1
|
Touahri Y, Hanna J, Tachibana N, Okawa S, Liu H, David LA, Olender T, Vasan L, Pak A, Mehta DN, Chinchalongporn V, Balakrishnan A, Cantrup R, Dixit R, Mattar P, Saleh F, Ilnytskyy Y, Murshed M, Mains PE, Kovalchuk I, Lefebvre JL, Leong HS, Cayouette M, Wang C, Del Sol A, Brand M, Reese BE, Schuurmans C. Pten regulates endocytic trafficking of cell adhesion and Wnt signaling molecules to pattern the retina. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114005. [PMID: 38551961 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The retina is exquisitely patterned, with neuronal somata positioned at regular intervals to completely sample the visual field. Here, we show that phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) controls starburst amacrine cell spacing by modulating vesicular trafficking of cell adhesion molecules and Wnt proteins. Single-cell transcriptomics and double-mutant analyses revealed that Pten and Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule Dscam) are co-expressed and function additively to pattern starburst amacrine cell mosaics. Mechanistically, Pten loss accelerates the endocytic trafficking of DSCAM, FAT3, and MEGF10 off the cell membrane and into endocytic vesicles in amacrine cells. Accordingly, the vesicular proteome, a molecular signature of the cell of origin, is enriched in exocytosis, vesicle-mediated transport, and receptor internalization proteins in Pten conditional knockout (PtencKO) retinas. Wnt signaling molecules are also enriched in PtencKO retinal vesicles, and the genetic or pharmacological disruption of Wnt signaling phenocopies amacrine cell patterning defects. Pten thus controls vesicular trafficking of cell adhesion and signaling molecules to establish retinal amacrine cell mosaics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yacine Touahri
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada
| | - Joseph Hanna
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Nobuhiko Tachibana
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Satoshi Okawa
- Computational Biology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, and Blood Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hedy Liu
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Luke Ajay David
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Thomas Olender
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Lakshmy Vasan
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Alissa Pak
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Dhruv Nimesh Mehta
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada
| | - Vorapin Chinchalongporn
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anjali Balakrishnan
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Robert Cantrup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Rajiv Dixit
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Pierre Mattar
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Fermisk Saleh
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yaroslav Ilnytskyy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Monzur Murshed
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1A6, Canada
| | - Paul E Mains
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Julie L Lefebvre
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Program for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Hon S Leong
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Michel Cayouette
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Chao Wang
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Antonio Del Sol
- Computational Biology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; CIC bioGUNE, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Marjorie Brand
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xu M, Li S, Xie X, Guo L, Yu D, Zhuo J, Lin J, Kol L, Gan L. ISL1 and POU4F1 Directly Interact to Regulate the Differentiation and Survival of Inner Ear Sensory Neurons. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1718232024. [PMID: 38267260 PMCID: PMC10883659 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1718-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The inner ear sensory neurons play a pivotal role in auditory processing and balance control. Though significant progresses have been made, the underlying mechanisms controlling the differentiation and survival of the inner ear sensory neurons remain largely unknown. During development, ISL1 and POU4F transcription factors are co-expressed and are required for terminal differentiation, pathfinding, axon outgrowth and the survival of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, little is understood about their functional relationship and regulatory mechanism in neural development. Here, we have knocked out Isl1 or Pou4f1 or both in mice of both sexes. In the absence of Isl1, the differentiation of cochleovestibular ganglion (CVG) neurons is disturbed and with that Isl1-deficient CVG neurons display defects in migration and axon pathfinding. Compound deletion of Isl1 and Pou4f1 causes a delay in CVG differentiation and results in a more severe CVG defect with a loss of nearly all of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Moreover, ISL1 and POU4F1 interact directly in developing CVG neurons and act cooperatively as well as independently in regulating the expression of unique sets of CVG-specific genes crucial for CVG development and survival by binding to the cis-regulatory elements including the promoters of Fgf10, Pou4f2, and Epha5 and enhancers of Eya1 and Ntng2 These findings demonstrate that Isl1 and Pou4f1 are indispensable for CVG development and maintenance by acting epistatically to regulate genes essential for CVG development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
- Institution of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, China
| | - Shuchun Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
| | - Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
- Institution of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, China
| | - Dongliang Yu
- College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jiaping Zhuo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
| | - Jacey Lin
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
| | - Lotem Kol
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Georgia 30912
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kerstein PC, Agreda YS, Curran BM, Ma L, Wright KM. Gbx2 controls amacrine cell dendrite stratification through Robo1/2 receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.03.551861. [PMID: 37577554 PMCID: PMC10418232 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.03.551861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Within the neuronal classes of the retina, amacrine cells (ACs) exhibit the greatest neuronal diversity in morphology and function. We show that the selective expression of the transcription factor Gbx2 is required for cell fate specification and dendritic stratification of an individual AC subtype in the mouse retina. We identify Robo1 and Robo2 as downstream effectors that when deleted, phenocopy the dendritic misprojections seen in Gbx2 mutants. Slit1 and Slit2, the ligands of Robo receptors, are localized to the OFF layers of the inner plexiform layer where we observe the dendritic misprojections in both Gbx2 and Robo1/2 mutants. We show that Robo receptors also are required for the proper dendritic stratification of additional AC subtypes, such as Vglut3+ ACs. These results show both that Gbx2 functions as a terminal selector in a single AC subtype and identify Slit-Robo signaling as a developmental mechanism for ON-OFF pathway segregation in the retina.
Collapse
|
4
|
Kaplow IM, Lawler AJ, Schäffer DE, Srinivasan C, Sestili HH, Wirthlin ME, Phan BN, Prasad K, Brown AR, Zhang X, Foley K, Genereux DP, Karlsson EK, Lindblad-Toh K, Meyer WK, Pfenning AR, Andrews G, Armstrong JC, Bianchi M, Birren BW, Bredemeyer KR, Breit AM, Christmas MJ, Clawson H, Damas J, Di Palma F, Diekhans M, Dong MX, Eizirik E, Fan K, Fanter C, Foley NM, Forsberg-Nilsson K, Garcia CJ, Gatesy J, Gazal S, Genereux DP, Goodman L, Grimshaw J, Halsey MK, Harris AJ, Hickey G, Hiller M, Hindle AG, Hubley RM, Hughes GM, Johnson J, Juan D, Kaplow IM, Karlsson EK, Keough KC, Kirilenko B, Koepfli KP, Korstian JM, Kowalczyk A, Kozyrev SV, Lawler AJ, Lawless C, Lehmann T, Levesque DL, Lewin HA, Li X, Lind A, Lindblad-Toh K, Mackay-Smith A, Marinescu VD, Marques-Bonet T, Mason VC, Meadows JRS, Meyer WK, Moore JE, Moreira LR, Moreno-Santillan DD, Morrill KM, Muntané G, Murphy WJ, Navarro A, Nweeia M, Ortmann S, Osmanski A, Paten B, Paulat NS, Pfenning AR, Phan BN, Pollard KS, Pratt HE, Ray DA, Reilly SK, Rosen JR, Ruf I, Ryan L, Ryder OA, Sabeti PC, Schäffer DE, Serres A, Shapiro B, Smit AFA, Springer M, Srinivasan C, Steiner C, Storer JM, Sullivan KAM, Sullivan PF, Sundström E, Supple MA, Swofford R, Talbot JE, Teeling E, Turner-Maier J, Valenzuela A, Wagner F, Wallerman O, Wang C, Wang J, Weng Z, Wilder AP, Wirthlin ME, Xue JR, Zhang X. Relating enhancer genetic variation across mammals to complex phenotypes using machine learning. Science 2023; 380:eabm7993. [PMID: 37104615 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm7993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein-coding differences between species often fail to explain phenotypic diversity, suggesting the involvement of genomic elements that regulate gene expression such as enhancers. Identifying associations between enhancers and phenotypes is challenging because enhancer activity can be tissue-dependent and functionally conserved despite low sequence conservation. We developed the Tissue-Aware Conservation Inference Toolkit (TACIT) to associate candidate enhancers with species' phenotypes using predictions from machine learning models trained on specific tissues. Applying TACIT to associate motor cortex and parvalbumin-positive interneuron enhancers with neurological phenotypes revealed dozens of enhancer-phenotype associations, including brain size-associated enhancers that interact with genes implicated in microcephaly or macrocephaly. TACIT provides a foundation for identifying enhancers associated with the evolution of any convergently evolved phenotype in any large group of species with aligned genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene M Kaplow
