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Stefanakis N, Jiang J, Liang Y, Shaham S. LET-381/FoxF and its target UNC-30/Pitx2 specify and maintain the molecular identity of C. elegans mesodermal glia that regulate motor behavior. EMBO J 2024; 43:956-992. [PMID: 38360995 PMCID: PMC10943081 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00049-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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
While most glial cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) arise from neuroectodermal progenitors, some, like microglia, are mesodermally derived. To understand mesodermal glia development and function, we investigated C. elegans GLR glia, which envelop the brain neuropil and separate it from the circulatory system cavity. Transcriptome analysis shows that GLR glia combine astrocytic and endothelial characteristics, which are relegated to separate cell types in vertebrates. Combined fate acquisition is orchestrated by LET-381/FoxF, a fate-specification/maintenance transcription factor also expressed in glia and endothelia of other animals. Among LET-381/FoxF targets, the UNC-30/Pitx2 transcription factor controls GLR glia morphology and represses alternative mesodermal fates. LET-381 and UNC-30 co-expression in naive cells is sufficient for GLR glia gene expression. GLR glia inactivation by ablation or let-381 mutation disrupts locomotory behavior and promotes salt-induced paralysis, suggesting brain-neuropil activity dysregulation. Our studies uncover mechanisms of mesodermal glia development and show that like neuronal differentiation, glia differentiation requires autoregulatory terminal selector genes that define and maintain the glial fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Stefanakis
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jessica Jiang
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yupu Liang
- Research Bioinformatics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, 02135, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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2
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Wong CH, Rahat A, Chang HC. Fused in sarcoma regulates glutamate signaling and oxidative stress response. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 210:172-182. [PMID: 38007141 PMCID: PMC10872661 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in fused in sarcoma (fust-1) are linked to ALS. However, how these ALS causative mutations alter physiological processes and lead to the onset of ALS remains largely unknown. By obtaining humanized fust-1 ALS mutations via CRISPR-CAS9, we generated a C. elegans ALS model. Homozygous fust-1 ALS mutant and fust-1 deletion animals are viable in C. elegans. This allows us to better characterize the molecular mechanisms of fust-1-dependent responses. We found FUST-1 plays a role in regulating superoxide dismutase, glutamate signaling, and oxidative stress. FUST-1 suppresses SOD-1 and VGLUT/EAT-4 in the nervous system. FUST-1 also regulates synaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor GLR-1. We found that fust-1 ALS mutations act as loss-of-function in SOD-1 and VGLUT/EAT-4 phenotypes, whereas the fust-1 ALS mutations act as gain-of-function in redox homeostasis and the microbe-induced oxidative stress response. We hypothesized that FUST-1 is a link between glutamate signaling and SOD-1. Our results may provide new insights into the human ALS alleles and their roles in pathological mechanisms that lead to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiong-Hee Wong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, 104217, Taiwan
| | - Abu Rahat
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, SUNY Binghamton, Vestal, NY, 13850, USA
| | - Howard C Chang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA.
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3
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Varandas KC, Hodges BM, Lubeck L, Farinas A, Liang Y, Lu Y, Shaham S. Glia detect and mount a protective response to loss of dendrite substructure integrity in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.16.567404. [PMID: 38014226 PMCID: PMC10680744 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.16.567404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Neurons have elaborate structures that determine their connectivity and functions. Changes in neuronal structure accompany learning and memory formation and are hallmarks of neurological disease. Here we show that glia monitor dendrite structure and respond to dendrite perturbation. In C. elegans mutants with defective sensory-organ dendrite cilia, adjacent glia accumulate extracellular matrix-laden vesicles, secrete excess matrix around cilia, alter gene expression, and change their secreted protein repertoire. Inducible cilia disruption reveals that this response is acute. DGS-1, a 7-transmembrane domain neuronal protein, and FIG-1, a multifunctional thrombospondin-domain glial protein, are required for glial detection of cilia integrity, and exhibit mutually-dependent localization to and around cilia, respectively. While inhibiting glial secretion disrupts dendritic cilia properties, hyperactivating the glial response protects against dendrite damage. Our studies uncover a homeostatic protective dendrite-glia interaction and suggest that similar signaling occurs at other sensory structures and at synapses, which resemble sensory organs in architecture and molecules.
