1
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Foucault L, Capeliez T, Angonin D, Lentini C, Bezin L, Heinrich C, Parras C, Donega V, Marcy G, Raineteau O. Neonatal brain injury unravels transcriptional and signaling changes underlying the reactivation of cortical progenitors. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113734. [PMID: 38349790 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113734] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Germinal activity persists throughout life within the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) of the postnatal forebrain due to the presence of neural stem cells (NSCs). Accumulating evidence points to a recruitment for these cells following early brain injuries and suggests their amenability to manipulations. We used chronic hypoxia as a rodent model of early brain injury to investigate the reactivation of cortical progenitors at postnatal times. Our results reveal an increased proliferation and production of glutamatergic progenitors within the dorsal V-SVZ. Fate mapping of V-SVZ NSCs demonstrates their contribution to de novo cortical neurogenesis. Transcriptional analysis of glutamatergic progenitors shows parallel changes in methyltransferase 14 (Mettl14) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In agreement, manipulations through genetic and pharmacological activation of Mettl14 and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, respectively, induce neurogenesis and promote newly-formed cell maturation. Finally, labeling of young adult NSCs demonstrates that pharmacological NSC activation has no adverse effects on the reservoir of V-SVZ NSCs and on their germinal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Foucault
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France.
| | - Timothy Capeliez
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Diane Angonin
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Celia Lentini
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Laurent Bezin
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience de Lyon U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Christophe Heinrich
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Carlos Parras
- Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Donega
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Marcy
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Olivier Raineteau
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France.
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2
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Hendriks D, Pagliaro A, Andreatta F, Ma Z, van Giessen J, Massalini S, López-Iglesias C, van Son GJF, DeMartino J, Damen JMA, Zoutendijk I, Staliarova N, Bredenoord AL, Holstege FCP, Peters PJ, Margaritis T, Chuva de Sousa Lopes S, Wu W, Clevers H, Artegiani B. Human fetal brain self-organizes into long-term expanding organoids. Cell 2024; 187:712-732.e38. [PMID: 38194967 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.012] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Human brain development involves an orchestrated, massive neural progenitor expansion while a multi-cellular tissue architecture is established. Continuously expanding organoids can be grown directly from multiple somatic tissues, yet to date, brain organoids can solely be established from pluripotent stem cells. Here, we show that healthy human fetal brain in vitro self-organizes into organoids (FeBOs), phenocopying aspects of in vivo cellular heterogeneity and complex organization. FeBOs can be expanded over long time periods. FeBO growth requires maintenance of tissue integrity, which ensures production of a tissue-like extracellular matrix (ECM) niche, ultimately endowing FeBO expansion. FeBO lines derived from different areas of the central nervous system (CNS), including dorsal and ventral forebrain, preserve their regional identity and allow to probe aspects of positional identity. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we showcase the generation of syngeneic mutant FeBO lines for the study of brain cancer. Taken together, FeBOs constitute a complementary CNS organoid platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delilah Hendriks
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Utrecht, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Anna Pagliaro
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Ziliang Ma
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Joey van Giessen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Simone Massalini
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carmen López-Iglesias
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Gijs J F van Son
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jeff DeMartino
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - J Mirjam A Damen
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Iris Zoutendijk
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nadzeya Staliarova
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annelien L Bredenoord
- Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank C P Holstege
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter J Peters
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Wei Wu
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), Immunos, Singapore 138648, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Hans Clevers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Utrecht, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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3
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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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4
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Caffo M, Fusco R, Siracusa R, Caruso G, Barresi V, Di Paola R, Cuzzocrea S, Germanò AF, Cardali SM. Molecular Investigation of DKK3 in Cerebral Ischemic/Reperfusion Injury. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030815. [PMID: 36979794 PMCID: PMC10045463 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Dickkopf-3 (Dkk3) is an atypical member of the Dkk family of Wnt inhibitors, which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders. Its role in the mechanisms of cellular degeneration and protection is still unknown. The aim of our work is to investigate the endogenous activation of the DKK3 pathway in a model of transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats. In particular, the animals were subjected to 1 h of ischemia followed by different reperfusion times (1 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h) to evaluate the downstream pathway and the time course of its activation. Western blot analysis showed increased Dkk3 expression in animals with the highest time of reperfusion. The increased levels of Dkk3 were accompanied by reduced Wnt3a, Frz1 and PIWI1a expression in the cytosol while FOXM1 and β-catenin decreased in the nucleus. These molecular changes led to an increase in the apoptotic pathway, as showed by the increased expression of Caspase 3 and Bax and the reduced levels of Bcl-2, and to a decrease in neurogenesis, as shown by the decreased expression of Tbr2, Ngn2 and Pax6. In the second part of the study, we decided to employ curcumin, an activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, to investigate its effect on Dkk3. In particular, curcumin was administered 1 and 6 h after ischemia, and animals were sacrificed 24 h later when the expression of Dkk3 was higher. Our data displayed that curcumin administration decreased Dkk3 expression, and increased Wnt3a, Frz1 and PIWI1a levels. Well in line with these data, curcumin administration increased nuclear β-catenin and FOXM1 expression. The down-regulation of Dkk3 by curcumin led to reduced apoptosis and increased neurogenesis. Summarizing, our results showed that Dkk3 acts as an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during cerebral ischemia. Additionally, its inhibition and the contextual activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are protective against ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Caffo
- Department of Biomedical, Dental and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Fusco
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres, n 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Rosalba Siracusa
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres, n 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Gerardo Caruso
- Department of Biomedical, Dental and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Valeria Barresi
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 37124 Verona, Italy
| | - Rosanna Di Paola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunzita, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres, n 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonino Francesco Germanò
- Department of Biomedical, Dental and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Massimo Cardali
- Department of Biomedical, Dental and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
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5
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Lee DG, Kim YK, Baek KH. The bHLH Transcription Factors in Neural Development and Therapeutic Applications for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213936. [PMID: 36430421 PMCID: PMC9696289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of functional neural circuits in the central nervous system (CNS) requires the production of sufficient numbers of various types of neurons and glial cells, such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, at the appropriate periods and regions. Hence, severe neuronal loss of the circuits can cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Treatment of such neurodegenerative diseases caused by neuronal loss includes some strategies of cell therapy employing stem cells (such as neural progenitor cells (NPCs)) and gene therapy through cell fate conversion. In this report, we review how bHLH acts as a regulator in neuronal differentiation, reprogramming, and cell fate determination. Moreover, several different researchers are conducting studies to determine the importance of bHLH factors to direct neuronal and glial cell fate specification and differentiation. Therefore, we also investigated the limitations and future directions of conversion or transdifferentiation using bHLH factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Gi Lee
- Joint Section of Science in Environmental Technology, Food Technology, and Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University, Incheon 21569, Korea
| | - Young-Kwang Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Kwang-Hyun Baek
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-881-7134
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6
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Schembs L, Willems A, Hasenpusch-Theil K, Cooper JD, Whiting K, Burr K, Bøstrand SMK, Selvaraj BT, Chandran S, Theil T. The ciliary gene INPP5E confers dorsal telencephalic identity to human cortical organoids by negatively regulating Sonic hedgehog signaling. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110811. [PMID: 35584663 PMCID: PMC9620745 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110811] [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: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in primary cilia, cellular antennas that control multiple intracellular signaling pathways, underlie several neurodevelopmental disorders, but it remains unknown how cilia control essential steps in human brain formation. Here, we show that cilia are present on the apical surface of radial glial cells in human fetal forebrain. Interfering with cilia signaling in human organoids by mutating the INPP5E gene leads to the formation of ventral telencephalic cell types instead of cortical progenitors and neurons. INPP5E mutant organoids also show increased Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling, and cyclopamine treatment partially rescues this ventralization. In addition, ciliary expression of SMO, GLI2, GPR161, and several intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins is increased. Overall, these findings establish the importance of primary cilia for dorsal and ventral patterning in human corticogenesis, indicate a tissue-specific role of INPP5E as a negative regulator of SHH signaling, and have implications for the emerging roles of cilia in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Schembs