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alyssa J Lawler
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniel E Schäffer
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Heather H Sestili
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Morgan E Wirthlin
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - BaDoi N Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kavya Prasad
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ashley R Brown
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiaomeng Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen Foley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Diane P Genereux
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Wynn K Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Andreas R Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Álvarez-Hernán G, de Mera-Rodríguez JA, Calle-Guisado V, Martín-Partido G, Rodríguez-León J, Francisco-Morcillo J. Retinal Development in a Precocial Bird Species, the Quail (Coturnix coturnix, Linnaeus 1758). Cells 2023; 12:cells12070989. [PMID: 37048062 PMCID: PMC10093483 DOI: 10.3390/cells12070989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The quail (Coturnix coturnix, Linnaeus 1758), a notable model used in developmental biology, is a precocial bird species in which the processes of retinal cell differentiation and retinal histogenesis have been poorly studied. The purpose of the present research is to examine the retinogenesis in this bird species immunohistochemically and compare the results with those from previous studies in precocial and altricial birds. We found that the first PCNA-negative nuclei are detected at Stage (St) 21 in the vitreal region of the neuroblastic layer, coinciding topographically with the first αTubAc-/Tuj1-/Isl1-immunoreactive differentiating ganglion cells. At St28, the first Prox1-immunoreactive nuclei can be distinguished in the vitreal side of the neuroblastic layer (NbL), but also the first visinin-immunoreactive photoreceptors in the scleral surface. The inner plexiform layer (IPL) emerges at St32, and the outer plexiform layer (OPL) becomes visible at St35—the stage in which the first GS-immunoreactive Müller cells are distinguishable. Newly hatched animals show a well-developed stratified retina in which the PCNA-and pHisH3-immunoreactivies are absent. Therefore, retinal cell differentiation in the quail progresses in the stereotyped order conserved among vertebrates, in which ganglion cells initially appear and are followed by amacrine cells, horizontal cells, and photoreceptors. Müller glia are one of the last cell types to be born. Plexiform layers emerge following a vitreal-to-scleral gradient. Finally, our results suggest that there are no significant differences in the timing of different events involved in retinal maturation between the quail and the chicken, but the same events are delayed in an altricial bird species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Álvarez-Hernán
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - José Antonio de Mera-Rodríguez
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Violeta Calle-Guisado
- Área de Anatomía y Embriología Humana, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Gervasio Martín-Partido
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Joaquín Rodríguez-León
- Área de Anatomía y Embriología Humana, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Javier Francisco-Morcillo
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ge Y, Chen X, Nan N, Bard J, Wu F, Yergeau D, Liu T, Wang J, Mu X. Key transcription factors influence the epigenetic landscape to regulate retinal cell differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2151-2176. [PMID: 36715342 PMCID: PMC10018358 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad026] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
How the diverse neural cell types emerge from multipotent neural progenitor cells during central nervous system development remains poorly understood. Recent scRNA-seq studies have delineated the developmental trajectories of individual neural cell types in many neural systems including the neural retina. Further understanding of the formation of neural cell diversity requires knowledge about how the epigenetic landscape shifts along individual cell lineages and how key transcription factors regulate these changes. In this study, we dissect the changes in the epigenetic landscape during early retinal cell differentiation by scATAC-seq and identify globally the enhancers, enriched motifs, and potential interacting transcription factors underlying the cell state/type specific gene expression in individual lineages. Using CUT&Tag, we further identify the enhancers bound directly by four key transcription factors, Otx2, Atoh7, Pou4f2 and Isl1, including those dependent on Atoh7, and uncover the sequential and combinatorial interactions of these factors with the epigenetic landscape to control gene expression along individual retinal cell lineages such as retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Our results reveal a general paradigm in which transcription factors collaborate and compete to regulate the emergence of distinct retinal cell types such as RGCs from multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Ge
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xushen Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Nan Nan
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Bard
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Fuguo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Donald Yergeau
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Jie Wang.
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 716 881 7463; Fax: +1 716 887 2991;
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Keeley PW, Patel PS, Ryu MS, Reese BE. Neurog2 regulates Isl1 to modulate horizontal cell number. Development 2023; 150:dev201315. [PMID: 36537573 PMCID: PMC10108602 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The population sizes of different retinal cell types vary between different strains of mice, and that variation can be mapped to genomic loci in order to identify its polygenic origin. In some cases, controlling genes act independently, whereas in other instances, they exhibit epistasis. Here, we identify an epistatic interaction revealed through the mapping of quantitative trait loci from a panel of recombinant inbred strains of mice. The population of retinal horizontal cells exhibits a twofold variation in number, mapping to quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 3 and 13, where these loci are shown to interact epistatically. We identify a prospective genetic interaction underlying this, mediated by the bHLH transcription factor Neurog2, at the chromosome 3 locus, functioning to repress the LIM homeodomain transcription factor Isl1, at the chromosome 13 locus. Using single and double conditional knockout mice, we confirm the countervailing actions of each gene, and validate in vitro a crucial role for two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5'UTR of Isl1, one of which yields a novel E-box, mediating the repressive action of Neurog2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W. Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
| | - Pooja S. Patel
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
| | - Matthew S. Ryu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
| | - Benjamin E. Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zhang W, Yu J, Fu G, Li J, Huang H, Liu J, Yu D, Qiu M, Li F. ISL1/SHH/CXCL12 signaling regulates myogenic cell migration during mouse tongue development. Development 2022; 149:277065. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Migration of myoblasts derived from the occipital somites is essential for tongue morphogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms of myoblast migration remain elusive. In this study, we report that deletion of Isl1 in the mouse mandibular epithelium leads to aglossia due to myoblast migration defects. Isl1 regulates the expression pattern of chemokine ligand 12 (Cxcl12) in the first branchial arch through the Shh/Wnt5a cascade. Cxcl12+ mesenchymal cells in Isl1ShhCre embryos were unable to migrate to the distal region, but instead clustered in a relatively small proximal domain of the mandible. CXCL12 serves as a bidirectional cue for myoblasts expressing its receptor CXCR4 in a concentration-dependent manner, attracting Cxcr4+ myoblast invasion at low concentrations but repelling at high concentrations. The accumulation of Cxcl12+ mesenchymal cells resulted in high local concentrations of CXCL12, which prevented Cxcr4+ myoblast invasion. Furthermore, transgenic activation of Ihh alleviated defects in tongue development and rescued myoblast migration, confirming the functional involvement of Hedgehog signaling in tongue development. In summary, this study provides the first line of genetic evidence that the ISL1/SHH/CXCL12 axis regulates myoblast migration during tongue development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaojiao Yu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Guoquan Fu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jianying Li
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Huarong Huang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University 2 , Hangzhou 310058 , People's Republic of China
