To determine whether all of these circuit elements overlap in L1, we labeled the horizontal network within mouse V1 with anterograde and retrograde viral tracers. We found two types of local horizontal connections: short ones that were tangentially limited to the representation of the point image, and long ones which reached beyond the receptive field center, deep into its surround. The long connections were patchy and terminated preferentially in M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-negative (M2-) interpatches. Anterogradely labeled inputs overlapped in M2-interpatches with apical dendrites of retrogradely labeled L2/3 and L5 cells, forming module-selective loops between topographically distant locations. Previous work showed that L1 of M2-interpatches receive inputs from the lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LP) and from a feedback network from areas of the medial dorsal stream, including the secondary motor cortex. Together, these findings suggest that interactions in M2-interpatches play a role in processing visual inputs produced by object-and self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Burkhalter
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Weiqing Ji
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Andrew M. Meier
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, College of Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rinaldo D. D’Souza
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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17
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Godoy-Corchuelo JM, Ali Z, Brito Armas JM, Martins-Bach AB, García-Toledo I, Fernández-Beltrán LC, López-Carbonero JI, Bascuñana P, Spring S, Jimenez-Coca I, Muñoz de Bustillo Alfaro RA, Sánchez-Barrena MJ, Nair RR, Nieman BJ, Lerch JP, Miller KL, Ozdinler HP, Fisher EMC, Cunningham TJ, Acevedo-Arozena A, Corrochano S. TDP-43-M323K causes abnormal brain development and progressive cognitive and motor deficits associated with mislocalised and increased levels of TDP-43. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106437. [PMID: 38367882 PMCID: PMC10988218 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106437] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 pathology is found in several neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as "TDP-43 proteinopathies". Aggregates of TDP-43 are present in the brains and spinal cords of >97% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in brains of ∼50% of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients. While mutations in the TDP-43 gene (TARDBP) are usually associated with ALS, many clinical reports have linked these mutations to cognitive impairments and/or FTD, but also to other neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinsonism (PD) or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). TDP-43 is a ubiquitously expressed, highly conserved RNA-binding protein that is involved in many cellular processes, mainly RNA metabolism. To investigate systemic pathological mechanisms in TDP-43 proteinopathies, aiming to capture the pleiotropic effects of TDP-43 mutations, we have further characterised a mouse model carrying a point mutation (M323K) within the endogenous Tardbp gene. Homozygous mutant mice developed cognitive and behavioural deficits as early as 3 months of age. This was coupled with significant brain structural abnormalities, mainly in the cortex, hippocampus, and white matter fibres, together with progressive cortical interneuron degeneration and neuroinflammation. At the motor level, progressive phenotypes appeared around 6 months of age. Thus, cognitive phenotypes appeared to be of a developmental origin with a mild associated progressive neurodegeneration, while the motor and neuromuscular phenotypes seemed neurodegenerative, underlined by a progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons as well as distal denervation. This is accompanied by progressive elevated TDP-43 protein and mRNA levels in cortex and spinal cord of homozygous mutant mice from 3 months of age, together with increased cytoplasmic TDP-43 mislocalisation in cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and spinal cord at 12 months of age. In conclusion, we find that Tardbp M323K homozygous mutant mice model many aspects of human TDP-43 proteinopathies, evidencing a dual role for TDP-43 in brain morphogenesis as well as in the maintenance of the motor system, making them an ideal in vivo model system to study the complex biology of TDP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Godoy-Corchuelo
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Zeinab Ali
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Jose M Brito Armas
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Irene García-Toledo
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Luis C Fernández-Beltrán
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan I López-Carbonero
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Pablo Bascuñana
- Brain Mapping Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Irene Jimenez-Coca
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | | | - Maria J Sánchez-Barrena
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Blas Cabrera", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Remya R Nair
- MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK; Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA), Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Karla L Miller
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hande P Ozdinler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL, Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Thomas J Cunningham
- MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK; MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Abraham Acevedo-Arozena
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Silvia Corrochano
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK.
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18
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Wu B, Yang L, Xi C, Yao H, Chen L, Fan F, Wu G, Du Z, Hu J, Hu S. Corticospinal-specific Shh overexpression in combination with rehabilitation promotes CST axonal sprouting and skilled motor functional recovery after ischemic stroke. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2186-2196. [PMID: 37864058 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03642-y] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke often leads to permanent neurological impairments, largely due to limited neuroplasticity in adult central nervous system. Here, we first showed that the expression of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) in corticospinal neurons (CSNs) peaked at the 2nd postnatal week, when corticospinal synaptogenesis occurs. Overexpression of Shh in adult CSNs did not affect motor functions and had borderline effects on promoting the recovery of skilled locomotion following ischemic stroke. In contrast, CSNs-specific Shh overexpression significantly enhanced the efficacy of rehabilitative training, resulting in robust axonal sprouting and synaptogenesis of corticospinal axons into the denervated spinal cord, along with significantly improved behavioral outcomes. Mechanistically, combinatory treatment led to additional mTOR activation in CSNs when compared to that evoked by rehabilitative training alone. Taken together, our study unveiled a role of Shh, a morphogen involved in early development, in enhancing neuroplasticity, which significantly improved the outcomes of rehabilitative training. These results thus provide novel insights into the design of combinatory treatment for stroke and traumatic central nervous system injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biwu Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Caihua Xi
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Haijun Yao
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengqi Fan
- Pain Department of Yueyang Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouying Du
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China
| | - Shukun Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200042, China.
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China.
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai, China.
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19
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Ferguson R, van Es MA, van den Berg LH, Subramanian V. Neural stem cell homeostasis is affected in cortical organoids carrying a mutation in Angiogenin. J Pathol 2024; 262:410-426. [PMID: 38180358 DOI: 10.1002/path.6244] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in Angiogenin (ANG) and TARDBP encoding the 43 kDa transactive response DNA binding protein (TDP-43) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). ANG is neuroprotective and plays a role in stem cell dynamics in the haematopoietic system. We obtained skin fibroblasts from members of an ALS-FTD family, one with mutation in ANG, one with mutation in both TARDBP and ANG, and one with neither mutation. We reprogrammed these fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and generated cortical organoids as well as induced stage-wise differentiation of the iPSCs to neurons. Using these two approaches we investigated the effects of FTD-associated mutations in ANG and TARDBP on neural precursor cells, neural differentiation, and response to stress. We observed striking neurodevelopmental defects such as abnormal and persistent rosettes in the organoids accompanied by increased self-renewal of neural precursor cells. There was also a propensity for differentiation to later-born neurons. In addition, cortical neurons showed increased susceptibility to stress, which is exacerbated in neurons carrying mutations in both ANG and TARDBP. The cortical organoids and neurons generated from patient-derived iPSCs carrying ANG and TARDBP gene variants recapitulate dysfunctions characteristic of frontotemporal lobar degeneration observed in FTD patients. These dysfunctions were ameliorated upon treatment with wild type ANG. In addition to its well-established role during the stress response of mature neurons, ANG also appears to play a role in neural progenitor dynamics. This has implications for neurogenesis and may indicate that subtle developmental defects play a role in disease susceptibility or onset. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Ferguson
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Michael A van Es
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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20
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Kalhor K, Chen CJ, Lee HS, Cai M, Nafisi M, Que R, Palmer CR, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Li X, Song J, Knoten A, Lake BB, Gaut JP, Keene CD, Lein E, Kharchenko PV, Chun J, Jain S, Fan JB, Zhang K. Mapping human tissues with highly multiplexed RNA in situ hybridization. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2511. [PMID: 38509069 PMCID: PMC10954689 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46437-y] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In situ transcriptomic techniques promise a holistic view of tissue organization and cell-cell interactions. There has been a surge of multiplexed RNA in situ mapping techniques but their application to human tissues has been limited due to their large size, general lower tissue quality and high autofluorescence. Here we report DART-FISH, a padlock probe-based technology capable of profiling hundreds to thousands of genes in centimeter-sized human tissue sections. We introduce an omni-cell type cytoplasmic stain that substantially improves the segmentation of cell bodies. Our enzyme-free isothermal decoding procedure allows us to image 121 genes in large sections from the human neocortex in <10 h. We successfully recapitulated the cytoarchitecture of 20 neuronal and non-neuronal subclasses. We further performed in situ mapping of 300 genes on a diseased human kidney, profiled >20 healthy and pathological cell states, and identified diseased niches enriched in transcriptionally altered epithelial cells and myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kian Kalhor
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chien-Ju Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ho Suk Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Cai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mahsa Nafisi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Richard Que
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carter R Palmer
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yixu Yuan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yida Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jinghui Song
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Knoten
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Blue B Lake
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Joseph P Gaut
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St.Louis, MO, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA
| | - Peter V Kharchenko
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jerold Chun
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sanjay Jain
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St.Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA.