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Ariane Willems
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Kerstin Hasenpusch-Theil
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - James D Cooper
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Katie Whiting
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Karen Burr
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Sunniva M K Bøstrand
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T Selvaraj
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Thomas Theil
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
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7
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Zhang A, Sokolova I, Domissy A, Davis J, Rao L, Hana Utami K, Wang Y, Hagerman RJ, Pouladi MA, Sanna P, Boland MJ, Loring JF. OUP accepted manuscript. Stem Cells Transl Med 2022; 11:613-629. [PMID: 35556144 PMCID: PMC9216490 DOI: 10.1093/stcltm/szac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the leading monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, is caused by expansion of a CGG trinucleotide repeat in the 5ʹ-UTR of the Fragile X Mental Retardation-1 (FMR1) gene. Epigenetic silencing of FMR1 results in loss of the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP). Although most studies to date have focused on excitatory neurons, recent evidence suggests that GABAergic inhibitory networks are also affected. To investigate human GABAergic neurogenesis, we established a method to reproducibly derive inhibitory neurons from multiple FXS and control human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines. Electrophysiological analyses suggested that the developing FXS neurons had a delay in the GABA functional switch, a transition in fetal development that converts the GABAA channel’s function from depolarization to hyperpolarization, with profound effects on the developing brain. To investigate the cause of this delay, we analyzed 14 400 single-cell transcriptomes from FXS and control cells at 2 stages of GABAergic neurogenesis. While control and FXS cells were similar at the earlier time point, the later-stage FXS cells retained expression of neuroblast proliferation-associated genes and had lower levels of genes associated with action potential regulation, synapses, and mitochondria compared with controls. Our analysis suggests that loss of FMRP prolongs the proliferative stage of progenitors, which may result in more neurons remaining immature during the later stages of neurogenesis. This could have profound implications for homeostatic excitatory-inhibitory circuit development in FXS, and suggests a novel direction for understanding disease mechanisms that may help to guide therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Aspen Neuroscience, Inc.San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Irina Sokolova
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alain Domissy
- Center for Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Davis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lee Rao
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biological and Medical Informatics Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kagistia Hana Utami
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Yanling Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Randi J Hagerman
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Pietro Sanna
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Boland
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeanne F Loring
- Corresponding author: Jeanne F. Loring, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
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8
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Ma L, Du Y, Hui Y, Li N, Fan B, Zhang X, Li X, Hong W, Wu Z, Zhang S, Zhou S, Xu X, Zhou Z, Jiang C, Liu L, Zhang X. Developmental programming and lineage branching of early human telencephalon. EMBO J 2021; 40:e107277. [PMID: 34558085 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020107277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The dorsal and ventral human telencephalons contain different neuronal subtypes, including glutamatergic, GABAergic, and cholinergic neurons, and how these neurons are generated during early development is not well understood. Using scRNA-seq and stringent validations, we reveal here a developmental roadmap for human telencephalic neurons. Both dorsal and ventral telencephalic radial glial cells (RGs) differentiate into neurons via dividing intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs_div) and early postmitotic neuroblasts (eNBs). The transcription factor ASCL1 plays a key role in promoting fate transition from RGs to IPCs_div in both regions. RGs from the regionalized neuroectoderm show heterogeneity, with restricted glutamatergic, GABAergic, and cholinergic differentiation potencies. During neurogenesis, IPCs_div gradually exit the cell cycle and branch into sister eNBs to generate distinct neuronal subtypes. Our findings highlight a general RGs-IPCs_div-eNBs developmental scheme for human telencephalic progenitors and support that the major neuronal fates of human telencephalon are predetermined during dorsoventral regionalization with neuronal diversity being further shaped during neurogenesis and neural circuit integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ma
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhua Du
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Hui
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Li
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Beibei Fan
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Baoshan Luodian Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaocui Li
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Hong
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiping Wu
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuwei Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangjie Xu
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongshu Zhou
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Tsingtao Advanced Research Institute, Tongji University, Qingdao, China
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9
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Tian T, Cao X, Kim SE, Lin YL, Steele JW, Cabrera RM, Karki M, Yang W, Marini NJ, Hoffman EN, Han X, Hu C, Wang L, Wlodarczyk BJ, Shaw GM, Ren A, Finnell RH, Lei Y. FKBP8 variants are risk factors for spina bifida. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:3132-3144. [PMID: 32969478 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of severe congenital malformations caused by a failure of neural tube closure during early embryonic development. Although extensively investigated, the genetic etiology of NTDs remains poorly understood. FKBP8 is critical for proper mammalian neural tube closure. Fkbp8-/- mouse embryos showed posterior NTDs consistent with a diagnosis of spina bifida (SB). To date, no publication has reported any association between FKBP8 and human NTDs. Using Sanger sequencing on genomic DNA samples from 472 SB and 565 control samples, we identified five rare (MAF ≤ 0.001) deleterious variants in SB patients, while no rare deleterious variant was identified in the controls (P = 0.0191). p.Glu140* affected FKBP8 localization to the mitochondria and created a truncated form of the FKBP8 protein, thus impairing its interaction with BCL2 and ultimately leading to an increase in cellular apoptosis. p.Ser3Leu, p.Lys315Asn and p.Ala292Ser variants decreased FKBP8 protein level. p.Lys315Asn further increased the cellular apoptosis. RNA sequencing on anterior and posterior tissues isolated from Fkbp8-/- and wildtype mice at E9.5 and E10.5 showed that Fkbp8-/- embryos have an abnormal expression profile within tissues harvested at posterior sites, thus leading to a posterior NTD. Moreover, we found that Fkbp8 knockout mouse embryos have abnormal expression of Wnt3a and Nkx2.9 during the early stage of neural tube development, perhaps also contributing to caudal specific NTDs. These findings provide evidence that functional variants of FKBP8 are risk factors for SB, which may involve a novel mechanism by which Fkbp8 mutations specifically cause SB in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Xuanye Cao
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Ying Linda Lin
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - John W Steele
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Robert M Cabrera
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Menuka Karki
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nicholas J Marini
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ethan N Hoffman
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Xiao Han
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Cindy Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Linlin Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Bogdan J Wlodarczyk
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aiguo Ren
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA.,Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
| | - Yunping Lei
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77031, USA
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10
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Sarkar A, Saha S, Paul A, Maji A, Roy P, Maity TK. Understanding stem cells and its pivotal role in regenerative medicine. Life Sci 2021; 273:119270. [PMID: 33640402 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells (SCs) are clonogenic cells that develop into the specialized cells which later responsible for making up various types of tissue in the human body. SCs are not only the appropriate source of information for cell division, molecular and cellular processes, and tissue homeostasis but also one of the major putative biological aids to diagnose and cure various degenerative diseases. This study emphasises on various research outputs that occurred in the past two decades. This will give brief information on classification, differentiation, detection, and various isolation techniques of SCs. Here, the various signalling pathways which includes WNT, Sonic hedgehog, Notch, BMI1 and C-met pathways and how does it effect on the regeneration of various classes of SCs and factors that regulates the potency of the SCs are also been discussed. We also focused on the application of SCs in the area of regenerative medicine along with the cellular markers that are useful as salient diagnostic or curative tools or in both, by the process of reprogramming, which includes diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disorders and neurological disorders. The biomarkers that are mentioned in various literatures and experiments include PDX1, FOXA2, HNF6, and NKX6-1 (for diabetes); CD33, CD24, CD133 (for cancer); c-Kit, SCA-1, Wilm's tumor 1 (for cardiovascular disorders); and OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, EN1, DAT and VMAT2 (for neurological disorders). In this review, we come to know the advancements and scopes of potential SC-based therapies, its diverse applications in clinical fields that can be helpful in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sanjukta Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Abhik Paul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Avik Maji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Puspita Roy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Tapan Kumar Maity
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata 700032, India.