| | - Dongliang Yu
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University 3 , Hangzhou 310018 , People's Republic of China
| | - Mengsheng Qiu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| | - Feixue Li
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
- of Organ Development and Regeneration, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University 1 , Hangzhou 311121 , People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Petridou E, Godinho L. Cellular and Molecular Determinants of Retinal Cell Fate. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2022; 8:79-99. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100820-103154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina is regarded as a simple part of the central nervous system (CNS) and thus amenable to investigations of the determinants of cell fate. Its five neuronal cell classes and one glial cell class all derive from a common pool of progenitors. Here we review how each cell class is generated. Retinal progenitors progress through different competence states, in each of which they generate only a small repertoire of cell classes. The intrinsic state of the progenitor is determined by the complement of transcription factors it expresses. Thus, although progenitors are multipotent, there is a bias in the types of fates they generate during any particular time window. Overlying these competence states are stochastic mechanisms that influence fate decisions. These mechanisms are determined by a weighted set of probabilities based on the abundance of a cell class in the retina. Deterministic mechanisms also operate, especially late in development, when preprogrammed progenitors solely generate specific fates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Petridou
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;,
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Leanne Godinho
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;,
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chew SH, Martinez C, Chirco KR, Kandoi S, Lamba DA. Timed Notch Inhibition Drives Photoreceptor Fate Specification in Human Retinal Organoids. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:12. [PMID: 36129723 PMCID: PMC9513742 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.10.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Transplanting photoreceptors from human pluripotent stem cell–derived retinal organoids have the potential to reverse vision loss in affected individuals. However, transplantable photoreceptors are only a subset of all cells in the organoids. Hence, the goal of our current study was to accelerate and synchronize photoreceptor differentiation in retinal organoids by inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway at different developmental time-points using a small molecule, PF-03084014 (PF). Methods Human induced pluripotent stem cell– and human embryonic stem cells–derived retinal organoids were treated with 10 µM PF for 3 days starting at day 45 (D45), D60, D90, and D120 of differentiation. Organoids were collected at post-treatment days 14, 28, and 42 and analyzed for progenitor and photoreceptor markers and Notch pathway inhibition by immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative PCR, and bulk RNA sequencing (n = 3–5 organoids from three independent experiments). Results Retinal organoids collected after treatment showed a decrease in progenitor markers (KI67, VSX2, PAX6, and LHX2) and an increase in differentiated pan-photoreceptor markers (OTX2, CRX, and RCVRN) at all organoid stages except D120. PF-treated organoids at D45 and D60 exhibited an increase in cone photoreceptor markers (RXRG and ARR3). PF treatment at D90 revealed an increase in cone and rod photoreceptors markers (ARR3, NRL, and NR2E3). Bulk RNA sequencing analysis mirrored the immunohistochemistry data and quantitative PCR confirmed Notch effector inhibition. Conclusions Timing the Notch pathway inhibition in human retinal organoids to align with progenitor competency stages can yield an enriched population of early cone or rod photoreceptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shereen H Chew
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Cassandra Martinez
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Kathleen R Chirco
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States
| | - Sangeetha Kandoi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Deepak A Lamba
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yamamoto M, Ong Lee Chen A, Shinozuka T, Sasai N. The Rx transcription factor is required for determination of the retinal lineage and regulates the timing of neuronal differentiation. Dev Growth Differ 2022; 64:318-324. [PMID: 35700309 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to retinal development is of great interest for both basic scientific and clinical applications. Several signaling molecules and transcription factors involved in retinal development have been isolated and analyzed; however, determining the direct impact of the loss of a specific molecule is problematic, due to difficulties in identifying the corresponding cellular lineages in different individuals. Here, we conducted genome-wide expression analysis with embryonic stem cells devoid of the Rx gene, which encodes one of several homeobox transcription factors essential for retinal development. We performed three-dimensional differentiation of wild-type and mutant cells and compared their gene-expression profiles. The mutant tissue failed to differentiate into the retinal lineage and exhibited precocious expression of genes characteristic of neuronal cells. Together, these results suggest that Rx expression is an important biomarker of the retinal lineage and that it helps regulates appropriate differentiation stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maho Yamamoto
- Developmental Biomedical Science, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Agnes Ong Lee Chen
- Developmental Biomedical Science, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Takuma Shinozuka
- Developmental Biomedical Science, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Noriaki Sasai
- Developmental Biomedical Science, Division of Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bery A, Bagchi U, Bergen AA, Felder-Schmittbuhl MP. Circadian clocks, retinogenesis and ocular health in vertebrates: new molecular insights. Dev Biol 2022; 484:40-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
13
|
Sundberg CA, Lakk M, Paul S, Figueroa KP, Scoles DR, Pulst SM, Križaj D. The RNA-binding protein and stress granule component ATAXIN-2 is expressed in mouse and human tissues associated with glaucoma pathogenesis. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:537-552. [PMID: 34350994 PMCID: PMC8716417 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine repeat expansions in the Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) gene were first implicated in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2, a disease associated with degeneration of motor neurons and Purkinje cells. Recent studies linked single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene to elevated intraocular pressure in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG); yet, the localization of ATXN2 across glaucoma-relevant tissues of the vertebrate eye has not been thoroughly examined. This study characterizes ATXN2 expression in the mouse and human retina, and anterior eye, using an antibody validated in ATXN2-/- retinas. ATXN2-ir was localized to cytosolic sub compartments in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) somata and proximal dendrites in addition to GABAergic, glycinergic, and cholinergic amacrine cells in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and displaced amacrine cells. Human, but not mouse retinas showed modest immunolabeling of bipolar cells. ATXN2 immunofluorescence was prominent in the trabecular meshwork and pigmented and nonpigmented cells of the ciliary body, with analyses of primary human trabecular meshwork cells confirming the finding. The expression of ATXN2 in key POAG-relevant ocular tissues supports the potential role in autophagy and stress granule formation in response to ocular hypertension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad A. Sundberg
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Monika Lakk
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Sharan Paul
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Karla P. Figueroa
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel R. Scoles
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Stefan M. Pulst
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David Križaj
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yamasaki S, Tu HY, Matsuyama T, Horiuchi M, Hashiguchi T, Sho J, Kuwahara A, Kishino A, Kimura T, Takahashi M, Mandai M. A Genetic modification that reduces ON-bipolar cells in hESC-derived retinas enhances functional integration after transplantation. iScience 2022; 25:103657. [PMID: 35024589 PMCID: PMC8733179 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived retinal sheet transplanted in vivo can form structured photoreceptor layers, contact with host bipolar cells, and transmit light signals to host retinas. However, a major concern is the presence of graft bipolar cells that may impede host-graft interaction. In this study, we used human ESC-retinas with the deletion of Islet-1 (ISL1) gene to achieve the reduced graft ON-bipolar cells after xenotransplantation into end-stage retinal degeneration model rats. Compared with wild-type graft, ISL1−/− hESC-retinas showed better host-graft contact, with indication of host-graft synapse formation and significant restoration of light responsiveness in host ganglion cells. We further analyzed to find out that improved functional integration of ISL1−/− hESC-retinas seemed attributed by a better host-graft contact and a better preservation of host inner retina. ISL1−/− hESC-retinas are promising for the efficient reconstruction of a degenerated retinal network in future clinical application. Deletion of ISL1 in hESC-retinas resulted in a reduced number of ON-bipolar cells Photoreceptors in ISL1−/− hESC-retinas achieved functional maturation in vivo ISL1−/− hESC-retinas showed better host-graft contact with putative synapses ISL1−/− hESC-retinas better restored RGC light responsiveness in degenerated retina