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21
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Cheng J, Wang Z, Tang M, Zhang W, Li G, Tan S, Mu C, Hu M, Zhang D, Jia X, Wen Y, Guo H, Xu D, Liu L, Li J, Xia K, Li F, Duan R, Xu Z, Yuan L. KCTD10 regulates brain development by destabilizing brain disorder-associated protein KCTD13. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315707121. [PMID: 38489388 PMCID: PMC10963008 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315707121] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
KCTD10 belongs to the KCTD (potassiumchannel tetramerization domain) family, many members of which are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the biological function underlying the association with brain disorders remains to be explored. Here, we reveal that Kctd10 is highly expressed in neuronal progenitors and layer V neurons throughout brain development. Kctd10 deficiency triggers abnormal proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitors, reduced deep-layer (especially layer V) neurons, increased upper-layer neurons, and lowered brain size. Mechanistically, we screened and identified a unique KCTD10-interacting protein, KCTD13, associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. KCTD10 mediated the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of KCTD13 and KCTD10 ablation resulted in a considerable increase of KCTD13 expression in the developing cortex. KCTD13 overexpression in neuronal progenitors led to reduced proliferation and abnormal cell distribution, mirroring KCTD10 deficiency. Notably, mice with brain-specific Kctd10 knockout exhibited obvious motor deficits. This study uncovers the physiological function of KCTD10 and provides unique insights into the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Cheng
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Manpei Tang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Guozhong Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Senwei Tan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Chenjun Mu
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Mengyuan Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Xiangbin Jia
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Yangxuan Wen
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou350005, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing100053, China
| | - Jiada Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Faxiang Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Ranhui Duan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Zhiheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
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22
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Marques C, Held A, Dorfman K, Sung J, Song C, Kavuturu AS, Aguilar C, Russo T, Oakley DH, Albers MW, Hyman BT, Petrucelli L, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. Neuronal STING activation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:56. [PMID: 38478117 PMCID: PMC10937762 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While prior studies have focused on STING within immune cells, little is known about STING within neurons. Here, we document neuronal activation of the STING pathway in human postmortem cortical and spinal motor neurons from individuals affected by familial or sporadic ALS. This process takes place selectively in the most vulnerable cortical and spinal motor neurons but not in neurons that are less affected by the disease. Concordant STING activation in layer V cortical motor neurons occurs in a mouse model of C9orf72 repeat-associated ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To establish that STING activation occurs in a neuron-autonomous manner, we demonstrate the integrity of the STING signaling pathway, including both upstream activators and downstream innate immune response effectors, in dissociated mouse cortical neurons and neurons derived from control human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSC-derived neurons harboring different familial ALS-causing mutations exhibit increased STING signaling with DNA damage as a main driver. The elevated downstream inflammatory markers present in ALS iPSC-derived neurons can be suppressed with a STING inhibitor. Our results reveal an immunophenotype that consists of innate immune signaling driven by the STING pathway and occurs specifically within vulnerable neurons in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Dorfman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Song
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Corey Aguilar
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W Albers
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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23
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Zolnik TA, Bronec A, Ross A, Staab M, Sachdev RNS, Molnár Z, Eickholt BJ, Larkum ME. Layer 6b controls brain state via apical dendrites and the higher-order thalamocortical system. Neuron 2024; 112:805-820.e4. [PMID: 38101395 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.021] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The deepest layer of the cortex (layer 6b [L6b]) contains relatively few neurons, but it is the only cortical layer responsive to the potent wake-promoting neuropeptide orexin/hypocretin. Can these few neurons significantly influence brain state? Here, we show that L6b-photoactivation causes a surprisingly robust enhancement of attention-associated high-gamma oscillations and population spiking while abolishing slow waves in sleep-deprived mice. To explain this powerful impact on brain state, we investigated L6b's synaptic output using optogenetics, electrophysiology, and monoCaTChR ex vivo. We found powerful output in the higher-order thalamus and apical dendrites of L5 pyramidal neurons, via L1a and L5a, as well as in superior colliculus and L6 interneurons. L6b subpopulations with distinct morphologies and short- and long-term plasticities project to these diverse targets. The L1a-targeting subpopulation triggered powerful NMDA-receptor-dependent spikes that elicited burst firing in L5. We conclude that orexin/hypocretin-activated cortical neurons form a multifaceted, fine-tuned circuit for the sustained control of the higher-order thalamocortical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Adam Zolnik
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany; Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany.
| | - Anna Bronec
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Annemarie Ross
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Marcel Staab
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Robert N S Sachdev
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany; Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Sherrington Building, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | | | - Matthew Evan Larkum
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany.