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11
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Oproescu AM, Han S, Schuurmans C. New Insights Into the Intricacies of Proneural Gene Regulation in the Embryonic and Adult Cerebral Cortex. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:642016. [PMID: 33658912 PMCID: PMC7917194 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.642016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, the mammalian brain was thought to lack stem cells as no new neurons were found to be made in adulthood. That dogma changed ∼25 years ago with the identification of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult rodent forebrain. However, unlike rapidly self-renewing mature tissues (e.g., blood, intestinal crypts, skin), the majority of adult NSCs are quiescent, and those that become 'activated' are restricted to a few neurogenic zones that repopulate specific brain regions. Conversely, embryonic NSCs are actively proliferating and neurogenic. Investigations into the molecular control of the quiescence-to-proliferation-to-differentiation continuum in the embryonic and adult brain have identified proneural genes encoding basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) as critical regulators. These bHLH TFs initiate genetic programs that remove NSCs from quiescence and drive daughter neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to differentiate into specific neural cell subtypes, thereby contributing to the enormous cellular diversity of the adult brain. However, new insights have revealed that proneural gene activities are context-dependent and tightly regulated. Here we review how proneural bHLH TFs are regulated, with a focus on the murine cerebral cortex, drawing parallels where appropriate to other organisms and neural tissues. We discuss upstream regulatory events, post-translational modifications (phosphorylation, ubiquitinylation), protein-protein interactions, epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms that govern bHLH TF expression, stability, localization, and consequent transactivation of downstream target genes. These tight regulatory controls help to explain paradoxical findings of changes to bHLH activity in different cellular contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Oproescu
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sisu Han
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Wnt Signaling Regulates Ipsilateral Pathfinding in the Zebrafish Forebrain through slit3. Neuroscience 2020; 449:9-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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13
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Dahiya S, Saini V, Kumar P, Kumar A. Protein-Protein interaction network analyses of human WNT proteins involved in neural development. Bioinformation 2019; 15:307-314. [PMID: 31249432 PMCID: PMC6589473 DOI: 10.6026/97320630015307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
WNT proteins are involved from initial of neural tissue specification to the end of cell fate determination and organ development. The
present work was carried out to understand the involvement of different WNT isoforms (WNT3a, WNT5a and WNT7b) in neural
development. A total of 718, 546 and 1004 PPIs for WNT3a, WNT5a and WNT7b respectively, were predicted by STRING database with
confidence score more than 0.400. A network carrying all the selected PPIs of targeted proteins was constructed by using Cytoscape by
assigning source node, target node and combined score as edge attribute. A total 2268 interactions of WNT3a, WNT5a and WNT7b were
predicted to be involved in multiple signaling pathways and developmental processes. 43 of 2268 PPIs were refined after analyzing role of
targeted proteins specifically in brain and neural development. WNT3a, WNT5a and WNT7a were predicted to be interacting with 18, 17
and 11 proteins, respectively, with average node degree score of 1.89, 2.12 and 1.82 respectively. The CytoHubba algorithm identified
WNT3a, WNT5a, and WNT7b as hub proteins in neural development ranked on the basis of EPC (Edge Percolated Component) score of
9.352, 9.258 and 8.387.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sween Dahiya
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001 India
| | - Vandana Saini
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001 India
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001 India
| | - Ajit Kumar
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001 India
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14
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Qiu CW, Liu ZY, Zhang FL, Zhang L, Li F, Liu SY, He JY, Xiao ZC. Post-stroke gastrodin treatment ameliorates ischemic injury and increases neurogenesis and restores the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Brain Res 2019; 1712:7-15. [PMID: 30716287 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and the only available drug treatment is limited to a short window following the ischemic event. Gastrodin is the major bioactive constituent extracted from thetuberGastrodia elata, and is currently used to treat dizziness in the clinic. "Early" application of gastrodin (before modeling or immediately after ischemic injury) has shown antioxidative and neuroprotective effects in a transient focal brain ischemia model in rodents; however, it is not known whether the delayed administration of gastrodin after permanent focal cerebral ischemia ameliorates neural injury and increases neurogenesis. In this study, we performed a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model for the study of cerebral ischemic stroke in adult male mice to examine the effects of gastrodin. Gastrodin treatment that was started "late" (one day after the ischemic injury) significantly improved neural function, reduced infarct volume and apoptosis, and increased the number of DCX/BrdU double-positive cells in permanent MCAO mice. Moreover, gastrodin treatment markedly preserved the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway, which could promote neurogenesis and provide neuroprotection brain injury. Our findings suggest that gastrodin treatment following ischemic injury can induce neuroprotection, promote neurogenesis and restored the Wnt /β-Catenin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Wei Qiu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China.
| | - Zong-Yao Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Feng-Lan Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Fan Li
- Experiment Enter for Medical Science Research, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Shu-Yi Liu
- City Administration of Dongying, Shangdong Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, Dongying City 257000, Shangdong, China
| | - Jian-Ying He
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kunming Medical University, Kunming City 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhi-Cheng Xiao
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia.
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15
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Pang CCC, Kiecker C, O'Brien JT, Noble W, Chang RCC. Ammon's Horn 2 (CA2) of the Hippocampus: A Long-Known Region with a New Potential Role in Neurodegeneration. Neuroscientist 2018; 25:167-180. [PMID: 29865938 DOI: 10.1177/1073858418778747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus has a critical role in cognition and human memory and is one of the most studied structures in the brain. Despite more than 400 years of research, little is known about the Ammon's horn region cornu ammonis 2 (CA2) subfield in comparison to other subfield regions (CA1, CA3, and CA4). Recent findings have shown that CA2 plays a bigger role than previously thought. Here, we review understanding of hippocampus and CA2 ontogenesis, together with basic and clinical findings about the potential role of this region in neurodegenerative disease. The CA2 has widespread anatomical connectivity, unique signaling molecules, and intrinsic electrophysiological properties. Experimental studies using in vivo models found that the CA2 region has a role in cognition, especially in social memory and object recognition. In models of epilepsy and hypoxia, the CA2 exhibits higher resilience to cell death and hypoxia in comparison with neighboring regions, and while hippocampal atrophy remains poorly understood in Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), findings from postmortem PD brain demonstrates clear accumulation of α-synuclein pathology in CA2, and the CA2-CA3 region shows relatively more atrophy compared with other hippocampal subfields. Taken together, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the CA2 can be an ideal hallmark with which to differentiate different neurodegenerative stages of PD. Here, we summarize these recent data and provide new perspectives/ideas for future investigations to unravel the contribution of the CA2 to neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Chi-Ching Pang
- 1 Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.,2 Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Clemens Kiecker
- 3 Department of Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John T O'Brien
- 4 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- 2 Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang
- 1 Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.,5 State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
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16
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Abstract
The circumventricular organs (CVOs) are specialised neuroepithelial structures found in the midline of the brain, grouped around the third and fourth ventricles. They mediate the communication between the brain and the periphery by performing sensory and secretory roles, facilitated by increased vascularisation and the absence of a blood-brain barrier. Surprisingly little is known about the origins of the CVOs (both developmental and evolutionary), but their functional and organisational similarities raise the question of the extent of their relationship. Here, I review our current knowledge of the embryonic development of the seven major CVOs (area postrema, median eminence, neurohypophysis, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, pineal organ, subcommissural organ, subfornical organ) in embryos of different vertebrate species. Although there are conspicuous similarities between subsets of CVOs, no unifying feature characteristic of their development has been identified. Cross-species comparisons suggest that CVOs also display a high degree of evolutionary flexibility. Thus, the term 'CVO' is merely a functional definition, and features shared by multiple CVOs may be the result of homoplasy rather than ontogenetic or phylogenetic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Kiecker
- Department of Developmental NeurobiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
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17
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Dennis DJ, Han S, Schuurmans C. bHLH transcription factors in neural development, disease, and reprogramming. Brain Res 2018; 1705:48-65. [PMID: 29544733 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The formation of functional neural circuits in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) requires that appropriate numbers of the correct types of neuronal and glial cells are generated in their proper places and times during development. In the embryonic CNS, multipotent progenitor cells first acquire regional identities, and then undergo precisely choreographed temporal identity transitions (i.e. time-dependent changes in their identity) that determine how many neuronal and glial cells of each type they will generate. Transcription factors of the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family have emerged as key determinants of neural cell fate specification and differentiation, ensuring that appropriate numbers of specific neuronal and glial cell types are produced. Recent studies have further revealed that the functions of these bHLH factors are strictly regulated. Given their essential developmental roles, it is not surprising that bHLH mutations and de-regulated expression are associated with various neurological diseases and cancers. Moreover, the powerful ability of bHLH factors to direct neuronal and glial cell fate specification and differentiation has been exploited in the relatively new field of cellular reprogramming, in which pluripotent stem cells or somatic stem cells are converted to neural lineages, often with a transcription factor-based lineage conversion strategy that includes one or more of the bHLH genes. These concepts are reviewed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Dennis