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Yamasaki
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hung-Ya Tu
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Take Matsuyama
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Matsuri Horiuchi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Tomoyo Hashiguchi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Junki Sho
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kuwahara
- Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kishino
- Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Toru Kimura
- Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Masayo Takahashi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Michiko Mandai
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.,RIKEN Program for Drug Discovery and Medical Technology Platforms (DMP), RIKEN Cluster for Science, Technology and Innovation Hub., Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
West ER, Cepko CL. Development and diversification of bipolar interneurons in the mammalian retina. Dev Biol 2021; 481:30-42. [PMID: 34534525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The bipolar interneurons of the mammalian retina have evolved as a diverse set of cells with distinct subtype characteristics, which reflect specialized contributions to visual circuitry. Fifteen subtypes of bipolar interneurons have been identified in the mouse retina, each with characteristic gene expression, morphology, and light responses. This review provides an overview of the developmental events that underlie the generation of the diverse bipolar cell class, summarizing the current knowledge of genetic programs that establish and maintain bipolar subtype fates, as well as the events that shape the final distribution of bipolar subtypes. With much left to be discovered, bipolar interneurons present an ideal model system for studying the interplay between cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms that influence neuronal subtype development within the central nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma R West
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Matsuyama T, Tu HY, Sun J, Hashiguchi T, Akiba R, Sho J, Fujii M, Onishi A, Takahashi M, Mandai M. Genetically engineered stem cell-derived retinal grafts for improved retinal reconstruction after transplantation. iScience 2021; 24:102866. [PMID: 34409267 PMCID: PMC8361135 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
ESC/iPSC-retinal sheet transplantation, which supplies photoreceptors as well as other retinal cells, has been shown to be able to restore visual function in mice with end-stage retinal degeneration. Here, by introducing a novel type of genetically engineered mouse ESC/iPSC-retinal sheet with reduced numbers of secondary retinal neurons but intact photoreceptor cell layer structure, we reinforced the evidence that ESC/iPSC-retinal sheet transplantation can establish synaptic connections with the host, restore light responsiveness, and reduce aberrant retinal ganglion cell spiking in mice. Furthermore, we show that genetically engineered grafts can substantially improve the outcome of the treatment by improving neural integration. We speculate that this leads to reduced spontaneous activity in the host which in turn contributes to a better visual recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Take Matsuyama
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Hung-Ya Tu
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jianan Sun
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoyo Hashiguchi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Akiba
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Junki Sho
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Momo Fujii
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Akishi Onishi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masayo Takahashi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Michiko Mandai
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Eye Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Tang Q, Xie MY, Zhang YL, Xue RY, Zhu XH, Yang H. Targeted deletion of Atoh8 results in severe hearing loss in mice. Genesis 2021; 59:e23442. [PMID: 34402594 PMCID: PMC9286369 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Atoh8, also named Math6, is a bHLH gene reported to have important functions in the developing nervous system, pancreas and kidney. However, the expression pattern and function of Atoh8 in the inner ear are still unclear. To study the function of Atoh8 in the developing mouse inner ear, we performed targeted deletion of Atoh8 by intercrossing Atoh8lacZ/+ mice. We studied the expression pattern of Atoh8 in the inner ear and found interesting results that Atoh8‐null (Atoh8lacZ/lacZ) mice were viable but smaller than their littermates and they were severely hearing impaired, which was confirmed by hearing tests (ABR, DPOAE). We collected 129 viable newborns from 18 litters by crossing Atoh8lacZ/+ mice and found that the distributions of Atoh8lacZ/+, Atoh8lacZ/lacZ and wild type were very close to their expected Mendelian ratio by χ2 testing. However, no remarkable morphological changes in cochleae in mutant mice were detected under plastic sectioning and electron microscopy. No remarkable differences in the expression of Myosin6, Prestin, TrkC, GAD65, Tuj1, or Calretinin were detected between the mutant mice and the control mice. These findings indicate that Atoh8 plays an important role in the development of normal hearing, while further studies are required to elucidate its exact function in hearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Yao Xie
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Li Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ruo-Yan Xue
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Translational Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Siddiqi F, Trakimas AL, Joseph DJ, Lippincott ML, Marsh ED, Wolfe JH. Islet1 Precursors Contribute to Mature Interneuron Subtypes in Mouse Neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5206-5224. [PMID: 34228108 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical interneurons (GABAergic cells) arise during embryogenesis primarily from the medial and caudal ganglionic eminences (MGE and CGE, respectively) with a small population generated from the preoptic area (POA). Progenitors from the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) are thought to only generate GABAergic medium spiny neurons that populate the striatum and project to the globus pallidus. Here, we report evidence that neuronal precursors that express the LGE-specific transcription factor Islet1 (Isl1) can give rise to a small population of cortical interneurons. Lineage tracing and homozygous deletion of Nkx2.1 in Isl1 fate-mapped mice showed that neighboring MGE/POA-specific Nkx2.1 cells and LGE-specific Isl1 cells make both common and distinct lineal contributions towards cortical interneuron fate. Although the majority of cells had overlapping transcriptional domains between Nkx2.1 and Isl1, a population of Isl1-only derived cells also contributed to the adult cerebral cortex. The data indicate that Isl1-derived cells may originate from both the LGE and the adjacent LGE/MGE boundary regions to generate diverse neuronal progeny. Thus, a small population of neocortical interneurons appear to originate from Isl-1-positive precursors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faez Siddiqi
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexandria L Trakimas
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Donald J Joseph
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Eric D Marsh
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John H Wolfe
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,W.F. Goodman Center for Comparative Medical Genetics, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Development of the vertebrate retinal direction-selective circuit. Dev Biol 2021; 477:273-283. [PMID: 34118273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina contains an array of neural circuits that detect distinct features in visual space. Direction-selective (DS) circuits are an evolutionarily conserved retinal circuit motif - from zebrafish to rodents to primates - specialized for motion detection. During retinal development, neuronal subtypes that wire DS circuits form exquisitely precise connections with each other to shape the output of retinal ganglion cells tuned for specific speeds and directions of motion. In this review, we follow the chronology of DS circuit development in the vertebrate retina, including the cellular, molecular, and activity-dependent mechanisms that regulate the formation of DS circuits, from cell birth and migration to synapse formation and refinement. We highlight recent findings that identify genetic programs critical for specifying neuronal subtypes within DS circuits and molecular interactions essential for responses along the cardinal axes of motion. Finally, we discuss the roles of DS circuits in visual behavior and in certain human visual disease conditions. As one of the best-characterized circuits in the vertebrate retina, DS circuits represent an ideal model system for studying the development of neural connectivity at the level of individual genes, cells, and behavior.