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24
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Matsumoto K, Okuyama K, Sidwell T, Yamashita M, Endo T, Satoh-Takayama N, Ohno H, Morio T, Rothenberg EV, Taniuchi I. A Bcl11b N797K variant isolated from an immunodeficient patient inhibits early thymocyte development in mice. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1363704. [PMID: 38495886 PMCID: PMC10940544 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1363704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BCL11B is a transcription factor with six C2H2-type zinc-finger domains. Studies in mice have shown that Bcl11b plays essential roles in T cell development. Several germline heterozygous BCL11B variants have been identified in human patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) patients. Among these, two de novo mis-sense variants cause asparagine (N) to lysine (K) replacement in distinct zinc-finger domains, BCL11BN441K and BCL11BN807K. To elucidate the pathogenesis of the BCL11BN807K variant, we generated a mouse model of BCL11BN807K by inserting the corresponding mutation, Bcl11bN797K, into the mouse genome. In Bcl11b+/N797K mice, the proportion of immature CD4-CD8+ single-positive thymocytes was increased, and the development of invariant natural killer cells was severely inhibited in a T-cell-intrinsic manner. Under competitive conditions, γδT cell development was outcompeted by control cells. Bcl11bN797K/N797K mice died within one day of birth. Recipient mice reconstituted with Bcl11bN797K/N797K fetal liver cells nearly lacked CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes, which was consistent with the lack of their emergence in culture from Bcl11bN797K/N797K fetal liver progenitors. Interestingly, Bcl11bN797K/N797K progenitors gave rise to aberrant c-Kit+ and CD44+ cells both in vivo and in vitro. The increase in the proportion of immature CD8 single-positive thymocytes in the Bcl11bN797K mutants is caused, in part, by the inefficient activation of the Cd4 gene due to the attenuated function of the two Cd4 enhancers via distinct mechanisms. Therefore, we conclude that immunodeficient patient-derived Bcl11bN797K mutant mice elucidated a novel role for Bcl11b in driving the appropriate transition of CD4-CD8- into CD4+CD8+ thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuaki Matsumoto
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuki Okuyama
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tom Sidwell
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Motoi Yamashita
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaho Endo
- Genome Platform, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naoko Satoh-Takayama
- Laboratory for Intestinal Ecosystem, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ohno
- Laboratory for Intestinal Ecosystem, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Morio
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ellen V. Rothenberg
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Ichiro Taniuchi
- Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
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25
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Seigfried FA, Britsch S. The Role of Bcl11 Transcription Factors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:126. [PMID: 38392344 PMCID: PMC10886639 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) comprise a diverse group of diseases, including developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). NDDs are caused by aberrant brain development due to genetic and environmental factors. To establish specific and curative therapeutic approaches, it is indispensable to gain precise mechanistic insight into the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of NDDs. Mutations of BCL11A and BCL11B, two closely related, ultra-conserved zinc-finger transcription factors, were recently reported to be associated with NDDs, including developmental delay, ASD, and ID, as well as morphogenic defects such as cerebellar hypoplasia. In mice, Bcl11 transcription factors are well known to orchestrate various cellular processes during brain development, for example, neural progenitor cell proliferation, neuronal migration, and the differentiation as well as integration of neurons into functional circuits. Developmental defects observed in both, mice and humans display striking similarities, suggesting Bcl11 knockout mice provide excellent models for analyzing human disease. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the cellular and molecular functions of Bcl11a and b and links experimental research to the corresponding NDDs observed in humans. Moreover, it outlines trajectories for future translational research that may help to better understand the molecular basis of Bcl11-dependent NDDs as well as to conceive disease-specific therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Anna Seigfried
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Britsch
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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26
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Ammassam Veettil R, Sebastian S, McCallister T, Ghosh S, Hynds DL. Uptake of surface-functionalized thermo-responsive polymeric nanocarriers in corticospinal tract motor neurons. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 696:149503. [PMID: 38262309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149503] [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: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Nanocarrier drug delivery systems are attractive options for targeted delivery of survival- and regeneration-enhancing therapeutics to neurons damaged by degenerative or traumatic central nervous system (CNS) lesions. Functional groups on nanocarrier surfaces allow derivatization with molecules to target specific cells but may affect cellular interactions and nanocarrier uptake. We synthesized differently sized -COOH and -NH2 surface functionalized polymeric nanocarriers (SFNCs) by emulsion copolymerization and assessed uptake by different cell types in mixed cortical cultures. Following 60-min incubation with SFNCs, mean intensity measurements of fluorescently labeled SFNCs indicated that corticospinal tract motor neurons (CSMNs) took up more COOH- or NH2- functionalized SFNCs with similar sizes (150 nm), compared to glia. However, larger diameter (750 nm) SFNCs were taken up at higher concentrations compared to smaller COOH-derivatized SFNCs (150 nm). These data suggest that larger SFNCs may provide an advantage for enhanced uptake by targeted neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remya Ammassam Veettil
- Division of Biology, Texas Woman's University, 1000 Old Main Circle, Denton, TX, 76204, USA.
| | - Sumod Sebastian
- Division of Biology, Texas Woman's University, 1000 Old Main Circle, Denton, TX, 76204, USA.
| | - Thomas McCallister
- Department of Engineering and Technology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, One University Plaza, MO, 63701, USA
| | - Santaneel Ghosh
- Department of Engineering and Technology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, One University Plaza, MO, 63701, USA
| | - DiAnna L Hynds
- Division of Biology, Texas Woman's University, 1000 Old Main Circle, Denton, TX, 76204, USA.
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27
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Wang N, Wan R, Tang K. Transcriptional regulation in the development and dysfunction of neocortical projection neurons. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:246-254. [PMID: 37488873 PMCID: PMC10503610 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.379039] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamatergic projection neurons generate sophisticated excitatory circuits to integrate and transmit information among different cortical areas, and between the neocortex and other regions of the brain and spinal cord. Appropriate development of cortical projection neurons is regulated by certain essential events such as neural fate determination, proliferation, specification, differentiation, migration, survival, axonogenesis, and synaptogenesis. These processes are precisely regulated in a tempo-spatial manner by intrinsic factors, extrinsic signals, and neural activities. The generation of correct subtypes and precise connections of projection neurons is imperative not only to support the basic cortical functions (such as sensory information integration, motor coordination, and cognition) but also to prevent the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders (such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, and depression). This review mainly focuses on the recent progress of transcriptional regulations on the development and diversity of neocortical projection neurons and the clinical relevance of the failure of transcriptional modulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningxin Wang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rong Wan
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ke Tang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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28
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Pal S, Lim JWC, Richards LJ. Diverse axonal morphologies of individual callosal projection neurons reveal new insights into brain connectivity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102837. [PMID: 38271848 PMCID: PMC11265515 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
In the mature brain, functionally distinct areas connect to specific targets, mediating network activity required for function. New insights are still occurring regarding how specific connectivity occurs in the developing brain. Decades of work have revealed important insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms regulating cell type specification in the brain. This work classified long-range projection neurons of the cerebral cortex into three major classes based on their primary target (e.g. subcortical, intracortical, and interhemispheric projections). However, painstaking single-cell mapping reveals that long-range projection neurons of the corpus callosum connect to multiple and overlapping ipsilateral and contralateral targets with often highly branched axons. In addition, their scRNA transcriptomes are highly variable, making it difficult to identify meaningful subclasses. This work has prompted us to reexamine how cortical projection neurons that comprise the corpus callosum are currently classified and how this stunning array of variability might be achieved during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suranjana Pal
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. https://twitter.com/PalSuranjana
| | - Jonathan W C Lim
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Linda J Richards
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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29
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Veeraraghavan P, Engmann AK, Hatch JJ, Itoh Y, Nguyen D, Addison T, Macklis JD. Dynamic subtype- and context-specific subcellular RNA regulation in growth cones of developing neurons of the cerebral cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.24.559186. [PMID: 38328182 PMCID: PMC10849483 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.24.559186] [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
