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Gómez-Gálvez P, Navarro V, Castro AM, Paradas C, Escudero LM. Computational Analysis of SOD1-G93A Mouse Muscle Biomarkers for Comprehensive Assessment of ALS Progression. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2025; 51:e70014. [PMID: 40164574 DOI: 10.1111/nan.70014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2025] [Accepted: 03/20/2025] [Indexed: 04/02/2025]
Abstract
AIMS To identify potential image biomarkers of neuromuscular disease by analysing morphological and network-derived features in skeletal muscle biopsies from a murine model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the SOD1G93A mouse and wild-type (WT) controls at distinct stages of disease progression. METHODS Using the NDICIA computational framework, we quantitatively evaluated histological differences between skeletal muscle biopsies from SOD1G93A and WT mice. The process involved the selection of a subset of features revealing these differences. A subset of discriminative features was selected to characterise these differences, and their temporal dynamics were assessed across disease stages. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate that muscle pathology in the mutant model evolves from early alterations in muscle fibre arrangement, detectable at the presymptomatic stage through graph theory features, to the subsequent development of the typical morphological pattern of neurogenic atrophy at more advanced disease stages. CONCLUSIONS Our assay identifies a neurogenic signature in mutant muscle biopsies, even when the disease is phenotypically imperceptible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Gómez-Gálvez
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neurobiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Navarro
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana M Castro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Carmen Paradas
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis M Escudero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Greulich P. Emergent order in epithelial sheets by interplay of cell divisions and cell fate regulation. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012465. [PMID: 39401252 PMCID: PMC11501039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The fate choices of stem cells between self-renewal and differentiation are often tightly regulated by juxtacrine (cell-cell contact) signalling. Here, we assess how the interplay between cell division, cell fate choices, and juxtacrine signalling can affect the macroscopic ordering of cell types in self-renewing epithelial sheets, by studying a simple spatial cell fate model with cells being arranged on a 2D lattice. We show in this model that if cells commit to their fate directly upon cell division, macroscopic patches of cells of the same type emerge, if at least a small proportion of divisions are symmetric, except if signalling interactions are laterally inhibiting. In contrast, if cells are first 'licensed' to differentiate, yet retaining the possibility to return to their naive state, macroscopic order only emerges if the signalling strength exceeds a critical threshold: if then the signalling interactions are laterally inducing, macroscopic patches emerge as well. Lateral inhibition, on the other hand, can in that case generate periodic patterns of alternating cell types (checkerboard pattern), yet only if the proportion of symmetric divisions is sufficiently low. These results can be understood theoretically by an analogy to phase transitions in spin systems known from statistical physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Greulich
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Soendenbroe C, Karlsen A, Svensson RB, Kjaer M, Andersen JL, Mackey AL. Marked irregular myofiber shape is a hallmark of human skeletal muscle ageing and is reversed by heavy resistance training. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2024; 15:306-318. [PMID: 38123165 PMCID: PMC10834339 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related loss of strength is disproportionally greater than the loss of mass, suggesting maladaptations in the neuro-myo-tendinous system. Myofibers are often misshaped in aged and diseased muscle, but systematic analyses of large sample sets are lacking. Our aim was to investigate myofiber shape in relation to age, exercise, myofiber type, species and sex. METHODS Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies (n = 265) from 197 males and females, covering an age span of 20-97 years, were examined. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of 11 + 22-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were also examined. Immunofluorescence and ATPase stainings of muscle cross-sections were used to measure myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) and perimeter. From these, a shape factor index (SFI) was calculated in a fibre-type-specific manner (type I/II in humans; type I/IIa/IIx/IIb in mice), with higher values indicating increased deformity. Heavy resistance training (RT) was performed three times per week for 3-4 months by a subgroup (n = 59). Correlation analyses were performed comparing SFI and CSA with age, muscle mass, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), rate of force development and specific force (MVC/muscle mass). RESULTS In human muscle, SFI was positively correlated with age for both type I (R2 = 0.20) and II (R2 = 0.38) myofibers. When subjects were separated into age cohorts, SFI was lower for type I (4%, P < 0.001) and II (6%, P < 0.001) myofibers in young (20-36) compared with old (60-80) and higher for type I (5%, P < 0.05) and II (14%, P < 0.001) myofibers in the oldest old (>80) compared with old. The increased SFI in old muscle was observed in myofibers of all sizes. Within all three age cohorts, type II myofiber SFI was higher than that for type I myofiber (4-13%, P < 0.001), which was also the case in mice muscles (8-9%, P < 0.001). Across age cohorts, there was no difference between males and females in SFI for either type I (P = 0.496/0.734) or II (P = 0.176/0.585) myofibers. Multiple linear regression revealed that SFI, after adjusting for age and myofiber CSA, has independent explanatory power for 8/10 indices of muscle mass and function. RT reduced SFI of type II myofibers in both young and old (3-4%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Here, we identify type I and II myofiber shape in humans as a hallmark of muscle ageing that independently predicts volumetric and functional assessments of muscle health. RT reverts the shape of type II myofibers, suggesting that a lack of myofiber recruitment might lead to myofiber deformity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper Soendenbroe