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Stefanakis N, Jiang J, Liang Y, Shaham S. LET-381/FoxF and UNC-30/Pitx2 control the development of C. elegans mesodermal glia that regulate motor behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.23.563501. [PMID: 37961181 PMCID: PMC10634723 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.23.563501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
While most CNS glia arise from neuroectodermal progenitors, some, like microglia, are mesodermally derived. To understand mesodermal glia development and function, we investigated C. elegans GLR glia, which ensheath the brain neuropil and separate it from the circulatory-system cavity. Transcriptome analysis suggests GLR glia merge astrocytic and endothelial characteristics relegated to separate cell types in vertebrates. Combined fate acquisition is orchestrated by LET-381/FoxF, a fate-specification/maintenance transcription factor expressed in glia and endothelia of other animals. Among LET-381/FoxF targets, UNC-30/Pitx2 transcription factor controls GLR glia morphology and represses alternative mesodermal fates. LET-381 and UNC-30 co-expression in naïve cells is sufficient for GLR glia gene expression. GLR glia inactivation by ablation or let-381 mutation disrupts locomotory behavior and induces salt hypersensitivity, suggesting brain-neuropil activity dysregulation. Our studies uncover mechanisms of mesodermal glia development and show that like neurons, glia differentiation requires autoregulatory terminal selector genes that define and maintain the glial fate.
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5
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Yu CY, Chang HC. Glutamate signaling mediates C. elegans behavioral plasticity to pathogens. iScience 2022; 25:103919. [PMID: 35252815 PMCID: PMC8889136 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ying Yu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, 62102, Taiwan
| | - Howard C. Chang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA
- Corresponding author
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Mos1 Element-Mediated CRISPR Integration of Transgenes in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:2629-2635. [PMID: 31186306 PMCID: PMC6686933 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of exogenous genes in single-copy at precise genomic locations is a powerful tool that has been widely used in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we have streamlined the process by creating a rapid, cloning-free method of single-copy transgene insertion we call Mos1 element-mediated CRISPR integration (mmCRISPi). The protocol combines the impact of Mos1 mediated single-copy gene insertion (mosSCI) with the ease of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene editing, allowing in vivo construction of transgenes from linear DNA fragments integrated at defined loci in the C. elegans genome. This approach was validated by defining its efficiency at different integration sites in the genome and by testing transgene insert size. The mmCRISPi method benefits from in vivo recombination of overlapping PCR fragments, allowing researchers to mix-and-match between promoters, protein-coding sequences, and 3′ untranslated regions, all inserted in a single step at a defined Mos1 loci.
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Neuron-specific regulation of superoxide dismutase amid pathogen-induced gut dysbiosis. Redox Biol 2018; 17:377-385. [PMID: 29857312 PMCID: PMC6007053 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that converts superoxide into less-toxic hydrogen peroxide and oxygen, has been shown to mediate behavioral response to pathogens. However, it remains largely unknown how superoxide dismutase is regulated in the nervous system amid pathogen-induced gut dysbiosis. Although there are five superoxide dismutases in C. elegans, our genetic analyses suggest that SOD-1 is the primary superoxide dismutase to mediate the pathogen avoidance response. When C. elegans are fed a P. aeruginosa diet, the lack of SOD-1 contributes to enhanced lethality. We found that guanylyl cyclases GCY-5 and GCY-22 and neuropeptide receptor NPR-1 act antagonistically to regulate SOD-1 expression in the gustatory neuron ASER. After C. elegans ingests a diet that contributes to high levels of oxidative stress, the temporal regulation of SOD-1 and the SOD-1–dependent response in the gustatory system demonstrates a sophisticated mechanism to fine-tune behavioral plasticity. Our results may provide the initial glimpse of a strategy by which a multicellular organism copes with oxidative stress amid gut dysbiosis.