Molecular mechanisms that cells employ to compartmentalize function via localization of function-specific RNA and translation are only partially elucidated. We investigate long-range projection neurons of the cerebral cortex as highly polarized exemplars to elucidate dynamic regulation of RNA localization, stability, and translation within growth cones (GCs), leading tips of growing axons. Comparison of GC-localized transcriptomes between two distinct subtypes of projection neurons- interhemispheric-callosal and corticothalamic- across developmental stages identifies both distinct and shared subcellular machinery, and intriguingly highlights enrichment of genes associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Developmental context-specific components of GC-localized transcriptomes identify known and novel potential regulators of distinct phases of circuit formation: long-distance growth, target area innervation, and synapse formation. Further, we investigate mechanisms by which transcripts are enriched and dynamically regulated in GCs, and identify GC-enriched motifs in 3' untranslated regions. As one example, we identify cytoplasmic adenylation element binding protein 4 (CPEB4), an RNA binding protein regulating localization and translation of mRNAs encoding molecular machinery important for axonal branching and complexity. We also identify RNA binding motif single stranded interacting protein 1 (RBMS1) as a dynamically expressed regulator of RNA stabilization that enables successful callosal circuit formation. Subtly aberrant associative and integrative cortical circuitry can profoundly affect cortical function, often causing neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Elucidation of context-specific subcellular RNA regulation for GC- and soma-localized molecular controls over precise circuit development, maintenance, and function offers generalizable insights for other polarized cells, and might contribute substantially to understanding neurodevelopmental and behavioral-cognitive disorders and toward targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Veeraraghavan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne K. Engmann
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John J. Hatch
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Itoh
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Duane Nguyen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Addison
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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30
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Gavrish M, Kustova A, Celis Suescún JC, Bessa P, Mitina N, Tarabykin V. Molecular mechanisms of corpus callosum development: a four-step journey. Front Neuroanat 2024; 17:1276325. [PMID: 38298831 PMCID: PMC10827913 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1276325] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Corpus Callosum (CC) is a bundle of axons connecting the cerebral hemispheres. It is the most recent structure to have appeared during evolution of placental mammals. Its development is controlled by a very complex interplay of many molecules. In humans it contains almost 80% of all commissural axons in the brain. The formation of the CC can be divided into four main stages, each controlled by numerous intracellular and extracellular molecular factors. First, a newborn neuron has to specify an axon, leave proliferative compartments, the Ventricular Zone (VZ) and Subventricular Zone (SVZ), migrate through the Intermediate Zone (IZ), and then settle at the Cortical Plate (CP). During the second stage, callosal axons navigate toward the midline within a compact bundle. Next stage is the midline crossing into contralateral hemisphere. The last step is targeting a defined area and synapse formation. This review provides an insight into these four phases of callosal axons development, as well as a description of the main molecular players involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gavrish
- Laboratory of Genetics of Brain Development, Research Institute of Neurosciences, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Angelina Kustova
- Laboratory of Genetics of Brain Development, Research Institute of Neurosciences, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Juan C. Celis Suescún
- Laboratory of Genetics of Brain Development, Research Institute of Neurosciences, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Paraskevi Bessa
- Charité Hospital, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Mitina
- Laboratory of Genetics of Brain Development, Research Institute of Neurosciences, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Victor Tarabykin
- Charité Hospital, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
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31
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Plateau V, Baufreton J, Le Bon-Jégo M. Age-Dependent Modulation of Layer V Pyramidal Neuron Excitability in the Mouse Primary Motor Cortex by D1 Receptor Agonists and Antagonists. Neuroscience 2024; 536:21-35. [PMID: 37952579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.11.006] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The primary motor cortex (M1) receives dopaminergic (DAergic) projections from the midbrain which play a key role in modulating motor and cognitive processes, such as motor skill learning. However, little is known at the level of individual neurons about how dopamine (DA) and its receptors modulate the intrinsic properties of the different neuronal subpopulations in M1 and if this modulation depends on age. Using immunohistochemistry, we first mapped the cells expressing the DA D1 receptor across the different layers in M1, and quantified the number of pyramidal neurons (PNs) expressing the D1 receptor in the different layers, in young and adult mice. This work reveals that the spatial distribution and the molecular profile of D1 receptor-expressing neurons (D1+) across M1 layers do not change with age. Then, combining whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and pharmacology, we explored ex vivo in young and adult mice the impact of activation or blockade of D1 receptors on D1+ PN intrinsic properties. While the bath application of the D1 receptor agonist induced an increase in the excitability of layer V PNs both in young and adult, we identified a distinct modulation of intrinsic electrical properties of layer V D1+ PNs by D1 receptor antagonist depending on the age of the animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Plateau
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérôme Baufreton
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Morgane Le Bon-Jégo
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS UMR 5293, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
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32
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Sohn J. Synaptic configuration and reconfiguration in the neocortex are spatiotemporally selective. Anat Sci Int 2024; 99:17-33. [PMID: 37837522 PMCID: PMC10771605 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00743-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Brain computation relies on the neural networks. Neurons extend the neurites such as dendrites and axons, and the contacts of these neurites that form chemical synapses are the biological basis of signal transmissions in the central nervous system. Individual neuronal outputs can influence the other neurons within the range of the axonal spread, while the activities of single neurons can be affected by the afferents in their somatodendritic fields. The morphological profile, therefore, binds the functional role each neuron can play. In addition, synaptic connectivity among neurons displays preference based on the characteristics of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Here, the author reviews the "spatial" and "temporal" connection selectivity in the neocortex. The histological description of the neocortical circuitry depends primarily on the classification of cell types, and the development of gene engineering techniques allows the cell type-specific visualization of dendrites and axons as well as somata. Using genetic labeling of particular cell populations combined with immunohistochemistry and imaging at a subcellular spatial resolution, we revealed the "spatial selectivity" of cortical wirings in which synapses are non-uniformly distributed on the subcellular somatodendritic domains in a presynaptic cell type-specific manner. In addition, cortical synaptic dynamics in learning exhibit presynaptic cell type-dependent "temporal selectivity": corticocortical synapses appear only transiently during the learning phase, while learning-induced new thalamocortical synapses persist, indicating that distinct circuits may supervise learning-specific ephemeral synapse and memory-specific immortal synapse formation. The selectivity of spatial configuration and temporal reconfiguration in the neural circuitry may govern diverse functions in the neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaerin Sohn
- Department of Systematic Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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33
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Nolan M, Scott C, Hof PR, Ansorge O. Betz cells of the primary motor cortex. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25567. [PMID: 38289193 PMCID: PMC10952528 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25567] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Betz cells, named in honor of Volodymyr Betz (1834-1894), who described them as "giant pyramids" in the primary motor cortex of primates and other mammalian species, are layer V extratelencephalic projection (ETP) neurons that directly innervate α-motoneurons of the brainstem and spinal cord. Despite their large volume and circumferential dendritic architecture, to date, no single molecular criterion has been established that unequivocally distinguishes adult Betz cells from other layer V ETP neurons. In primates, transcriptional signatures suggest the presence of at least two ETP neuron clusters that contain mature Betz cells; these are characterized by an abundance of axon guidance and oxidative phosphorylation transcripts. How neurodevelopmental programs drive the distinct positional and morphological features of Betz cells in humans remains unknown. Betz cells display a distinct biphasic firing pattern involving early cessation of firing followed by delayed sustained acceleration in spike frequency and magnitude. Few cell type-specific transcripts and electrophysiological characteristics are conserved between rodent layer V ETP neurons of the motor cortex and primate Betz cells. This has implications for the modeling of disorders that affect the motor cortex in humans, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Perhaps vulnerability to ALS is linked to the evolution of neural networks for fine motor control reflected in the distinct morphomolecular architecture of the human motor cortex, including Betz cells. Here, we discuss histological, molecular, and functional data concerning the position of Betz cells in the emerging taxonomy of neurons across diverse species and their role in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Nolan
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of NeurologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Connor Scott
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Patrick. R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Olaf Ansorge
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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34