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Anders Karlsen
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesXlab, Center for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Rene B. Svensson
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Michael Kjaer
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jesper L. Andersen
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Abigail L. Mackey
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital ‐ Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Clinical MedicineCenter for Healthy Aging, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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Networks behind the morphology and structural design of living systems. Phys Life Rev 2022; 41:1-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Abstract
Cell packing - the spatial arrangement of cells - determines the shapes of organs. Recently, investigations of organ development in a variety of model organisms have uncovered cellular mechanisms that are used by epithelial tissues to change cell packing, and thereby their shapes, to generate functional architectures. Here, we review these cellular mechanisms across a wide variety of developmental processes in vertebrates and invertebrates and identify a set of common motifs in the morphogenesis toolbox that, in combination, appear to allow any change in tissue shape. We focus on tissue elongation, folding and invagination, and branching. We also highlight how these morphogenetic processes are achieved by cell-shape changes, cell rearrangements, and oriented cell division. Finally, we describe approaches that have the potential to engineer three-dimensional tissues for both basic science and translational purposes. This review provides a framework for future analyses of how tissues are shaped by the dynamics of epithelial cell packing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra B Lemke
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Celeste M Nelson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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Bormashenko E, Frenkel M, Vilk A, Legchenkova I, Fedorets AA, Aktaev NE, Dombrovsky LA, Nosonovsky M. Characterization of Self-Assembled 2D Patterns with Voronoi Entropy. ENTROPY 2018; 20:e20120956. [PMID: 33266680 PMCID: PMC7512542 DOI: 10.3390/e20120956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Voronoi entropy is a mathematical tool for quantitative characterization of the orderliness of points distributed on a surface. The tool is useful to study various surface self-assembly processes. We provide the historical background, from Kepler and Descartes to our days, and discuss topological properties of the Voronoi tessellation, upon which the entropy concept is based, and its scaling properties, known as the Lewis and Aboav–Weaire laws. The Voronoi entropy has been successfully applied to recently discovered self-assembled structures, such as patterned microporous polymer surfaces obtained by the breath figure method and levitating ordered water microdroplet clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Bormashenko
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, Engineering Sciences Faculty, Ariel University, Ariel 407000, Israel
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-074-729-68-63
| | - Mark Frenkel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, Engineering Sciences Faculty, Ariel University, Ariel 407000, Israel
| | - Alla Vilk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, Engineering Sciences Faculty, Ariel University, Ariel 407000, Israel
| | - Irina Legchenkova
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, Engineering Sciences Faculty, Ariel University, Ariel 407000, Israel
| | | | | | - Leonid A. Dombrovsky
- University of Tyumen, 6 Volodarskogo St., Tyumen 625003, Russia
- Joint Institute for High Temperatures, 17A Krasnokazarmennaya St., Moscow 111116, Russia
| | - Michael Nosonovsky
- University of Tyumen, 6 Volodarskogo St., Tyumen 625003, Russia
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, 3200 North Cramer St., Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
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Nintedanib decreases muscle fibrosis and improves muscle function in a murine model of dystrophinopathy. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:776. [PMID: 29991677 PMCID: PMC6039566 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness. Dystrophin deficiency induces instability of the sarcolemma during muscle contraction that leads to muscle necrosis and replacement of muscle by fibro-adipose tissue. Several therapies have been developed to counteract the fibrotic process. We report the effects of nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in the mdx murine model of DMD. Nintedanib reduced proliferation and migration of human fibroblasts in vitro and decreased the expression of fibrotic genes such as COL1A1, COL3A1, FN1, TGFB1, and PDGFA. We treated seven mdx mice with 60 mg/kg/day nintedanib for 1 month. Electrophysiological studies showed an increase in the amplitude of the motor action potentials and an improvement of the morphology of motor unit potentials in the animals treated. Histological studies demonstrated a significant reduction of the fibrotic areas present in the skeletal muscles. Analysis of mRNA expression from muscles of treated mice showed a reduction in Col1a1, Col3a1, Tgfb1, and Pdgfa. Western blot showed a reduction in the expression of collagen I in skeletal muscles. In conclusion, nintedanib reduced the fibrotic process in a murine model of dystrophinopathy after 1 month of treatment, suggesting its potential use as a therapeutic drug in DMD patients.
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Letizia A, Tosi S, Llimargas M. Morphogenetic movements affect local tissue organisation during embryonic Drosophila morphogenesis. Eur J Cell Biol 2018; 97:243-256. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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