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada
| | - Sisu Han
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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18
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Chi L, Fan B, Feng D, Chen Z, Liu Z, Hui Y, Xu X, Ma L, Fang Y, Zhang Q, Jin G, Liu L, Guan F, Zhang X. The Dorsoventral Patterning of Human Forebrain Follows an Activation/Transformation Model. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2941-2954. [PMID: 27226442 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The anteroposterior patterning of the central nervous system follows an activation/transformation model, which proposes that a prospective telencephalic fate will be activated by default during the neural induction stage, while this anterior fate could be transformed posteriorly according to caudalization morphogens. Although both extrinsic signals and intrinsic transcription factors have been implicated in dorsoventral (DV) specification of vertebrate telencephalon, the DV patterning model remains elusive. This is especially true in human considering its evolutionary trait and uniqueness of gene regulatory networks during neural induction. Here, we point to a model that human forebrain DV patterning also follows an activation/transformation paradigm. Human neuroectoderm (NE) will activate a forebrain dorsal fate automatically and this default anterior dorsal fate does not depend on Wnts activation or Pax6 expression. Forced expression of Pax6 in human NE hinders its ventralization even under sonic hedgehog (Shh) treatment, suggesting that the ventral fate is repressed by dorsal genes. Genetic manipulation of Nkx2.1, a key gene for forebrain ventral progenitors, shows that Nkx2.1 is neither necessary nor sufficient for Shh-driven ventralization. We thus propose that Shh represses dorsal genes of human NE and subsequently transforms the primitively activated dorsal fate ventrally in a repression release manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liankai Chi
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and.,School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, China.,Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Beibei Fan
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Dandan Feng
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhongliang Liu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yi Hui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Xiangjie Xu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yujiang Fang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Quanbin Zhang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Guohua Jin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.,Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine
| | - Fangxia Guan
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.,Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine.,The Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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19
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Adnani L, Han S, Li S, Mattar P, Schuurmans C. Mechanisms of Cortical Differentiation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 336:223-320. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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20
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Wang Z, Nakayama Y, Tsuda S, Yamasu K. The role of gastrulation brain homeobox 2 (gbx2) in the development of the ventral telencephalon in zebrafish embryos. Differentiation 2017; 99:28-40. [PMID: 29289755 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
During vertebrate brain development, the gastrulation brain homeobox 2 gene (gbx2) is expressed in the forebrain, but its precise roles are still unknown. In this study, we addressed this issue in zebrafish (Danio rerio) first by carefully examining gbx2 expression in the developing forebrain. We showed that gbx2 was expressed in the telencephalon during late somitogenesis, from 18h post-fertilization (hpf) to 24 hpf, and in the thalamic primordium after 26 hpf. In contrast, another gbx gene, gbx1, was expressed in the anterior-most ventral telencephalon after 36 hpf. Thus, the expression patterns of these two gbx genes did not overlap, arguing against their redundant function in the forebrain. Two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed close relationships between the telencephalic expression of gbx2 and other forebrain-forming genes, suggesting that their interactions contribute to the regionalization of the telencephalon. FISH further revealed that gbx2 is expressed in the ventricular region of the telencephalon. By using transgenic fish in which gbx2 can be induced by heat shock, we found that gbx2 induction at 16 hpf repressed the expression of emx3, dlx2a, and six3b in the ventral telencephalon. Among secreted factor genes, bmp2b and wnt1 were repressed in the vicinity of the gbx2 domain in the telencephalon. The expression of forebrain-forming genes was examined in mutant embryos lacking gbx2, showing emx3 and dlx2a to be upregulated in the subpallium at 24 hpf. Taken together, these findings indicate that gbx2 contributes to the development of the subpallium through its repressive activities against other telencephalon-forming genes. We further showed that inhibiting FGF signaling and activating Wnt signaling repressed gbx2 and affected the regionalization of the telencephalon, supporting a functional link between gbx2, intracellular signaling, and telencephalon development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yukiko Nakayama
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Sachiko Tsuda
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan; Saitama University Brain Science Institute, Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan; Research and Development Bureau, Saitama University, Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kyo Yamasu
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan; Saitama University Brain Science Institute, Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan.
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21
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McCord M, Mukouyama YS, Gilbert MR, Jackson S. Targeting WNT Signaling for Multifaceted Glioblastoma Therapy. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:318. [PMID: 29081735 PMCID: PMC5645527 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The WNT signaling pathway has been of great interest to developmental biologists for decades and has more recently become a central topic for study in cancer biology. It is vital for cell growth and regulation of embryogenesis in many organ systems, particularly the CNS and its associated vasculature. We summarize the role of WNT in CNS development and describe how WNT signaling makes key contributions to malignant glioma stemness, invasiveness, therapeutic resistance, and angiogenesis. The role of WNT in these mechanisms, along with creation and maintainance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), points to the potential of WNT as a multi-faceted target in malignant glioma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McCord
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yoh-Suke Mukouyama
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Genetic and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mark R Gilbert
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sadhana Jackson
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
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22
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Brafman D, Willert K. Wnt/β-catenin signaling during early vertebrate neural development. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1239-1259. [PMID: 28799266 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) is comprised of vast number of distinct cell types arranged in a highly organized manner. This high degree of complexity is achieved by cellular communication, including direct cell-cell contact, cell-matrix interactions, and cell-growth factor signaling. Among the several developmental signals controlling the development of the CNS, Wnt proteins have emerged as particularly critical and, hence, have captivated the attention of many researchers. With Wnts' evolutionarily conserved function as primordial symmetry breaking signals, these proteins and their downstream effects are responsible for simultaneously establishing cellular diversity and tissue organization. With their expansive repertoire of secreted agonists and antagonists, cell surface receptors, signaling cascades and downstream biological effects, Wnts are ideally suited to control the complex processes underlying vertebrate neural development. In this review, we will describe the mechanisms by which Wnts exert their potent effects on cells and tissues and highlight the many roles of Wnt signaling during neural development, starting from the initial induction of the neural plate, the subsequent patterning along the embryonic axes, to the intricately organized structure of the CNS. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1239-1259, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brafman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
| | - Karl Willert
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0695
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23
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Mulligan KA, Cheyette BNR. Neurodevelopmental Perspectives on Wnt Signaling in Psychiatry. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2017; 2:219-246. [PMID: 28277568 DOI: 10.1159/000453266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that Wnt signaling is relevant to pathophysiology of diverse mental illnesses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. In the 35 years since Wnt ligands were first described, animal studies have richly explored how downstream Wnt signaling pathways affect an array of neurodevelopmental processes and how their disruption can lead to both neurological and behavioral phenotypes. Recently, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models have begun to contribute to this literature while pushing it in increasingly translational directions. Simultaneously, large-scale human genomic studies are providing evidence that sequence variation in Wnt signal pathway genes contributes to pathogenesis in several psychiatric disorders. This article reviews neurodevelopmental and postneurodevelopmental functions of Wnt signaling, highlighting mechanisms, whereby its disruption might contribute to psychiatric illness, and then reviews the most reliable recent genetic evidence supporting that mutations in Wnt pathway genes contribute to psychiatric illness. We are proponents of the notion that studies in animal and hiPSC models informed by the human genetic data combined with the deep knowledge base and tool kits generated over the last several decades of basic neurodevelopmental research will yield near-term tangible advances in neuropsychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Mulligan