Collapse
|
20
|
Tkatchenko TV, Tkatchenko AV. Genome-wide analysis of retinal transcriptome reveals common genetic network underlying perception of contrast and optical defocus detection. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:153. [PMID: 34107987 PMCID: PMC8190860 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-01005-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Refractive eye development is regulated by optical defocus in a process of emmetropization. Excessive exposure to negative optical defocus often leads to the development of myopia. However, it is still largely unknown how optical defocus is detected by the retina. Methods Here, we used genome-wide RNA-sequencing to conduct analysis of the retinal gene expression network underlying contrast perception and refractive eye development. Results We report that the genetic network subserving contrast perception plays an important role in optical defocus detection and emmetropization. Our results demonstrate an interaction between contrast perception, the retinal circadian clock pathway and the signaling pathway underlying optical defocus detection. We also observe that the relative majority of genes causing human myopia are involved in the processing of optical defocus. Conclusions Together, our results support the hypothesis that optical defocus is perceived by the retina using contrast as a proxy and provide new insights into molecular signaling underlying refractive eye development. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-021-01005-x.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Research Annex Room 415, 635 W. 165th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wu M, Deng Q, Lei X, Du Y, Shen Y. Elavl2 Regulates Retinal Function Via Modulating the Differentiation of Amacrine Cells Subtype. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:1. [PMID: 34061953 PMCID: PMC8185395 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.7.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The neuronal ELAV-like proteins (nElavls; Elavl2, Elavl3, Elavl4) have been known to regulate neuronal differentiation, maintenance, and axonogenesis in the brain. However, the specific role of nElavls in retina remains unclear. Here, we attempted to identify the expression pattern of Elavl2 during retinogenesis and aimed to decipher the function of Elavl2 in the retina. Methods We have used the Cre-loxP system to conditionally inactivate Elavl2 in order to examine its role in developing retina. Eyes were collected for histology, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL analysis to identify the structure of retina, and examined by RNA sequencing to analyze the function and pathway enrichment of differentially expressed genes in transgenic mice. Moreover, the mechanism by which Elavl2 regulates the differentiation of amacrine cells (ACs) was explored by RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Finally, eyes were functionally assessed by whole-cell patch-clamp, electroretinography (ERG) and optomotor response. Results Elavl2 was expressed in retinal progenitor cells and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), ACs, and horizontal cells. Retina-specific ablation of Elavl2 led to the loss of ACs and the transcription factors involved in ACs differentiation were also downregulated. In addition, the spontaneous activities of RGCs were obviously increased in Elavl2-deficient mice. Meanwhile, the loss of ACs that induced by Elavl2 deficiency lead to a decrease in ERG responses and visual acuity. Conclusions Elavl2 is an intrinsic factor that involved in the differentiation of ACs subtype during retinogenesis, and essential for maintaining the normal retinal function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengjuan Wu
- Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qinqin Deng
- Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xinlan Lei
- Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuxin Du
- Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yin Shen
- Eye Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Dong X, Yang H, Zhou X, Xie X, Yu D, Guo L, Xu M, Zhang W, Liang G, Gan L. LIM-Homeodomain Transcription Factor LHX4 Is Required for the Differentiation of Retinal Rod Bipolar Cells and OFF-Cone Bipolar Subtypes. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108144. [PMID: 32937137 PMCID: PMC9245082 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal bipolar cells (BCs) connect with photoreceptors and relay visual information to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Retina-specific deletion of Lhx4 in mice results in a visual defect resembling human congenital stationary night blindness. This visual dysfunction results from the absence of rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and the loss of selective rod-connecting cone bipolar cell (CBC) subtypes and AII amacrine cells (ACs). Inactivation of Lhx4 causes the apoptosis of BCs and cell fate switch from some BCs to ACs, whereas Lhx4 overexpression promotes BC genesis. Moreover, Lhx4 positively regulates Lhx3 expression to drive the fate choice of type 2 BCs over the GABAergic ACs. Lhx4 inactivation ablates Bhlhe23 expression, whereas overexpression of Bhlhe23 partially rescues RBC development in the absence of Lhx4. Thus, by acting upstream of Bhlhe23, Prdm8, Fezf2, Lhx3, and other BC genes, Lhx4, together with Isl1, could play essential roles in regulating the subtype-specific development of RBCs and CBCs. Dong et al. show that the loss of Lhx4 in mice results in the loss of rod bipolar cells and rod-connecting bipolar cells and in a visual defect resembling human congenital stationary night blindness. Lhx4, together with Isl1, acts upstream of Bhlhe23, Prdm8, Fezf2, and Lhx3 to regulate bipolar cell development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangtian Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Dongliang Yu
- College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036, China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai 20003, China
| | - Guoqing Liang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036, China.
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Overexpression of Isl1 under the Pax2 Promoter, Leads to Impaired Sound Processing and Increased Inhibition in the Inferior Colliculus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094507. [PMID: 33925933 PMCID: PMC8123449 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The LIM homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 is essential for the different aspects of neuronal development and maintenance. In order to study the role of ISL1 in the auditory system, we generated a transgenic mouse (Tg) expressing Isl1 under the Pax2 promoter control. We previously reported a progressive age-related decline in hearing and abnormalities in the inner ear, medial olivocochlear system, and auditory midbrain of these Tg mice. In this study, we investigated how Isl1 overexpression affects sound processing by the neurons of the inferior colliculus (IC). We recorded extracellular neuronal activity and analyzed the responses of IC neurons to broadband noise, clicks, pure tones, two-tone stimulation and frequency-modulated sounds. We found that Tg animals showed a higher inhibition as displayed by two-tone stimulation; they exhibited a wider dynamic range, lower spontaneous firing rate, longer first spike latency and, in the processing of frequency modulated sounds, showed a prevalence of high-frequency inhibition. Functional changes were accompanied by a decreased number of calretinin and parvalbumin positive neurons, and an increased expression of vesicular GABA/glycine transporter and calbindin in the IC of Tg mice, compared to wild type animals. The results further characterize abnormal sound processing in the IC of Tg mice and demonstrate that major changes occur on the side of inhibition.
Collapse
|
24
|
Lauschke K, Volpini L, Liu Y, Vinggaard AM, Hall VJ. A Comparative Assessment of Marker Expression Between Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and the Developing Pig Heart. Stem Cells Dev 2021; 30:374-385. [PMID: 33599158 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2020.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The course of differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes and the intermediate cell types are characterized using molecular markers for different stages of development. These markers have been selected primarily from studies in the mouse and from a limited number of human studies. However, it is not clear how well mouse cardiogenesis compares with human cardiogenesis at the molecular level. We tackle this issue by analyzing and comparing the expression of common cardiomyogenesis markers [platelet-derived growth factor receptor, alpha polypeptide (PDGFR-α), fetal liver kinase 1 (FLK1), ISL1, NK2 homeobox 5 (NKX2.5), cardiac troponin T (CTNT), connexin43 (CX43), and myosin heavy chain 7 (MYHC-B)] in the developing pig heart at embryonic day (E)15, E16, E18, E20, E22, and E24 and in differentiating cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We found that porcine expression of the mesoderm marker FLK1 and the cardiac progenitor marker ISL1 was in line with our differentiating hiPSC and reported murine expression. The cardiac lineage marker NKX2.5 was expressed at almost all stages in the pig and hiPSC, with an earlier onset in the hiPSC compared with reported murine expression. Markers of immature cardiomyocytes, CTNT, and MYHC-B were consistently expressed throughout E16-E70 in the pig, which is comparable with mouse development, whereas the markers increased over time in the hiPSC. However, the commonly used mature cardiomyocyte marker, CX43, should be used with caution, as it was also expressed in the pig mesoderm, as well as hiPSC immature cardiomyocytes, while this has not been reported in mice. Based on our observations in the various species, we suggest to use FLK1/PDGFR-α for identifying cardiac mesoderm and ISL1/NKX2.5 for cardiac progenitors. Furthermore, a combination of two or more of the following, CTNT+/MYHC-B+/ISL1+ could mark immature cardiomyocytes and CTNT+/ISL1- mature cardiomyocytes. CX43 should be used together with sarcomeric proteins. This knowledge may help improving differentiation of hiPSC into more in vivo-like cardiac tissue in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Lauschke
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Luca Volpini
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Vanessa Jane Hall
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Brinkmeier ML, Bando H, Camarano AC, Fujio S, Yoshimoto K, de Souza FS, Camper SA. Rathke's cleft-like cysts arise from Isl1 deletion in murine pituitary progenitors. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:4501-4515. [PMID: 32453714 DOI: 10.1172/jci136745] [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: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor ISL1 is expressed in pituitary gland stem cells and the thyrotrope and gonadotrope lineages. Pituitary-specific Isl1 deletion causes hypopituitarism with increased stem cell apoptosis, reduced differentiation of thyrotropes and gonadotropes, and reduced body size. Conditional Isl1 deletion causes development of multiple Rathke's cleft-like cysts, with 100% penetrance. Foxa1 and Foxj1 are abnormally expressed in the pituitary gland and associated with a ciliogenic gene-expression program in the cysts. We confirmed expression of FOXA1, FOXJ1, and stem cell markers in human Rathke's cleft cyst tissue, but not craniopharyngiomas, which suggests these transcription factors are useful, pathological markers for diagnosis of Rathke's cleft cysts. These studies support a model whereby expression of ISL1 in pituitary progenitors drives differentiation into thyrotropes and gonadotropes and without it, activation of FOXA1 and FOXJ1 permits development of an oral epithelial cell fate with mucinous cysts. This pituitary-specific Isl1 mouse knockout sheds light on the etiology of Rathke's cleft cysts and the role of ISL1 in normal pituitary development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Brinkmeier
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Hironori Bando
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Adriana C Camarano
- Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology, and Neurosciences-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Pabellon IFIBYNE, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Shingo Fujio
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Neurosurgery, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Koji Yoshimoto
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Neurosurgery, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Flávio Sj de Souza
- Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology, and Neurosciences-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Pabellon IFIBYNE, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sally A Camper
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
LIM Homeobox 4 (lhx4) regulates retinal neural differentiation and visual function in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1977. [PMID: 33479361 PMCID: PMC7820405 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81211-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
LIM homeobox 4 (LHX4) is expressed in the photoreceptors (PRs) of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and bipolar cells (BCs) of the inner nuclear layer (INL) in mouse and chicken retina. It regulates the subtype-specific development of rod BCs and cone BCs in the mouse retina. However, no report has been published on its expression and function in the zebrafish retina. In this study, we assessed the expression of Lhx4 using in situ hybridization (ISH) technique and explored its role in zebrafish (Danio rerio) retinal development via morpholino (MO) technology. We found that the expression of lhx4 in the zebrafish retina begins 48 h post-fertilization (hpf) and is continuously expressed in the ONL and INL. A zebrafish model constructed with lhx4 knockdown in the eyes through vivo-MO revealed that: lhx4 knockdown inhibits the differentiation of Parvalbumin+ amacrine cells (ACs) and Rhodopsin+ rod photoreceptors (RPs), enhances the expression of visual system homeobox 2 (vsx2); and damages the responses of zebrafish to light stimulus, without affecting the differentiation of OFF-BCs and rod BCs, and apoptosis in the retina. These findings reveal that lhx4 regulates neural differentiation in the retina and visual function during zebrafish embryonic development.