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Zheng Y, Zhao C, Song Q, Xu L, Zhang B, Hu G, Kong X, Li S, Li X, Shen Y, Zhuang L, Wu M, Liu Y, Zhou Y. Histone methylation mediated by NSD1 is required for the establishment and maintenance of neuronal identities. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113496. [PMID: 37995181 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Appropriate histone modifications emerge as essential cell fate regulators of neuronal identities across neocortical areas and layers. Here we showed that NSD1, the methyltransferase for di-methylated lysine 36 of histone H3 (H3K36me2), controls both area and layer identities of the neocortex. Nsd1-ablated neocortex showed an area shift of all four primary functional regions and aberrant wiring of cortico-thalamic-cortical projections. Nsd1 conditional knockout mice displayed defects in spatial memory, motor learning, and coordination, resembling patients with the Sotos syndrome carrying NSD1 mutations. On Nsd1 loss, superficial-layer pyramidal neurons (PNs) progressively mis-expressed markers for deep-layer PNs, and PNs remained immature both morphologically and electrophysiologically. Loss of Nsd1 in postmitotic PNs causes genome-wide loss of H3K36me2 and re-distribution of DNA methylation, which accounts for diminished expression of neocortical layer specifiers but ectopic expression of non-neural genes. Together, H3K36me2 mediated by NSD1 is required for the establishment and maintenance of region- and layer-specific neocortical identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chen Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qiulin Song
- Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Eye Center, Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lichao Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Guangda Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiangfei Kong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shaowen Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yin Shen
- Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Eye Center, Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lenan Zhuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Min Wu
- Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; College of Life Sciences, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Frontier Science Center of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
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Kurabayashi N, Fujii K, Otobe Y, Hiroki S, Hiratsuka M, Yoshitane H, Kazuki Y, Takao K. Neocortical neuronal production and maturation defects in the TcMAC21 mouse model of Down syndrome. iScience 2023; 26:108379. [PMID: 38025769 PMCID: PMC10679816 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108379] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) results from trisomy of human chromosome 21 (HSA21), and DS research has been conducted by the use of mouse models. We previously generated a humanized mouse model of DS, TcMAC21, which carries the long arm of HSA21. These mice exhibit learning and memory deficits, and may reproduce neurodevelopmental alterations observed in humans with DS. Here, we performed histologic studies of the TcMAC21 forebrain from embryonic to adult stages. The TcMAC21 neocortex showed reduced proliferation of neural progenitors and delayed neurogenesis. These abnormalities were associated with a smaller number of projection neurons and interneurons. Further, (phospho-)proteomic analysis of adult TcMAC21 cortex revealed alterations in the phosphorylation levels of a series of synaptic proteins. The TcMAC21 mouse model shows similar brain development abnormalities as DS, and will be a valuable model to investigate prenatal and postnatal causes of intellectual disability in humans with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiro Kurabayashi
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
- Circadian Clock Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Kamikitazawa 2-1-6, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Kazuki Fujii
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yuta Otobe
- Circadian Clock Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Kamikitazawa 2-1-6, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shingo Hiroki
- Circadian Clock Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Kamikitazawa 2-1-6, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masaharu Hiratsuka
- Department of Chromosome Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503, Japan
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503, Japan
| | - Hikari Yoshitane
- Circadian Clock Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Kamikitazawa 2-1-6, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kazuki
- Department of Chromosome Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503, Japan
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503, Japan
- Chromosome Engineering Research Group, The Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Keizo Takao
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
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Winter CC, Jacobi A, Su J, Chung L, van Velthoven CTJ, Yao Z, Lee C, Zhang Z, Yu S, Gao K, Duque Salazar G, Kegeles E, Zhang Y, Tomihiro MC, Zhang Y, Yang Z, Zhu J, Tang J, Song X, Donahue RJ, Wang Q, McMillen D, Kunst M, Wang N, Smith KA, Romero GE, Frank MM, Krol A, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind DH, Feng G, Goodrich LV, Liu Y, Tasic B, Zeng H, He Z. A transcriptomic taxonomy of mouse brain-wide spinal projecting neurons. Nature 2023; 624:403-414. [PMID: 38092914 PMCID: PMC10719099 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06817-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The brain controls nearly all bodily functions via spinal projecting neurons (SPNs) that carry command signals from the brain to the spinal cord. However, a comprehensive molecular characterization of brain-wide SPNs is still lacking. Here we transcriptionally profiled a total of 65,002 SPNs, identified 76 region-specific SPN types, and mapped these types into a companion atlas of the whole mouse brain1. This taxonomy reveals a three-component organization of SPNs: (1) molecularly homogeneous excitatory SPNs from the cortex, red nucleus and cerebellum with somatotopic spinal terminations suitable for point-to-point communication; (2) heterogeneous populations in the reticular formation with broad spinal termination patterns, suitable for relaying commands related to the activities of the entire spinal cord; and (3) modulatory neurons expressing slow-acting neurotransmitters and/or neuropeptides in the hypothalamus, midbrain and reticular formation for 'gain setting' of brain-spinal signals. In addition, this atlas revealed a LIM homeobox transcription factor code that parcellates the reticulospinal neurons into five molecularly distinct and spatially segregated populations. Finally, we found transcriptional signatures of a subset of SPNs with large soma size and correlated these with fast-firing electrophysiological properties. Together, this study establishes a comprehensive taxonomy of brain-wide SPNs and provides insight into the functional organization of SPNs in mediating brain control of bodily functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla C Winter
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne Jacobi
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- F. Hoffman-La Roche, pRED, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Junfeng Su
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leeyup Chung
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Zizhen Yao
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Changkyu Lee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zicong Zhang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuguang Yu
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kun Gao
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Geraldine Duque Salazar
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evgenii Kegeles
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Makenzie C Tomihiro
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yiming Zhang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhiyun Yang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junjie Zhu
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Tang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xuan Song
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan J Donahue
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qing Wang
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Ning Wang
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Gabriel E Romero
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle M Frank
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra Krol
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lisa V Goodrich
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Somatosensation and Pain Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Zhigang He
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Baker MR, Lee AS, Rajadhyaksha AM. L-type calcium channels and neuropsychiatric diseases: Insights into genetic risk variant-associated genomic regulation and impact on brain development. Channels (Austin) 2023; 17:2176984. [PMID: 36803254 PMCID: PMC9980663 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2176984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent human genetic studies have linked a variety of genetic variants in the CACNA1C and CACNA1D genes to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. This is not surprising given the work from multiple laboratories using cell and animal models that have established that Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 L-type calcium channels (LTCCs), encoded by CACNA1C and CACNA1D, respectively, play a key role in various neuronal processes that are essential for normal brain development, connectivity, and experience-dependent plasticity. Of the multiple genetic aberrations reported, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CACNA1C and CACNA1D that are present within introns, in accordance with the growing body of literature establishing that large numbers of SNPs associated with complex diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders, are present within non-coding regions. How these intronic SNPs affect gene expression has remained a question. Here, we review recent studies that are beginning to shed light on how neuropsychiatric-linked non-coding genetic variants can impact gene expression via regulation at the genomic and chromatin levels. We additionally review recent studies that are uncovering how altered calcium signaling through LTCCs impact some of the neuronal developmental processes, such as neurogenesis, neuron migration, and neuron differentiation. Together, the described changes in genomic regulation and disruptions in neurodevelopment provide possible mechanisms by which genetic variants of LTCC genes contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn R. Baker
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Andrew S. Lee
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, USA
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