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin N R Cheyette
- Department of Psychiatry, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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24
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Ahn S, Kim TG, Kim KS, Chung S. Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into Medial Ganglionic Eminence vs. Caudal Ganglionic Eminence cells. Methods 2016; 101:103-12. [PMID: 26364591 PMCID: PMC4786472 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) represent an opportunity to study human development in vitro, to model diseases in a dish, to screen drugs as well as to provide an unlimited and ethically unimpeded source of therapeutic cells. Cortical GABAergic interneurons, which are generated from Medial Ganglionic Eminence (MGE) cells and Caudal Ganglionic Eminence (CGE) cells during embryonic development, regulate cortical neural networks by providing inhibitory inputs. Their malfunction, resulting in failure to intricately regulate neural circuit balance, has been implicated in brain diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy. In this study, using combinatorial and temporal modulation of developmentally relevant dorsoventral and rostrocaudal signaling pathways, we efficiently generated MGE cells vs. CGE cells from human PSCs, which predominantly generate Parvalbumin-expressing or Somatostatin-expressing interneurons vs. Calretinin-expressing interneurons, respectively. Efficient generation of specific differentiated progenies of hPSCs as shown in this study will be a pivotal step to realize the full potential of hPSCs for regenerative medicine, developmental studies, disease modeling, bioassay, and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Ahn
- Translational Stem Cell Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Tae-Gon Kim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Kwang-Soo Kim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Sangmi Chung
- Translational Stem Cell Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
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25
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Gupta S, Sen J. Roof plate mediated morphogenesis of the forebrain: New players join the game. Dev Biol 2016; 413:145-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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26
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Chernick M, Ware M, Albright E, Kwok KWH, Dong W, Zheng N, Hinton DE. Parental dietary seleno-L-methionine exposure and resultant offspring developmental toxicity. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 170:187-198. [PMID: 26655662 PMCID: PMC4698014 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) leaches into water from agricultural soils and from storage sites for coal fly ash. Se toxicity causes population and community level effects in fishes and birds. We used the laboratory aquarium model fish, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), an asynchronous breeder, to determine aspects of uptake in adults and resultant developmental toxicity in their offspring. The superior imaging properties of the model enabled detailed descriptions of phenotypic alterations not commonly reported in the existing Se literature. Adult males and females in treatment groups were exposed, separately and together, to a dry diet spiked with 0, 12.5, 25, or 50 μg/g (dry weight) seleno-L-methionine (SeMet) for 6 days, and their embryo progeny collected for 5 days, maintained under controlled conditions and observed daily for hatchability, mortality and/or developmental toxicity. Sites of alteration included: craniofacial, pericardium and abdomen (Pc/Ab), notochord, gall bladder, spleen, blood, and swim bladder. Next, adult tissue Se concentrations (liver, skeletal muscle, ovary and testis) were determined and compared in treatment groups of bred and unbred individuals. No significant difference was found across treatment groups at the various SeMet concentrations; and, subsequent analysis compared exposed vs. control in each of the treatment groups at 10 dpf. Increased embryo mortality was observed in all treatment groups, compared to controls, and embryos had a decreased hatching rate when both parents were exposed. Exposure resulted in significantly more total altered phenotypes than controls. When altered phenotypes following exposure of both parents were higher than maternal only exposure, a male role was suggested. The comparisons between treatment groups revealed that particular types of phenotypic change may be driven by the sex of the exposed parent. Additionally, breeding reduced Se concentrations in some adult tissues, specifically the liver of exposed females and skeletal muscle of exposed males. Detailed phenotypic analysis of progeny from SeMet exposed parents should inform investigations of later life stages in an effort to determine consequences of early life exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Chernick
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Megan Ware
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Elizabeth Albright
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Kevin W H Kwok
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Wu Dong
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Na Zheng
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - David E Hinton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Adutwum-Ofosu KK, Magnani D, Theil T, Price DJ, Fotaki V. The molecular and cellular signatures of the mouse eminentia thalami support its role as a signalling centre in the developing forebrain. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3709-27. [PMID: 26459142 PMCID: PMC5009181 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1127-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian eminentia thalami (EmT) (or thalamic eminence) is an embryonic forebrain structure of unknown function. Here, we examined the molecular and cellular properties of the mouse EmT. We first studied mRNA expression of signalling molecules and found that the EmT is a structure, rich in expression of secreted factors, with Wnts being the most abundantly detected. We then examined whether EmT tissue could induce cell fate changes when grafted ectopically. For this, we transplanted EmT tissue from a tau-GFP mouse to the ventral telencephalon of a wild type host, a telencephalic region where Wnt signalling is not normally active but which we showed in culture experiments is competent to respond to Wnts. We observed that the EmT was able to induce in adjacent ventral telencephalic cells ectopic expression of Lef1, a transcriptional activator and a target gene of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These Lef1-positive;GFP-negative cells expressed the telencephalic marker Foxg1 but not Ascl1, which is normally expressed by ventral telencephalic cells. These results suggest that the EmT has the capacity to activate Wnt/β-catenin signalling in the ventral telencephalon and to suppress ventral telencephalic gene expression. Altogether, our data support a role of the EmT as a signalling centre in the developing mouse forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kofi Adutwum-Ofosu
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Integrative Physiology, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.,Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Dario Magnani
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Integrative Physiology, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.,MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Thomas Theil
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Integrative Physiology, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - David J Price
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Integrative Physiology, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Vassiliki Fotaki
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Integrative Physiology, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
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28
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Wnt1 signal determines the patterning of the diencephalic dorso-ventral axis. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3693-708. [PMID: 26452989 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1126-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The diencephalon is a complex brain area that derives from the caudal region of the prosencephalon. This structure is divided into four longitudinal neuroepithelial zones: roof, alar, basal and floor plates, which constitute its dorso-ventral (DV) columnar domains. Morphogenetic differences between alar and basal plates in the prosencephalon and mesencephalon contribute to the characteristic expansion of alar plate derivatives in the brain and the formation of the cephalic flexure. Although differential histogenesis among DV regions seems to be relevant in understanding structural and functional complexity of the brain, most of our knowledge about DV regionalization comes from the spinal cord development. Therefore, it seems of interest to study the molecular mechanisms that govern DV patterning in the diencephalon, the brain region where strong differences in size and complexity between alar and basal derivatives are evident in all vertebrates. Different morphogenetic signals, which induce specific progenitors fate to the neighboring epithelium, are involved in the spinal cord DV patterning. To study if Wnt1, one of these signaling molecules, has a role for the establishment of the diencephalic longitudinal domains, we carried out gain- and loss-of-function experiments, using mice and chick embryos. Our results demonstrated functional differences in the molecular mechanisms downstream of Wnt1 function in the diencephalon, in relation to the spinal cord. We further demonstrated that Bmp4 signal induces Wnt1 expression in the diencephalon, unraveling a new molecular regulatory code downstream of primary dorsalizing signals to control ventral regionalization in the diencephalon.
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29
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Zhang N, Bailus BJ, Ring KL, Ellerby LM. iPSC-based drug screening for Huntington's disease. Brain Res 2015; 1638:42-56. [PMID: 26428226 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene. The disease generally manifests in middle age with both physical and mental symptoms. There are no effective treatments or cures and death usually occurs 10-20 years after initial symptoms. Since the original identification of the Huntington disease associated gene, in 1993, a variety of models have been created and used to advance our understanding of HD. The most recent advances have utilized stem cell models derived from HD-patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offering a variety of screening and model options that were not previously available. The discovery and advancement of technology to make human iPSCs has allowed for a more thorough characterization of human HD on a cellular and developmental level. The interaction between the genome editing and the stem cell fields promises to further expand the variety of HD cellular models available for researchers. In this review, we will discuss the history of Huntington's disease models, common screening assays, currently available models and future directions for modeling HD using iPSCs-derived from HD patients. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: PSC and the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningzhe Zhang
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, United States
| | - Barbara J Bailus
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, United States
| | - Karen L Ring
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, United States
| | - Lisa M Ellerby
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, United States.