Collapse
|
27
|
Pergner J, Vavrova A, Kozmikova I, Kozmik Z. Molecular Fingerprint of Amphioxus Frontal Eye Illuminates the Evolution of Homologous Cell Types in the Chordate Retina. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:705. [PMID: 32850825 PMCID: PMC7417673 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the vertebrate eye remains so far unresolved. Amphioxus frontal eye pigment cells and photoreceptors were proposed to be homologous to vertebrate photoreceptors and retinal pigmented epithelium, based on ultrastructural morphology and gene expression analysis in B. floridae. Here, we present comparative molecular data using two additional amphioxus species, a closely related B. lanceolatum, and the most divergent A. lucayanum. Taking advantage of a unique set of specific antibodies we characterized photoreceptors and putative interneurons of the frontal eye and investigated its neuronal circuitry. Our results corroborate generally conserved molecular fingerprint among cephalochordate species. Furthermore, we performed pharmacological perturbations and found that the Notch signaling pathway, a key regulator of retina development in vertebrates, is required for correct ratios among frontal eye cell types. In summary, our study provides a valuable insight into cell-type relationships in chordate visual organs and strengthens the previously proposed homology between amphioxus frontal eye and vertebrate eyes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Pergner
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Anna Vavrova
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Iryna Kozmikova
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Goodson NB, Kaufman MA, Park KU, Brzezinski JA. Simultaneous deletion of Prdm1 and Vsx2 enhancers in the retina alters photoreceptor and bipolar cell fate specification, yet differs from deleting both genes. Development 2020; 147:dev190272. [PMID: 32541005 PMCID: PMC10666920 DOI: 10.1242/dev.190272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor OTX2 is required for photoreceptor and bipolar cell formation in the retina. It directly activates the transcription factors Prdm1 and Vsx2 through cell type-specific enhancers. PRDM1 and VSX2 work in opposition, such that PRDM1 promotes photoreceptor fate and VSX2 bipolar cell fate. To determine how OTX2+ cell fates are regulated in mice, we deleted Prdm1 and Vsx2 or their cell type-specific enhancers simultaneously using a CRISPR/Cas9 in vivo retina electroporation strategy. Double gene or enhancer targeting effectively removed PRDM1 and VSX2 protein expression. However, double enhancer targeting favored bipolar fate outcomes, whereas double gene targeting favored photoreceptor fate. Both conditions generated excess amacrine cells. Combined, these fate changes suggest that photoreceptors are a default fate outcome in OTX2+ cells and that VSX2 must be present in a narrow temporal window to drive bipolar cell formation. Prdm1 and Vsx2 also appear to redundantly restrict the competence of OTX2+ cells, preventing amacrine cell formation. By taking a combinatorial deletion approach of both coding sequences and enhancers, our work provides new insights into the complex regulatory mechanisms that control cell fate choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Goodson
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael A Kaufman
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ko U Park
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Joseph A Brzezinski
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Prdm1 overexpression causes a photoreceptor fate-shift in nascent, but not mature, bipolar cells. Dev Biol 2020; 464:111-123. [PMID: 32562755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factors Prdm1 (Blimp1) and Vsx2 (Chx10) work downstream of Otx2 to regulate photoreceptor and bipolar cell fates in the developing retina. Mice that lack Vsx2 fail to form bipolar cells while Prdm1 mutants form excess bipolars at the direct expense of photoreceptors. Excess bipolars in Prdm1 mutants appear to derive from rods, suggesting that photoreceptor fate remains mutable for some time after cells become specified. Here we tested whether bipolar cell fate is also plastic during development. To do this, we created a system to conditionally misexpress Prdm1 at different stages of bipolar cell development. We found that Prdm1 blocks bipolar cell formation if expressed before the fate choice decision occurred. When we misexpressed Prdm1 just after the decision to become a bipolar cell was made, some cells were reprogrammed into photoreceptors. In contrast, Prdm1 misexpression in mature bipolar cells did not affect cell fate. We also provide evidence that sustained misexpression of Prdm1 was selectively toxic to photoreceptors. Our data show that bipolar fate is malleable, but only for a short temporal window following fate specification. Prdm1 and Vsx2 act by stabilizing photoreceptor and bipolar fates in developing OTX2+ cells of the retina.
Collapse
|
30
|
Jiang D, Burger CA, Casasent A, Albrecht NE, Li F, Samuel MA. Spatiotemporal gene expression patterns reveal molecular relatedness between retinal laminae. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:729-755. [PMID: 31609468 PMCID: PMC7147688 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In several areas of the central nervous system, neurons are regionally organized into groups or layers that carry out specific activities. In this form of patterning, neurons of distinct types localize their cell bodies to just one or a few of the layers within a structure. However, little is known about whether diverse neuron types within a lamina share molecular features that coordinate their organization. To begin to identify such candidates, we used the laminated murine retina to screen 92 lacZ reporter lines available through the Knockout Mouse Project. Thirty-two of these displayed reporter expression in restricted subsets of inner retina neurons. We then identified the spatiotemporal expression patterns of these genes at key developmental stages. This uncovered several that were heavily enriched in development but reduced in adulthood, including the transcriptional regulator Hmga1. An additional set of genes displayed maturation associated laminar enrichment. Among these, we identified Bbox1 as a novel gene that specifically labels all neurons in the ganglion cell layer but is largely excluded from otherwise molecularly similar neurons in the inner retina. Finally, we established Dbn1 as a new marker enriched in amacrines and Fmnl3 as a marker for subsets of αRGCs. Together, these data provide a spatiotemporal map for laminae-specific molecules and suggest that diverse neuron types within a lamina share coordinating molecular features that may inform their fate or function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danye Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Courtney A. Burger
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Anna Casasent
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Nicholas E. Albrecht
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Melanie A. Samuel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Leyva-Díaz E, Masoudi N, Serrano-Saiz E, Glenwinkel L, Hobert O. Brn3/POU-IV-type POU homeobox genes-Paradigmatic regulators of neuronal identity across phylogeny. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e374. [PMID: 32012462 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
One approach to understand the construction of complex systems is to investigate whether there are simple design principles that are commonly used in building such a system. In the context of nervous system development, one may ask whether the generation of its highly diverse sets of constituents, that is, distinct neuronal cell types, relies on genetic mechanisms that share specific common features. Specifically, are there common patterns in the function of regulatory genes across different neuron types and are those regulatory mechanisms not only used in different parts of one nervous system, but are they conserved across animal phylogeny? We address these questions here by focusing on one specific, highly conserved and well-studied regulatory factor, the POU homeodomain transcription factor UNC-86. Work over the last 30 years has revealed a common and paradigmatic theme of unc-86 function throughout most of the neuron types in which Caenorhabditis elegans unc-86 is expressed. Apart from its role in preventing lineage reiterations during development, UNC-86 operates in combination with distinct partner proteins to initiate and maintain terminal differentiation programs, by coregulating a vast array of functionally distinct identity determinants of specific neuron types. Mouse orthologs of unc-86, the Brn3 genes, have been shown to fulfill a similar function in initiating and maintaining neuronal identity in specific parts of the mouse brain and similar functions appear to be carried out by the sole Drosophila ortholog, Acj6. The terminal selector function of UNC-86 in many different neuron types provides a paradigm for neuronal identity regulation across phylogeny. This article is categorized under: Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Invertebrate Organogenesis > Worms Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: Regional Development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Leyva-Díaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Neda Masoudi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | | | - Lori Glenwinkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Nguyen-Ba-Charvet KT, Rebsam A. Neurogenesis and Specification of Retinal Ganglion Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020451. [PMID: 31936811 PMCID: PMC7014133 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Across all species, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the first retinal neurons generated during development, followed by the other retinal cell types. How are retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) able to produce these cell types in a specific and timely order? Here, we will review the different models of retinal neurogenesis proposed over the last decades as well as the extrinsic and intrinsic factors controlling it. We will then focus on the molecular mechanisms, especially the cascade of transcription factors that regulate, more specifically, RGC fate. We will also comment on the recent discovery that the ciliary marginal zone is a new stem cell niche in mice contributing to retinal neurogenesis, especially to the generation of ipsilateral RGCs. Furthermore, RGCs are composed of many different subtypes that are anatomically, physiologically, functionally, and molecularly defined. We will summarize the different classifications of RGC subtypes and will recapitulate the specification of some of them and describe how a genetic disease such as albinism affects neurogenesis, resulting in profound visual deficits.