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Golan N, Ehrlich D, Bonanno J, O'Brien RF, Murillo M, Kauer SD, Ravindra N, Van Dijk D, Cafferty WB. Anatomical Diversity of the Adult Corticospinal Tract Revealed by Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7929-7945. [PMID: 37748862 PMCID: PMC10669816 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0811-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The corticospinal tract (CST) forms a central part of the voluntary motor apparatus in all mammals. Thus, injury, disease, and subsequent degeneration within this pathway result in chronic irreversible functional deficits. Current strategies to repair the damaged CST are suboptimal in part because of underexplored molecular heterogeneity within the adult tract. Here, we combine spinal retrograde CST tracing with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) in adult male and female mice to index corticospinal neuron (CSN) subtypes that differentially innervate the forelimb and hindlimb. We exploit publicly available datasets to confer anatomic specialization among CSNs and show that CSNs segregate not only along the forelimb and hindlimb axis but also by supraspinal axon collateralization. These anatomically defined transcriptional data allow us to use machine learning tools to build classifiers that discriminate between CSNs and cortical layer 2/3 and nonspinally terminating layer 5 neurons in M1 and separately identify limb-specific CSNs. Using these tools, CSN subtypes can be differentially identified to study postnatal patterning of the CST in vivo, leveraged to screen for novel limb-specific axon growth survival and growth activators in vitro, and ultimately exploited to repair the damaged CST after injury and disease.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Therapeutic interventions designed to repair the damaged CST after spinal cord injury have remained functionally suboptimal in part because of an incomplete understanding of the molecular heterogeneity among subclasses of CSNs. Here, we combine spinal retrograde labeling with scRNAseq and annotate a CSN index by the termination pattern of their primary axon in the cervical or lumbar spinal cord and supraspinal collateral terminal fields. Using machine learning we have confirmed the veracity of our CSN gene lists to train classifiers to identify CSNs among all classes of neurons in primary motor cortex to study the development, patterning, homeostasis, and response to injury and disease, and ultimately target streamlined repair strategies to this critical motor pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Golan
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Daniel Ehrlich
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - James Bonanno
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Rory F O'Brien
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Matias Murillo
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Sierra D Kauer
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Neal Ravindra
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - David Van Dijk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - William B Cafferty
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
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Weber AI, Parthasarathy S, Borisova E, Epifanova E, Preußner M, Rusanova A, Ambrozkiewicz MC, Bessa P, Newman A, Müller L, Schaal H, Heyd F, Tarabykin V. Srsf1 and Elavl1 act antagonistically on neuronal fate choice in the developing neocortex by controlling TrkC receptor isoform expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10218-10237. [PMID: 37697438 PMCID: PMC10602877 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The seat of higher-order cognitive abilities in mammals, the neocortex, is a complex structure, organized in several layers. The different subtypes of principal neurons are distributed in precise ratios and at specific positions in these layers and are generated by the same neural progenitor cells (NPCs), steered by a spatially and temporally specified combination of molecular cues that are incompletely understood. Recently, we discovered that an alternatively spliced isoform of the TrkC receptor lacking the kinase domain, TrkC-T1, is a determinant of the corticofugal projection neuron (CFuPN) fate. Here, we show that the finely tuned balance between TrkC-T1 and the better known, kinase domain-containing isoform, TrkC-TK+, is cell type-specific in the developing cortex and established through the antagonistic actions of two RNA-binding proteins, Srsf1 and Elavl1. Moreover, our data show that Srsf1 promotes the CFuPN fate and Elavl1 promotes the callosal projection neuron (CPN) fate in vivo via regulating the distinct ratios of TrkC-T1 to TrkC-TK+. Taken together, we connect spatio-temporal expression of Srsf1 and Elavl1 in the developing neocortex with the regulation of TrkC alternative splicing and transcript stability and neuronal fate choice, thus adding to the mechanistic and functional understanding of alternative splicing in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ioana Weber
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Srinivas Parthasarathy
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Borisova
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Epifanova
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Preußner
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Rusanova
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Mateusz C Ambrozkiewicz
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paraskevi Bessa
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew G Newman
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Müller
- Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Heiner Schaal
- Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Florian Heyd
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Tarabykin
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia
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Nagy-Pál P, Veres JM, Fekete Z, Karlócai MR, Weisz F, Barabás B, Reéb Z, Hájos N. Structural Organization of Perisomatic Inhibition in the Mouse Medial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6972-6987. [PMID: 37640552 PMCID: PMC10586541 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0432-23.2023] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Perisomatic inhibition profoundly controls neural function. However, the structural organization of inhibitory circuits giving rise to the perisomatic inhibition in the higher-order cortices is not completely known. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of those GABAergic cells in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that provide inputs onto the somata and proximal dendrites of pyramidal neurons. Our results show that most GABAergic axonal varicosities contacting the perisomatic region of superficial (layer 2/3) and deep (layer 5) pyramidal cells express parvalbumin (PV) or cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Further, we found that the ratio of PV/CB1 GABAergic inputs is larger on the somatic membrane surface of pyramidal tract neurons in comparison with those projecting to the contralateral hemisphere. Our morphologic analysis of in vitro labeled PV+ basket cells (PVBC) and CCK/CB1+ basket cells (CCKBC) revealed differences in many features. PVBC dendrites and axons arborized preferentially within the layer where their soma was located. In contrast, the axons of CCKBCs expanded throughout layers, although their dendrites were found preferentially either in superficial or deep layers. Finally, using anterograde trans-synaptic tracing we observed that PVBCs are preferentially innervated by thalamic and basal amygdala afferents in layers 5a and 5b, respectively. Thus, our results suggest that PVBCs can control the local circuit operation in a layer-specific manner via their characteristic arborization, whereas CCKBCs rather provide cross-layer inhibition in the mPFC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inhibitory cells in cortical circuits are crucial for the precise control of local network activity. Nevertheless, in higher-order cortical areas that are involved in cognitive functions like decision-making, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, the structural organization of inhibitory cell circuits is not completely understood. In this study we show that perisomatic inhibitory control of excitatory cells in the medial prefrontal cortex is performed by two types of basket cells endowed with different morphologic properties that provide inhibitory inputs with distinct layer specificity on cells projecting to disparate areas. Revealing this difference in innervation strategy of the two basket cell types is a key step toward understanding how they fulfill their distinct roles in cortical network operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Nagy-Pál
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit M Veres
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Fekete
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mária R Karlócai
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Filippo Weisz
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bence Barabás
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Reéb
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Norbert Hájos
- Eötvös Loránd Research Network Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- Linda and Jack Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
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41
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Chai E, Chen Z, Mou Y, Thakur G, Zhan W, Li XJ. Liver-X-receptor agonists rescue axonal degeneration in SPG11-deficient neurons via regulating cholesterol trafficking. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106293. [PMID: 37709208 PMCID: PMC10655618 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106293] [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: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Spastic paraplegia type 11 (SPG11) is a common autosomal recessive form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) characterized by the degeneration of cortical motor neuron axons, leading to muscle spasticity and weakness. Impaired lipid trafficking is an emerging pathology in neurodegenerative diseases including SPG11, though its role in axonal degeneration of human SPG11 neurons remains unknown. Here, we established a pluripotent stem cell-based SPG11 model by knocking down the SPG11 gene in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). These stem cells were then differentiated into cortical projection neurons (PNs), the cell types affected in HSP patients, to examine axonal defects and cholesterol distributions. Our data revealed that SPG11 deficiency led to reduced axonal outgrowth, impaired axonal transport, and accumulated swellings, recapitulating disease-specific phenotypes. In SPG11-knockdown neurons, cholesterol was accumulated in lysosome and reduced in plasma membrane, revealing impairments in cholesterol trafficking. Strikingly, the liver-X-receptor (LXR) agonists restored cholesterol homeostasis, leading to the rescue of subsequent axonal defects in SPG11-deficient cortical PNs. To further determine the implication of impaired cholesterol homeostasis in SPG11, we examined the cholesterol distribution in cortical PNs generated from SPG11 disease-mutation knock-in hESCs, and observed a similar cholesterol trafficking impairment. Moreover, LXR agonists rescued the aberrant cholesterol distribution and mitigated the degeneration of SPG11 disease-mutated neurons. Taken together, our data demonstrate impaired cholesterol trafficking underlying axonal degeneration of SPG11 human neurons, and highlight the therapeutic potential of LXR agonists for SPG11 through restoring cholesterol homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Chai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA.; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Yongchao Mou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA.; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Gitika Thakur
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Weihai Zhan
- Office of Research, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Xue-Jun Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA.; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA..