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Kage-Nakadai E, Ohta A, Ujisawa T, Sun S, Nishikawa Y, Kuhara A, Mitani S. Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of Prox1/Prospero is expressed in the glia and is required for sensory behavior and cold tolerance. Genes Cells 2016; 21:936-48. [PMID: 27402188 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) amphid sensory organ contains only 4 glia-like cells and 24 sensory neurons, providing a simple model for analyzing glia or neuron-glia interactions. To better characterize glial development and function, we carried out RNA interference screening for transcription factors that regulate the expression of an amphid sheath glial cell marker and identified pros-1, which encodes a homeodomain transcription factor homologous to Drosophila prospero/mammalian Prox1, as a positive regulator. The functional PROS-1::EGFP fusion protein was localized in the nuclei of the glia and the excretory cell but not in the amphid sensory neurons. pros-1 deletion mutants exhibited larval lethality, and rescue experiments showed that pros-1 and human Prox1 transgenes were able to rescue the larval lethal phenotype, suggesting that pros-1 is a functional homologue of mammalian Prox1, at least partially. We further found that the structure and functions of sensory neurons, such as the morphology of sensory endings, sensory behavior and sensory-mediated cold tolerance, appeared to be affected by the pros-1 RNAi. Together, our results show that the C. elegans PROS-1 is a transcriptional regulator in the glia but is involved not only in sensory behavior but also in sensory-mediated physiological tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Kage-Nakadai
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.,The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan.,Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Akane Ohta
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoyo Ujisawa
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan
| | - Simo Sun
- Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Nishikawa
- Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kuhara
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
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Yoshina S, Suehiro Y, Kage-Nakadai E, Mitani S. Locus-specific integration of extrachromosomal transgenes in C. elegans with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Biochem Biophys Rep 2016; 5:70-76. [PMID: 28955808 PMCID: PMC5600330 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We established a method to generate integration from extrachromosomal arrays with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Multi-copy transgenes were integrated into the defined loci of chromosomes by this method, while a multi-copy transgene is integrated into random loci by previous methods, such as UV- and gamma-irradiation. The effects of a combination of sgRNAs, which define the cleavage sites in extrachromosomes and chromosomes, and the copy number of potential cleavable sequences were examined. The relative copy number of cleavable sequences in extrachromosomes affects the frequency of fertile F1 transgenic animals. The expression levels of the reporter gene were almost proportional to the copy numbers of the integrated sequences at the same integration site. The technique is applicable to the transgenic strains abundantly stored and shared among the C. elegans community, particularly when researchers use sgRNAs against common plasmid sequences such as β-lactamase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawako Yoshina
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Suehiro
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eriko Kage-Nakadai
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Tokyo Women's Medical University Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences, Japan
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Kage-Nakadai E, Imae R, Suehiro Y, Yoshina S, Hori S, Mitani S. A conditional knockout toolkit for Caenorhabditis elegans based on the Cre/loxP recombination. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114680. [PMID: 25474529 PMCID: PMC4256423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditional knockout (cKO) based on site-specific recombination (SSR) technology is a powerful approach for estimating gene functions in a spatially and temporally specific manner in many model animals. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), spatial- and temporal-specific gene functions have been largely determined by mosaic analyses, rescue experiments and feeding RNAi methods. To develop a systematic and stable cKO system in C. elegans, we generated Cre recombinase expression vectors that are driven by various tissue-specific or heat-shock promoters. Validation using Cre-mediated fluorescence protein inactivation or activation systems demonstrated successful Cre-dependent loxP excision. We established a collection of multi-copy Cre transgenic strains for each evaluated vector. To evaluate our Cre/loxP-based cKO system, we generated sid-1 deletion mutants harboring floxed sid-1 single-copy integration (SCI) using ultraviolet trimethylpsoralen (UV/TMP) methods. sid-1 mutants that were rescued by the floxed sid-1 SCI were then crossed with the Pdpy-7::Cre strain for cKO in the hypodermis. The sid-1 cKO animals were resistant to bli-3 RNAi, which causes the Bli-phenotyple in the hypodermis, but they were sensitive to unc-22 RNAi, which leads to twitching of the body wall muscle. Our system, which is based on the combination of a transgenic Cre collection, pre-existing deletion mutants, and UV/TMP SCI methods, provided a systematic approach for cKO in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Kage-Nakadai
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Rieko Imae
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Suehiro
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Yoshina
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Hori
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjumand Ghazi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | - Judith Yanowitz
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | - Gary A Silverman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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