Collapse
|
33
|
Islet1 and Brn3 Expression Pattern Study in Human Retina and hiPSC-Derived Retinal Organoid. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:8786396. [PMID: 31885629 PMCID: PMC6925930 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8786396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the dynamic Islet1 and Brn3 (POU4F) expression pattern in the human fetal retina and human-induced pluripotent stem cell- (hiPSC-) derived retinal organoid. Human fetal eyes from 8 to 27 fetal weeks (Fwks), human adult retina, hiPSC-derived retinal organoid from 7 to 31 differentiation weeks (Dwks), and rhesus adult retina were collected for cyrosectioning. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that Islet1 was expressed in retinal ganglion cells in the fetal retina, human adult retina, and retinal organoids. Unexpectedly, after Fwk 20, Brn3 expression gradually decreased in the fetal retina. In the midstage of development, Islet1 was detected in bipolar and developing horizontal cells. As the photoreceptor developed, the Islet1-positive cone precursors gradually became Islet1-negative/S-opsin-positive cones. This study highlights the distinguishing characteristics of Islet1 dynamic expression in human fetal retina development and proposes more concerns which should be taken regarding Brn3 as a cell-identifying marker in mature primate retina.
Collapse
|
34
|
Retinogenesis of the Human Fetal Retina: An Apical Polarity Perspective. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10120987. [PMID: 31795518 PMCID: PMC6947654 DOI: 10.3390/genes10120987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Crumbs complex has prominent roles in the control of apical cell polarity, in the coupling of cell density sensing to downstream cell signaling pathways, and in regulating junctional structures and cell adhesion. The Crumbs complex acts as a conductor orchestrating multiple downstream signaling pathways in epithelial and neuronal tissue development. These pathways lead to the regulation of cell size, cell fate, cell self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, migration, mitosis, and apoptosis. In retinogenesis, these are all pivotal processes with important roles for the Crumbs complex to maintain proper spatiotemporal cell processes. Loss of Crumbs function in the retina results in loss of the stratified appearance resulting in retinal degeneration and loss of visual function. In this review, we begin by discussing the physiology of vision. We continue by outlining the processes of retinogenesis and how well this is recapitulated between the human fetal retina and human embryonic stem cell (ESC) or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal organoids. Additionally, we discuss the functionality of in utero and preterm human fetal retina and the current level of functionality as detected in human stem cell-derived organoids. We discuss the roles of apical-basal cell polarity in retinogenesis with a focus on Leber congenital amaurosis which leads to blindness shortly after birth. Finally, we discuss Crumbs homolog (CRB)-based gene augmentation.
Collapse
|
35
|
Dong X, Xie X, Guo L, Xu J, Xu M, Liang G, Gan L. Generation and characterization of Lhx4 tdT reporter knock-in and Lhx4 loxP conditional knockout mice. Genesis 2019; 57:e23328. [PMID: 31313880 PMCID: PMC6995401 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
LHX4 is a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor essential for the development of spinal cord and pituitary gland. Mice with homozygous Lhx4-null mutation suffer early postnatal death from lung defect. In this study, to facilitate the research on Lhx4 function, we designed a targeting construct to generate two novel Lhx4 mouse lines: Lhx4 loxP conditional knockout and Lhx4 tdT reporter knock-in mice. Lhx4 tdT/+ , Lhx4 loxP/+ , and Lhx4 loxP/loxP were viable, fertile, and did not display any gross abnormalities. By breeding Lhx4 loxP line with Cre-expressing mice, the Exon 3 of Lhx4 was efficiently removed, resulting in a shift in the reading frame and the inactivation of Lhx4. The expression of tdTomato knock-in reporter recapitulated the endogenous LHX4 expression and was detected in the retina, spinal cord, pituitary gland, and hindbrain of Lhx4 tdT mice. Thus, Lhx4 tdT and Lhx4 loxP mouse lines provide valuable tools for unraveling the tissue-specific role of Lhx4 at postnatal stages in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiadong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Mei Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guoqing Liang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Kovács-Öller T, Szarka G, Ganczer A, Tengölics Á, Balogh B, Völgyi B. Expression of Ca 2+-Binding Buffer Proteins in the Human and Mouse Retinal Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2229. [PMID: 31067641 PMCID: PMC6539911 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+-binding buffer proteins (CaBPs) are widely expressed by various neurons throughout the central nervous system (CNS), including the retina. While the expression of CaBPs by photoreceptors, retinal interneurons and the output ganglion cells in the mammalian retina has been extensively studied, a general description is still missing due to the differences between species, developmental expression patterns and study-to-study discrepancies. Furthermore, CaBPs are occasionally located in a compartment-specific manner and two or more CaBPs can be expressed by the same neuron, thereby sharing the labor of Ca2+ buffering in the intracellular milieu. This article reviews this topic by providing a framework on CaBP functional expression by neurons of the mammalian retina with an emphasis on human and mouse retinas and the three most abundant and extensively studied buffer proteins: parvalbumin, calretinin and calbindin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Kovács-Öller
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Gergely Szarka
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Alma Ganczer
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Ádám Tengölics
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Boglárka Balogh
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Béla Völgyi
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Retinal Electrical Synapses Research Group, National Brain Research Program (NAP 2.0), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
- Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Goel M, Li T, Badea TC. Differential expression and subcellular localization of Copines in mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2245-2262. [PMID: 30866042 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Combinatorial expression of Brn3 transcription factors is required for the development of cell-specific morphologies in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The molecular mechanisms by which Brn3s regulate RGC type specific features are largely unexplored. We previously identified several members of the Copine (Cpne) family of molecules as potential targets of Brn3 transcription factors in the retina. We now use in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to characterize Copine expression in the postnatal and adult mouse retina. We find that Cpne5, 6, and 9 are expressed in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) in both amacrine cells and RGCs. Cpne4 expression is restricted to one amacrine cell population of the INL, but is specifically expressed in RGCs in the GCL. Cpne4 expression in RGCs is regulated by Brn3b both cell autonomously (in Brn3b+ RGCs) and cell nonautonomously (in Brn3b- RGCs). Copines exhibit a variety of subcellular distributions when overexpressed in tissue culture cells (HEK293), and can induce the formation of elongated processes reminiscent of neurites in these non-neuronal cells. Our results suggest that Copines might be involved in a combinatorial fashion in Brn3b-dependent specification of RGC types. Given their expression profile and previously proven role as Ca2+ sensors, they may participate in the morphogenetic processes that shape RGC dendrite and axon formation at early postnatal ages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manvi Goel
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tiansen Li
- Retinal Cell Biology & Degeneration Section, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tudor C Badea