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42
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Sawada K, Kamiya S, Kobayashi T. Neonatal Exposure to Lipopolysaccharide Promotes Neurogenesis of Subventricular Zone Progenitors in the Developing Neocortex of Ferrets. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14962. [PMID: 37834410 PMCID: PMC10573966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914962] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a natural agonist of toll-like receptor 4 that serves a role in innate immunity. The current study evaluated the LPS-mediated regulation of neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors, that is, the basal radial glia and intermediate progenitors (IPs), in ferrets. Ferret pups were subcutaneously injected with LPS (500 μg/g of body weight) on postnatal days (PDs) 6 and 7. Furthermore, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) were administered on PDs 5 and 7, respectively, to label the post-proliferative and proliferating cells in the inner SVZ (iSVZ) and outer SVZ (oSVZ). A significantly higher density of BrdU single-labeled proliferating cells was observed in the iSVZ of LPS-exposed ferrets than in controls but not in post-proliferative EdU single-labeled and EdU/BrdU double-labeled self-renewing cells. BrdU single-labeled cells exhibited a lower proportion of Tbr2 immunostaining in LPS-exposed ferrets (22.2%) than in controls (42.6%) and a higher proportion of Ctip2 immunostaining in LPS-exposed ferrets (22.2%) than in controls (8.6%). The present findings revealed that LPS modified the neurogenesis of SVZ progenitors. Neonatal LPS exposure facilitates the proliferation of SVZ progenitors, followed by the differentiation of Tbr2-expressing IPs into Ctip2-expressing immature neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Sawada
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tsukuba International University, Tsuchiura 300-0051, Japan
| | - Shiori Kamiya
- Department of Regulation Biology, Faculty of Science, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan; (S.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Tetsuya Kobayashi
- Department of Regulation Biology, Faculty of Science, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan; (S.K.); (T.K.)
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43
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Tsuboguchi S, Nakamura Y, Ishihara T, Kato T, Sato T, Koyama A, Mori H, Koike Y, Onodera O, Ueno M. TDP-43 differentially propagates to induce antero- and retrograde degeneration in the corticospinal circuits in mouse focal ALS models. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:611-629. [PMID: 37555859 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02615-8] [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: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by TDP-43 inclusions in the cortical and spinal motor neurons. It remains unknown whether and how pathogenic TDP-43 spreads across neural connections to progress degenerative processes in the cortico-spinal motor circuitry. Here we established novel mouse ALS models that initially induced mutant TDP-43 inclusions in specific neuronal or cell types in the motor circuits, and investigated whether TDP-43 and relevant pathological processes spread across neuronal or cellular connections. We first developed ALS models that primarily induced TDP-43 inclusions in the corticospinal neurons, spinal motor neurons, or forelimb skeletal muscle, by using adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing mutant TDP-43. We found that TDP-43 induced in the corticospinal neurons was transported along the axons anterogradely and transferred to the oligodendrocytes along the corticospinal tract (CST), coinciding with mild axon degeneration. In contrast, TDP-43 introduced in the spinal motor neurons did not spread retrogradely to the cortical or spinal neurons; however, it induced an extreme loss of spinal motor neurons and subsequent degeneration of neighboring spinal neurons, suggesting a degenerative propagation in a retrograde manner in the spinal cord. The intraspinal degeneration further led to severe muscle atrophy. Finally, TDP-43 induced in the skeletal muscle did not propagate pathological events to spinal neurons retrogradely. Our data revealed that mutant TDP-43 spread across neuro-glial connections anterogradely in the corticospinal pathway, whereas it exhibited different retrograde degenerative properties in the spinal circuits. This suggests that pathogenic TDP-43 may induce distinct antero- and retrograde mechanisms of degeneration in the motor system in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Tsuboguchi
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Yuka Nakamura
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Ishihara
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Taisuke Kato
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tokiharu Sato
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihide Koyama
- Division of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideki Mori
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Yuka Koike
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
| | - Masaki Ueno
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
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44
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Froberg JE, Durak O, Macklis JD. Development of nanoRibo-seq enables study of regulated translation by cortical neuron subtypes, showing uORF translation in synaptic-axonal genes. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112995. [PMID: 37624698 PMCID: PMC10591829 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of translation in rare cell types or subcellular contexts is challenging due to large input requirements for standard approaches. Here, we present "nanoRibo-seq" an optimized approach using 102- to 103-fold less input material than bulk approaches. nanoRibo-seq exhibits rigorous quality control features consistent with quantification of ribosome protected fragments with as few as 1,000 cells. We compare translatomes of two closely related cortical neuron subtypes, callosal projection neurons (CPN) and subcerebral projection neurons (SCPN), during their early postnatal development. We find that, while translational efficiency is highly correlated between CPN and SCPN, several dozen mRNAs are differentially translated. We further examine upstream open reading frame (uORF) translation and identify that mRNAs involved in synapse organization and axon development are highly enriched for uORF translation in both subtypes. nanoRibo-seq enables investigation of translational regulation of rare cell types in vivo and offers a flexible approach for globally quantifying translation from limited input material.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Froberg
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Omer Durak
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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45
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Lüningschrör P, Andreska T, Veh A, Wolf D, Giridhar NJ, Moradi M, Denzel A, Sendtner M. Calnexin controls TrkB cell surface transport and ER-phagy in mouse cerebral cortex development. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1733-1747.e6. [PMID: 37506696 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Transactivation of Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) by EGF leads to cell surface transport of TrkB, promoting its signaling responsiveness to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical process for proper cortical plate development. However, the mechanisms that regulate the transport of TrkB to the cell surface are not fully understood. Here, we identified Calnexin as a regulator for targeting TrkB either to the cell surface or toward autophagosomal processing. Calnexin-deficient mouse embryos show impaired cortical plate formation and elevated levels of transactivated TrkB. In Calnexin-depleted mouse neuronal precursor cells, we detected an impaired cell surface transport of TrkB in response to EGF and an impaired delivery to autophagosomes. Mechanistically, we show that Calnexin facilitates the interaction of TrkB with the ER-phagy receptor Fam134b, thereby targeting TrkB to ER-phagy. This mechanism appears as a critical process for fine-tuning the sensitivity of neurons to BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lüningschrör
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Andreska
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Veh
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Wolf
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Neha Jadhav Giridhar
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mehri Moradi
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Angela Denzel
- Imperial Cancer Research Fund now Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Michael Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 5, 97078 Würzburg, Germany.