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Draganova K, Zemke M, Zurkirchen L, Valenta T, Cantù C, Okoniewski M, Schmid MT, Hoffmans R, Götz M, Basler K, Sommer L. Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates sequential fate decisions of murine cortical precursor cells. Stem Cells 2015; 33:170-82. [PMID: 25182747 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The fate of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) is determined by a complex interplay of intrinsic programs and extrinsic signals, very few of which are known. β-Catenin transduces extracellular Wnt signals, but also maintains adherens junctions integrity. Here, we identify for the first time the contribution of β-catenin transcriptional activity as opposed to its adhesion role in the development of the cerebral cortex by combining a novel β-catenin mutant allele with conditional inactivation approaches. Wnt/β-catenin signaling ablation leads to premature NPC differentiation, but, in addition, to a change in progenitor cell cycle kinetics and an increase in basally dividing progenitors. Interestingly, Wnt/β-catenin signaling affects the sequential fate switch of progenitors, leading to a shortened neurogenic period with decreased number of both deep and upper-layer neurons and later, to precocious astrogenesis. Indeed, a genome-wide analysis highlighted the premature activation of a corticogenesis differentiation program in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling-ablated cortex. Thus, β-catenin signaling controls the expression of a set of genes that appear to act downstream of canonical Wnt signaling to regulate the stage-specific production of appropriate progenitor numbers, neuronal subpopulations, and astroglia in the forebrain.
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31
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Pandit T, Jidigam VK, Patthey C, Gunhaga L. Neural retina identity is specified by lens-derived BMP signals. Development 2015; 142:1850-9. [PMID: 25968316 PMCID: PMC4440930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.123653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The eye has served as a classical model to study cell specification and tissue induction for over a century. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the induction and maintenance of eye-field cells, and the specification of neural retina cells are poorly understood. Moreover, within the developing anterior forebrain, how prospective eye and telencephalic cells are differentially specified is not well defined. In the present study, we have analyzed these issues by manipulating signaling pathways in intact chick embryo and explant assays. Our results provide evidence that at blastula stages, BMP signals inhibit the acquisition of eye-field character, but from neural tube/optic vesicle stages, BMP signals from the lens are crucial for the maintenance of eye-field character, inhibition of dorsal telencephalic cell identity and specification of neural retina cells. Subsequently, our results provide evidence that a Rax2-positive eye-field state is not sufficient for the progress to a neural retina identity, but requires BMP signals. In addition, our results argue against any essential role of Wnt or FGF signals during the specification of neural retina cells, but provide evidence that Wnt signals together with BMP activity are sufficient to induce cells of retinal pigment epithelial character. We conclude that BMP activity emanating from the lens ectoderm maintains eye-field identity, inhibits telencephalic character and induces neural retina cells. Our findings link the requirement of the lens ectoderm for neural retina specification with the molecular mechanism by which cells in the forebrain become specified as neural retina by BMP activity. SUMMARY: BMP signals from the lens are crucial to maintain eye-field character, inhibit dorsal telencephalic cell identity, and specificy neural retina cells in chick embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Pandit
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Vijay K Jidigam
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Cedric Patthey
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Lena Gunhaga
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
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Harris J, Tomassy GS, Arlotta P. Building blocks of the cerebral cortex: from development to the dish. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:529-44. [PMID: 25926310 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Since Ramon y Cajal's examination of the cellular makeup of the cerebral cortex, it has been appreciated that this tissue exhibits some of the greatest degrees of cellular heterogeneity in the entire nervous system. This intricate structure emerges during a well-choreographed developmental process. Here, we review current classifications of the cellular constituents of the cerebral cortex and examine how these building blocks are forged during development. We also look at how basic developmental features underlying cortex formation in vivo have been applied to protocols aimed at generating cortical tissue in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Harris
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Giulio Srubek Tomassy
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paola Arlotta
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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33
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Kim TG, Yao R, Monnell T, Cho JH, Vasudevan A, Koh A, Peeyush KT, Moon M, Datta D, Bolshakov VY, Kim KS, Chung S. Efficient specification of interneurons from human pluripotent stem cells by dorsoventral and rostrocaudal modulation. Stem Cells 2015; 32:1789-804. [PMID: 24648391 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons regulate cortical neural networks by providing inhibitory inputs, and their malfunction, resulting in failure to intricately regulate neural circuit balance, is implicated in brain diseases such as Schizophrenia, Autism, and Epilepsy. During early development, GABAergic interneuron progenitors arise from the ventral telencephalic area such as medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) by the actions of secreted signaling molecules from nearby organizers, and migrate to their target sites where they form local synaptic connections. In this study, using combinatorial and temporal modulation of developmentally relevant dorsoventral and rostrocaudal signaling pathways (SHH, Wnt, and FGF8), we efficiently generated MGE cells from multiple human pluripotent stem cells. Most importantly, modulation of FGF8/FGF19 signaling efficiently directed MGE versus CGE differentiation. Human MGE cells spontaneously differentiated into Lhx6-expressing GABAergic interneurons and showed migratory properties. These human MGE-derived neurons generated GABA, fired action potentials, and displayed robust GABAergic postsynaptic activity. Transplantation into rodent brains results in well-contained neural grafts enriched with GABAergic interneurons that migrate in the host and mature to express somatostatin or parvalbumin. Thus, we propose that signaling modulation recapitulating normal developmental patterns efficiently generate human GABAergic interneurons. This strategy represents a novel tool in regenerative medicine, developmental studies, disease modeling, bioassay, and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Gon Kim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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Juraver-Geslin HA, Durand BC. Early development of the neural plate: new roles for apoptosis and for one of its main effectors caspase-3. Genesis 2015; 53:203-24. [PMID: 25619400 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite its tremendous complexity, the vertebrate nervous system emerges from a homogenous layer of neuroepithelial cells, the neural plate. Its formation relies on the time- and space-controlled progression of developmental programs. Apoptosis is a biological process that removes superfluous and potentially dangerous cells and is implemented through the activation of a molecular pathway conserved during evolution. Apoptosis and an unconventional function of one of its main effectors, caspase-3, contribute to the patterning and growth of the neuroepithelium. Little is known about the intrinsic and extrinsic cues controlling activities of the apoptotic machinery during development. The BarH-like (Barhl) proteins are homeodomain-containing transcription factors. The observations in Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus, and mice document that Barhl proteins act in cell survival and as cell type-specific regulators of a caspase-3 function that limits neural progenitor proliferation. In this review, we discuss the roles and regulatory modes of the apoptotic machinery in the development of the neural plate. We focus on the Barhl2, the Sonic Hedgehog, and the Wnt pathways and their activities in neural progenitor survival and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A Juraver-Geslin
- Department of Basic Science, Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York
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Azzarelli R, Hardwick LJA, Philpott A. Emergence of neuronal diversity from patterning of telencephalic progenitors. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:197-214. [PMID: 25619507 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, hundreds of distinct neuronal subtypes are generated from a single layer of multipotent neuroepithelial progenitor cells. Within the rostral CNS, initial regionalization of the telencephalon marks the territories where the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia originate. Subsequent refinement of the primary structures determines the formation of domains of differential gene expression, where distinct fate-restricted progenitors are located. To understand how diversification of neural progenitors and neurons is achieved in the telencephalon, it is important to address early and late patterning events in this context. In particular, important questions include: How does the telencephalon become specified and regionalized along the major spatial axes? Within each region, are the differences in neuronal subtypes established at the progenitor level or at the postmitotic stage? If distinct progenitors exist that are committed to subtype-specific neuronal lineages, how does the diversification emerge? What is the contribution of positional and temporal cues and how is this information integrated into the intrinsic programs of cell identity? WIREs For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Azzarelli