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46
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Zheng X, Wu B, Liu Y, Simmons SK, Kim K, Clarke GS, Ashiq A, Park J, Wang Z, Tong L, Wang Q, Xu X, Levin JZ, Jin X. Massively parallel in vivo Perturb-seq reveals cell type-specific transcriptional networks in cortical development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558077. [PMID: 37790302 PMCID: PMC10542124 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Systematic analysis of gene function across diverse cell types in vivo is hindered by two challenges: obtaining sufficient cells from live tissues and accurately identifying each cell's perturbation in high-throughput single-cell assays. Leveraging AAV's versatile cell type tropism and high labeling capacity, we expanded the resolution and scale of in vivo CRISPR screens: allowing phenotypic analysis at single-cell resolution across a multitude of cell types in the embryonic brain, adult brain, and peripheral nervous system. We undertook extensive tests of 86 AAV serotypes, combined with a transposon system, to substantially amplify labeling and accelerate in vivo gene delivery from weeks to days. Using this platform, we performed an in utero genetic screen as proof-of-principle and identified pleiotropic regulatory networks of Foxg1 in cortical development, including Layer 6 corticothalamic neurons where it tightly controls distinct networks essential for cell fate specification. Notably, our platform can label >6% of cerebral cells, surpassing the current state-of-the-art efficacy at <0.1% (mediated by lentivirus), and achieve analysis of over 30,000 cells in one experiment, thus enabling massively parallel in vivo Perturb-seq. Compatible with various perturbation techniques (CRISPRa/i) and phenotypic measurements (single-cell or spatial multi-omics), our platform presents a flexible, modular approach to interrogate gene function across diverse cell types in vivo, connecting gene variants to their causal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhe Zheng
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Boli Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yuejia Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sean K. Simmons
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kwanho Kim
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Grace S. Clarke
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Abdullah Ashiq
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zhilin Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Liqi Tong
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qizhao Wang
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Z. Levin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
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47
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Galazo MJ, Sweetser DA, Macklis JD. Tle4 controls both developmental acquisition and early post-natal maturation of corticothalamic projection neuron identity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112957. [PMID: 37561632 PMCID: PMC10542749 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Identities of distinct neuron subtypes are specified during embryonic development, then maintained during post-natal maturation. In cerebral cortex, mechanisms controlling early acquisition of neuron-subtype identities have become increasingly understood. However, mechanisms controlling neuron-subtype identity stability during post-natal maturation are largely unexplored. We identify that Tle4 is required for both early acquisition and post-natal stability of corticothalamic neuron-subtype identity. Embryonically, Tle4 promotes acquisition of corticothalamic identity and blocks emergence of core characteristics of subcerebral/corticospinal projection neuron identity, including gene expression and connectivity. During the first post-natal week, when corticothalamic innervation is ongoing, Tle4 is required to stabilize corticothalamic neuron identity, limiting interference from differentiation programs of developmentally related neuron classes. We identify a deacetylation-based epigenetic mechanism by which TLE4 controls Fezf2 expression level by corticothalamic neurons. This contributes to distinction of cortical output subtypes and ensures identity stability for appropriate maturation of corticothalamic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Galazo
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David A Sweetser
- Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Medical Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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48
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Kalhor K, Chen CJ, Lee HS, Cai M, Nafisi M, Que R, Palmer C, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Song J, Knoten A, Lake BB, Gaut JP, Keene D, Lein E, Kharchenko PV, Chun J, Jain S, Fan JB, Zhang K. Mapping Human Tissues with Highly Multiplexed RNA in situ Hybridization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553610. [PMID: 37645998 PMCID: PMC10462101 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In situ transcriptomic techniques promise a holistic view of tissue organization and cell-cell interactions. Recently there has been a surge of multiplexed RNA in situ techniques but their application to human tissues and clinical biopsies has been limited due to their large size, general lower tissue quality and high background autofluorescence. Here we report DART-FISH, a versatile padlock probe-based technology capable of profiling hundreds to thousands of genes in centimeter-sized human tissue sections at cellular resolution. We introduced an omni-cell type cytoplasmic stain, dubbed RiboSoma that substantially improves the segmentation of cell bodies. We developed a computational decoding-by-deconvolution workflow to extract gene spots even in the presence of optical crowding. Our enzyme-free isothermal decoding procedure allowed us to image 121 genes in a large section from the human neocortex in less than 10 hours, where we successfully recapitulated the cytoarchitecture of 20 neuronal and non-neuronal subclasses. Additionally, we demonstrated the detection of transcripts as short as 461 nucleotides, including neuropeptides and discovered new cortical layer markers. We further performed in situ mapping of 300 genes on a diseased human kidney, profiled >20 healthy and pathological cell states, and identified diseased niches enriched in transcriptionally altered epithelial cells and myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kian Kalhor
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Chien-Ju Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Ho Suk Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Cai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mahsa Nafisi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Richard Que
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carter Palmer
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yixu Yuan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yida Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jinghui Song
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Knoten
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Blue B. Lake
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph P. Gaut
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St
| | - Dirk Keene
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA Louis, MO, USA
| | - Peter V. Kharchenko
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jerold Chun
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sanjay Jain
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St
| | | | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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49
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Gongwer MW, Klune CB, Couto J, Jin B, Enos AS, Chen R, Friedmann D, DeNardo LA. Brain-Wide Projections and Differential Encoding of Prefrontal Neuronal Classes Underlying Learned and Innate Threat Avoidance. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5810-5830. [PMID: 37491314 PMCID: PMC10423051 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0697-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand how the brain produces behavior, we must elucidate the relationships between neuronal connectivity and function. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical for complex functions including decision-making and mood. mPFC projection neurons collateralize extensively, but the relationships between mPFC neuronal activity and brain-wide connectivity are poorly understood. We performed whole-brain connectivity mapping and fiber photometry to better understand the mPFC circuits that control threat avoidance in male and female mice. Using tissue clearing and light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), we mapped the brain-wide axon collaterals of populations of mPFC neurons that project to nucleus accumbens (NAc), ventral tegmental area (VTA), or contralateral mPFC (cmPFC). We present DeepTraCE (deep learning-based tracing with combined enhancement), for quantifying bulk-labeled axonal projections in images of cleared tissue, and DeepCOUNT (deep-learning based counting of objects via 3D U-net pixel tagging), for quantifying cell bodies. Anatomical maps produced with DeepTraCE aligned with known axonal projection patterns and revealed class-specific topographic projections within regions. Using TRAP2 mice and DeepCOUNT, we analyzed whole-brain functional connectivity underlying threat avoidance. PL was the most highly connected node with functional connections to subsets of PL-cPL, PL-NAc, and PL-VTA target sites. Using fiber photometry, we found that during threat avoidance, cmPFC and NAc-projectors encoded conditioned stimuli, but only when action was required to avoid threats. mPFC-VTA neurons encoded learned but not innate avoidance behaviors. Together our results present new and optimized approaches for quantitative whole-brain analysis and indicate that anatomically defined classes of mPFC neurons have specialized roles in threat avoidance.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding how the brain produces complex behaviors requires detailed knowledge of the relationships between neuronal connectivity and function. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in learning, mood, and decision-making, including evaluating and responding to threats. mPFC dysfunction is strongly linked to fear, anxiety and mood disorders. Although mPFC circuits are clear therapeutic targets, gaps in our understanding of how they produce cognitive and emotional behaviors prevent us from designing effective interventions. To address this, we developed a high-throughput analysis pipeline for quantifying bulk-labeled fluorescent axons [DeepTraCE (deep learning-based tracing with combined enhancement)] or cell bodies [DeepCOUNT (deep-learning based counting of objects via 3D U-net pixel tagging)] in intact cleared brains. Using DeepTraCE, DeepCOUNT, and fiber photometry, we performed detailed anatomic and functional mapping of mPFC neuronal classes, identifying specialized roles in threat avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Gongwer
- Department of Physiology
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
- Medical Scientist Training Program
| | | | | | - Benita Jin
- Department of Physiology
- Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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50
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Huilgol D, Russ JB, Srivas S, Huang ZJ. The progenitor basis of cortical projection neuron diversity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102726. [PMID: 37148649 PMCID: PMC10557529 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Diverse glutamatergic projection neurons (PNs) mediate myriad processing streams and output channels of the cerebral cortex. Yet, how different types of neural progenitors, such as radial glia (RGs) and intermediate progenitors (IPs), produce PN diversity, and hierarchical organization remains unclear. A fundamental issue is whether RGs constitute a homogeneous, multipotent lineage capable of generating all major PN types through a temporally regulated developmental program, or whether RGs comprise multiple transcriptionally heterogenous pools, each fated to generate a subset of PNs. Beyond RGs, the role of IPs in PN diversification remains underexplored. Addressing these questions requires tracking PN developmental trajectories with cell-type resolution - from transcription factor-defined RGs and IPs to their PN progeny, which are defined not only by laminar location but also by projection patterns and gene expression. Advances in cell-type resolution genetic fate mapping, axon tracing, and spatial transcriptomics may provide the technical capability for answering these fundamental questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhananjay Huilgol
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Russ
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sweta Srivas
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Z Josh Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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