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
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Xie Y, Zhou S, Chen H, Du X, Chen L. Recent research on the growth plate: Advances in fibroblast growth factor signaling in growth plate development and disorders. J Mol Endocrinol 2014; 53:T11-34. [PMID: 25114206 DOI: 10.1530/jme-14-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Skeletons are formed through two distinct developmental actions, intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification. During embryonic development, most bone is formed by endochondral ossification. The growth plate is the developmental center for endochondral ossification. Multiple signaling pathways participate in the regulation of endochondral ossification. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling has been found to play a vital role in the development and maintenance of growth plates. Missense mutations in FGFs and FGFRs can cause multiple genetic skeletal diseases with disordered endochondral ossification. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of FGFs/FGFRs signaling in skeletal development and genetic skeletal diseases will have implications for the development of therapies for FGF-signaling-related skeletal dysplasias and growth plate injuries. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in elucidating the role of FGFs/FGFRs signaling in growth plate development, genetic skeletal disorders, and the promising therapies for those genetic skeletal diseases resulting from FGFs/FGFRs dysfunction. Finally, we also examine the potential important research in this field in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangli Xie
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineCenter of Bone Metabolism and Repair, Trauma Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Siru Zhou
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineCenter of Bone Metabolism and Repair, Trauma Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Hangang Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineCenter of Bone Metabolism and Repair, Trauma Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Xiaolan Du
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineCenter of Bone Metabolism and Repair, Trauma Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineCenter of Bone Metabolism and Repair, Trauma Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
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Suárez R, Gobius I, Richards LJ. Evolution and development of interhemispheric connections in the vertebrate forebrain. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:497. [PMID: 25071525 PMCID: PMC4094842 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Axonal connections between the left and right sides of the brain are crucial for bilateral integration of lateralized sensory, motor, and associative functions. Throughout vertebrate species, forebrain commissures share a conserved developmental plan, a similar position relative to each other within the brain and similar patterns of connectivity. However, major events in the evolution of the vertebrate brain, such as the expansion of the telencephalon in tetrapods and the origin of the six-layered isocortex in mammals, resulted in the emergence and diversification of new commissural routes. These new interhemispheric connections include the pallial commissure, which appeared in the ancestors of tetrapods and connects the left and right sides of the medial pallium (hippocampus in mammals), and the corpus callosum, which is exclusive to eutherian (placental) mammals and connects both isocortical hemispheres. A comparative analysis of commissural systems in vertebrates reveals that the emergence of new commissural routes may have involved co-option of developmental mechanisms and anatomical substrates of preexistent commissural pathways. One of the embryonic regions of interest for studying these processes is the commissural plate, a portion of the early telencephalic midline that provides molecular specification and a cellular scaffold for the development of commissural axons. Further investigations into these embryonic processes in carefully selected species will provide insights not only into the mechanisms driving commissural evolution, but also regarding more general biological problems such as the role of developmental plasticity in evolutionary change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Suárez
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ilan Gobius
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda J. Richards
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
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Clowry GJ. An enhanced role and expanded developmental origins for gamma-aminobutyric acidergic interneurons in the human cerebral cortex. J Anat 2014; 227:384-93. [PMID: 24839870 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human beings have considerably expanded cognitive abilities compared with all other species and they also have a relatively larger cerebral cortex compared with their body size. But is a bigger brain the only reason for higher cognition or have other features evolved in parallel? Humans have more and different types of GABAergic interneurons, found in different places, than our model species. Studies are beginning to show differences in function. Is this expanded repertoire of functional types matched by an evolution of their developmental origins? Recent studies support the idea that generation of interneurons in the ventral telencephalon may be more complicated in primates, which have evolved a large and complex outer subventricular zone in the ganglionic eminences. In addition, proportionally more interneurons appear to be produced in the caudal ganglionic eminence, the majority of which populate the superficial layers of the cortex. Whether or not the cortical proliferative zones are a source of interneurogenesis, and to what extent and of what significance, is a contentious issue. As there is growing evidence that conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and congenital epilepsy may have developmental origins in the failure of interneuron production and migration, it is important we understand fully the similarities and differences between human development and our animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin J Clowry
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Williams AJ, Umemori H. The best-laid plans go oft awry: synaptogenic growth factor signaling in neuropsychiatric disease. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2014; 6:4. [PMID: 24672476 PMCID: PMC3957327 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth factors play important roles in synapse formation. Mouse models of neuropsychiatric diseases suggest that defects in synaptogenic growth factors, their receptors, and signaling pathways can lead to disordered neural development and various behavioral phenotypes, including anxiety, memory problems, and social deficits. Genetic association studies in humans have found evidence for similar relationships between growth factor signaling pathways and neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Accumulating data suggest that dysfunction in neuronal circuitry, caused by defects in growth factor-mediated synapse formation, contributes to the susceptibility to multiple neuropsychiatric diseases, including epilepsy, autism, and disorders of thought and mood (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively). In this review, we will focus on how specific synaptogenic growth factors and their downstream signaling pathways might be involved in the development of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aislinn J Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA ; Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hisashi Umemori
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA ; Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
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40
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Abstract
The three-layered piriform cortex, an integral part of the olfactory system, processes odor information relayed by olfactory bulb mitral cells. Specifically, mitral cell axons form the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) by targeting lateral olfactory tract (lot) guidepost cells in the piriform cortex. While lot cells and other piriform cortical neurons share a pallial origin, the factors that specify their precise phenotypes are poorly understood. Here we show that in mouse, the proneural genes Neurog1 and Neurog2 are coexpressed in the ventral pallium, a progenitor pool that first gives rise to Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells, which populate layer I of all cortical domains, and later to layer II/III neurons of the piriform cortex. Using loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches, we find that Neurog1 has a unique early role in reducing CR cell neurogenesis by tempering Neurog2's proneural activity. In addition, Neurog1 and Neurog2 have redundant functions in the ventral pallium, acting in two phases to first specify a CR cell fate and later to specify layer II/III piriform cortex neuronal identities. In the early phase, Neurog1 and Neurog2 are also required for lot cell differentiation, which we reveal are a subset of CR neurons, the loss of which prevents mitral cell axon innervation and LOT formation. Consequently, mutation of Trp73, a CR-specific cortical gene, results in lot cell and LOT axon displacement. Neurog1 and Neurog2 thus have unique and redundant functions in the piriform cortex, controlling the timing of differentiation of early-born CR/lot cells and specifying the identities of later-born layer II/III neurons.
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41
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Van Camp JK, Beckers S, Zegers D, Van Hul W. Wnt Signaling and the Control of Human Stem Cell Fate. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2013; 10:207-29. [DOI: 10.1007/s12015-013-9486-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Sequerra EB, Costa MR, Menezes JRL, Hedin-Pereira C. Adult neural stem cells: plastic or restricted neuronal fates? Development 2013; 140:3303-9. [PMID: 23900539 DOI: 10.1242/dev.093096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, the telencephalon is specified along its axis through morphogenetic gradients, leading to the positional-dependent generation of multiple neuronal types. After embryogenesis, however, the fate of neuronal progenitors becomes more restricted, and they generate only a subset of neurons. Here, we review studies of postnatal and adult neurogenesis, challenging the notion that fixed genetic programs restrict neuronal fate. We hypothesize that the adult brain maintains plastic neural stem cells that are capable of responding to changes in environmental cues and generating diverse neuronal types. Thus, the limited diversity of neurons generated under normal conditions must be actively maintained by the adult milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo B Sequerra
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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43
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Wilkinson G, Dennis D, Schuurmans C. Proneural genes in neocortical development. Neuroscience 2013; 253:256-73. [PMID: 23999125 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes arise from CNS progenitor cells at defined times and locations during development, with transcription factors serving as key determinants of these different neural cell fates. An emerging theme is that the transcription factors that specify CNS cell fates function in a context-dependent manner, regulated by post-translational modifications and epigenetic alterations that partition the genome (and hence target genes) into active or silent domains. Here we profile the critical roles of the proneural genes, which encode basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, in specifying neural cell identities in the developing neocortex. In particular, we focus on the proneural genes Neurogenin 1 (Neurog1), Neurog2 and Achaete scute-like 1 (Ascl1), which are each expressed in a distinct fashion in the progenitor cell pools that give rise to all of the neuronal and glial cell types of the mature neocortex. Notably, while the basic functions of these proneural genes have been elucidated, it is becoming increasingly evident that tight regulatory controls dictate when, where and how they function. Current efforts to better understand how proneural gene function is regulated will not only improve our understanding of neocortical development, but are also critical to the future development of regenerative therapies for the treatment of neuronal degeneration or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Wilkinson
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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44
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Chatzi C, Cunningham TJ, Duester G. Investigation of retinoic acid function during embryonic brain development using retinaldehyde-rescued Rdh10 knockout mice. Dev Dyn 2013; 242:1056-65. [PMID: 23765990 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.23999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retinoic acid (RA) signaling controls patterning and neuronal differentiation within the hindbrain, but forebrain RA function remains controversial. RA is produced from metabolism of retinol to retinaldehyde by retinol dehydrogenase (RDH), followed by metabolism of retinaldehyde to RA by retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (RALDH). Previous studies on Raldh2-/- and Raldh3-/- mice demonstrated an RA requirement for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic and dopaminergic differentiation in forebrain basal ganglia, but no RA requirement was observed during early forebrain patterning or subsequent forebrain cortical expansion. However, other studies suggested that RA controls forebrain patterning, and analysis of ethylnitrosourea-induced Rdh10 mutants suggested that RA synthesized in the meninges stimulates forebrain cortical expansion. RESULTS We generated Rdh10-/- mouse embryos that lack RA activity early in the head and later in the meninges. We observed defects in hindbrain patterning and eye RA signaling, but early forebrain patterning was unaffected. Retinaldehyde treatment of Rdh10-/- embryos from E7-E9 rescues a cranial skeletal defect, resulting in E14.5 embryos lacking meningeal RA activity but maintaining normal forebrain shape and cortical expansion. CONCLUSIONS Rdh10-/- embryos demonstrate that RA controls hindbrain but not early forebrain patterning, while studies on retinaldehyde-rescued Rdh10-/- embryos show that meningeal RA synthesis is unnecessary to stimulate forebrain cortical expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Chatzi
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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Hou PS, Chuang CY, Kao CF, Chou SJ, Stone L, Ho HN, Chien CL, Kuo HC. LHX2 regulates the neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells via transcriptional modulation of PAX6 and CER1. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:7753-70. [PMID: 23804753 PMCID: PMC3763550 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The LIM homeobox 2 transcription factor Lhx2 is known to control crucial aspects of neural development in various species. However, its function in human neural development is still elusive. Here, we demonstrate that LHX2 plays a critical role in human neural differentiation, using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a model. In hESC-derived neural progenitors (hESC-NPs), LHX2 was found to be expressed before PAX6, and co-expressed with early neural markers. Conditional ectopic expression of LHX2 promoted neural differentiation, whereas disruption of LHX2 expression in hESCs significantly impaired neural differentiation. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that LHX2 regulates neural differentiation at two levels: first, it promotes expression of PAX6 by binding to its active enhancers, and second, it attenuates BMP and WNT signaling by promoting expression of the BMP and WNT antagonist Cerberus 1 gene (CER1), to inhibit non-neural differentiation. These findings indicate that LHX2 regulates the transcription of downstream intrinsic and extrinsic molecules that are essential for early neural differentiation in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Shan Hou
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan and Graduate Institute of Clinical Genomics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
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Jami A, Gadi J, Lee MJ, Kim EJ, Lee MJ, Jung HS, Kim HH, Lim SK. Pax6 expressed in osteocytes inhibits canonical Wnt signaling. Mol Cells 2013; 35:305-12. [PMID: 23529217 PMCID: PMC3887889 DOI: 10.1007/s10059-013-2310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Pax6, which belongs to the paired box-containing gene family, regulates developmental processes, especially in the eyes, central nervous tissues and craniofacial structures. However, the role of Pax6 in bone has never been studied exclusively. Here we report that Pax6 is expressed at both the mRNA and protein level in the calvaria and long bones of adult mice as well as osteocyte-like MLOY4 cells and suppresses the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Moreover, the expression levels of Pax6 were much higher in the calvaria than the long bones, and Pax6 was also expressed at E16 to E18 in both the calvaria and long bones. Knockdown of Pax6 in MLOY4 cells did not affect cell proliferation or survival; however, the expression of Sost, an osteocyte marker gene, was significantly decreased. In addition, the overexpression of Pax6 suppressed the canonical Wnt signaling pathway by enhancing the expression of Sost. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that Pax6 binds to the Sost promoter and that stimulation of Sost transcription by Pax6 was dependent on a specific Pax6-binding sequence within the promoter. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that Pax6 is expressed in bone and may play an important role in osteocyte differentiation by controlling canonical Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajita Jami
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Jogeswar Gadi
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Min Jung Lee
- Division of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Yonsei Center of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Eun Jin Kim
- Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Mi Jeong Lee
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Han-Sung Jung
- Division of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Yonsei Center of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
| | - Hong-Hee Kim
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Brain Korea 21 Program and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-749,
Korea
| | - Sung-Kil Lim
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
- Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752,
Korea
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47
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Hofmeister W, Devine CA, Key B. Distinct expression patterns of syndecans in the embryonic zebrafish brain. Gene Expr Patterns 2013; 13:126-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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48
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Kaye JA, Finkbeiner S. Modeling Huntington's disease with induced pluripotent stem cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 56:50-64. [PMID: 23459227 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) causes severe motor dysfunction, behavioral abnormalities, cognitive impairment and death. Investigations into its molecular pathology have primarily relied on murine tissues; however, the recent discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has opened new possibilities to model neurodegenerative disease using cells derived directly from patients, and therefore may provide a human-cell-based platform for unique insights into the pathogenesis of HD. Here, we will examine the practical implementation of iPSCs to study HD, such as approaches to differentiate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or iPSCs into medium spiny neurons, the cell type most susceptible in HD. We will explore the HD-related phenotypes identified in iPSCs and ESCs and review how brain development and neurogenesis may actually be altered early, before the onset of HD symptoms, which could inform the search for drugs that delay disease onset. Finally, we will speculate on the exciting possibility that ESCs or iPSCs might be used as therapeutics to restore or replace dying neurons in HD brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Kaye
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States.
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49
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Bielen H, Houart C. BMP signaling protects telencephalic fate by repressing eye identity and its Cxcr4-dependent morphogenesis. Dev Cell 2013; 23:812-22. [PMID: 23079599 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Depletion of Wnt signaling is a major requirement for the induction of the anterior prosencephalon. However, the molecular events driving the differential regionalization of this area into eye-field and telencephalon fates are still unknown. Here we show that the BMP pathway is active in the anterior neural ectoderm during late blastula to early gastrula stage in zebrafish. Bmp2b mutants and mosaic loss-of-function experiments reveal that BMP acts as a repressor of eye-field fate through inhibition of its key transcription factor Rx3, thereby protecting the future telencephalon from acquiring eye identity. This BMP-driven mechanism initiates the establishment of the telencephalon prior to the involvement of Wnt antagonists from the anterior neural border. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Rx3 and BMP are respectively required to maintain and restrict the chemokine receptor cxcr4a, which in turn contributes to the morphogenetic separation of eye-field and telencephalic cells during early neurulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Bielen
- Medical Research Council Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
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50
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Chenn A. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in cerebral cortical development. Organogenesis 2012; 4:76-80. [PMID: 19279718 DOI: 10.4161/org.4.2.5852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2008] [Accepted: 03/06/2008] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is the multilayered sheet of neurons that underlies our highest cognitive abilities. Canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has well-known activities in tissue patterning in regulating rostral-caudal and medial-lateral patterning in the developing cortex. In addition, recent studies suggest that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling also plays important roles in establishing the radial inside to outside organization of the cerebral cortex. Different Wnts, Wnt receptors and inhibitors are expressed in overlapping radial compartments of the cerebral cortex, and in vivo functional studies have provided evidence for Wnt/beta-catenin regulation of neural precursor self-renewal, laminar fate determination and establishing or stabilizing the patterns of neuronal communication of cortical neurons. Wnt/beta-catenin alterations have been observed in human brain tumors, and understanding its many diverse functions during normal neural development may provide greater insight into the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of neural tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjen Chenn
- Department of Pathology; Northwestern University; Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, Illinois USA
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