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Mellough CB, Bauer R, Collin J, Dorgau B, Zerti D, Dolan DWP, Jones CM, Izuogu OG, Yu M, Hallam D, Steyn JS, White K, Steel DH, Santibanez-Koref M, Elliott DJ, Jackson MS, Lindsay S, Grellscheid S, Lako M. An integrated transcriptional analysis of the developing human retina. Development 2019; 146:146/2/dev169474. [PMID: 30696714 PMCID: PMC6361134 DOI: 10.1242/dev.169474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The scarcity of embryonic/foetal material as a resource for direct study means that there is still limited understanding of human retina development. Here, we present an integrated transcriptome analysis combined with immunohistochemistry in human eye and retinal samples from 4 to 19 post-conception weeks. This analysis reveals three developmental windows with specific gene expression patterns that informed the sequential emergence of retinal cell types and enabled identification of stage-specific cellular and biological processes, and transcriptional regulators. Each stage is characterised by a specific set of alternatively spliced transcripts that code for proteins involved in the formation of the photoreceptor connecting cilium, pre-mRNA splicing and epigenetic modifiers. Importantly, our data show that the transition from foetal to adult retina is characterised by a large increase in the percentage of mutually exclusive exons that code for proteins involved in photoreceptor maintenance. The circular RNA population is also defined and shown to increase during retinal development. Collectively, these data increase our understanding of human retinal development and the pre-mRNA splicing process, and help to identify new candidate disease genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carla B. Mellough
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK,Lions Eye Institute, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Roman Bauer
- School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE4 5TG, UK
| | - Joseph Collin
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Birthe Dorgau
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Darin Zerti
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - David W. P. Dolan
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Carl M. Jones
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Osagie G. Izuogu
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK,European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Min Yu
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Dean Hallam
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Jannetta S. Steyn
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Kathryn White
- EM Research Services, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK
| | - David H. Steel
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | | | - David J. Elliott
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Michael S. Jackson
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Susan Lindsay
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Sushma Grellscheid
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the early developmental origins of six ocular tissues: the cornea, lens, ciliary body, iris, neural retina, and retina pigment epithelium. Many of these tissue types are concurrently specified and undergo a complex set of morphogenetic movements that facilitate their structural interconnection. Within the context of vertebrate eye organogenesis, we also discuss the genetic hierarchies of transcription factors and signaling pathways that regulate growth, patterning, cell type specification and differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel B Miesfeld
- Department of Cell Biology & Human Anatomy, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Nadean L Brown
- Department of Cell Biology & Human Anatomy, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Pang JJ, Yang Z, Jacoby RA, Wu SM. Cone synapses in mammalian retinal rod bipolar cells. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1896-1909. [PMID: 29667170 PMCID: PMC6031453 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Some mammalian rod bipolar cells (RBCs) can receive excitatory chemical synaptic inputs from both rods and cones (DBCR2 ), but anatomical evidence for mammalian cone-RBC contacts has been sparse. We examined anatomical cone-RBC contacts using neurobiotin (NB) to visualize individual mouse cones and standard immuno-markers to identify RBCs, cone pedicles and synapses in mouse and baboon retinas. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) stained the basal membrane of all cone pedicles, and mouse cones were positive for red/green (R/G)-opsin, whereas baboon cones were positive for calbindin D-28k. All synapses in the outer plexiform layer were labeled for synaptic vesicle protein 2 (SV2) and PSD (postsynaptic density)-95, and those that coincided with PNA resided closest to bipolar cell somas. Cone-RBC synaptic contacts were identified by: (a) RBC dendrites deeply invaginating into the center of cone pedicles (invaginating synapses), (b) RBC dendritic spines intruding into the surface of cone pedicles (superficial synapses), and (c) PKCα immunoreactivity coinciding with synaptic marker SV2, PSD-95, mGluR6, G protein beta 5 or PNA at cone pedicles. One RBC could form 0-1 invaginating and 1-3 superficial contacts with cones. 20.7% and 38.9% of mouse RBCs contacted cones in the peripheral and central retina (p < .05, n = 14 samples), respectively, while 34.4% (peripheral) and 48.5% (central) of cones contacted RBCs (p > .05). In baboon retinas (n = 4 samples), cone-RBC contacts involved 12.2% of RBCs (n = 416 cells) and 22.5% of cones (n = 225 cells). This suggests that rod and cone signals in the ON pathway are integrated in some RBCs before reaching AII amacrine cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Jie Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Zhuo Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Roy A Jacoby
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Samuel M Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Xiao D, Jin K, Xiang M. Necessity and Sufficiency of Ldb1 in the Generation, Differentiation and Maintenance of Non-photoreceptor Cell Types During Retinal Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:271. [PMID: 30127719 PMCID: PMC6087769 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
During mammalian retinal development, the multipotent progenitors differentiate into all classes of retinal cells under the delicate control of transcriptional factors. The deficiency of a transcription cofactor, the LIM-domain binding protein Ldb1, has been shown to cause proliferation and developmental defects in multiple tissues including cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nervous systems; however, it remains unclear whether and how it regulates retinal development. By expression profiling, RNA in situ hybridization and immunostaining, here we show that Ldb1 is expressed in the progenitors during early retinal development, but later its expression gradually shifts to non-photoreceptor cell types including bipolar, amacrine, horizontal, ganglion, and Müller glial cells. Retina-specific ablation of Ldb1 in mice resulted in microphthalmia, optic nerve hypoplasia, retinal thinning and detachment, and profound vision impairment as determined by electroretinography. In the mutant retina, there was precocious differentiation of amacrine and horizontal cells, indicating a requirement of Ldb1 in maintaining the retinal progenitor pool. Additionally, all non-photoreceptor cell types were greatly reduced which appeared to be caused by a generation defect and/or retinal degeneration via excessive cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we showed that misexpressed Ldb1 was sufficient to promote the generation of bipolar, amacrine, horizontal, ganglion, and Müller glial cells at the expense of photoreceptors. Together, these results demonstrate that Ldb1 is not only necessary but also sufficient for the development and/or maintenance of non-photoreceptor cell types, and implicate that the pleiotropic functions of Ldb1 during retinal development are context-dependent and determined by its interaction with diverse LIM-HD (LIM-homeodomain) and LMO (LIM domain-only) binding protein partners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Muzyka VV, Brooks M, Badea TC. Postnatal developmental dynamics of cell type specification genes in Brn3a/Pou4f1 Retinal Ganglion Cells. Neural Dev 2018; 13:15. [PMID: 29958540 PMCID: PMC6025728 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-018-0110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 20-30 distinct Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) types transmit visual information from the retina to the brain. The developmental mechanisms by which RGCs are specified are still largely unknown. Brn3a is a member of the Brn3/Pou4f transcription factor family, which contains key regulators of RGC postmitotic specification. In particular, Brn3a ablation results in the loss of RGCs with small, thick and dense dendritic arbors ('midget-like' RGCs), and morphological changes in other RGC subpopulations. To identify downstream molecular mechanisms underlying Brn3a effects on RGC numbers and morphology, our group recently performed a RNA deep sequencing screen for Brn3a transcriptional targets in mouse RGCs and identified 180 candidate transcripts. METHODS We now focus on a subset of 28 candidate genes encoding potential cell type determinant proteins. We validate and further define their retinal expression profile at five postnatal developmental time points between birth and adult stage, using in situ hybridization (ISH), RT-PCR and fluorescent immunodetection (IIF). RESULTS We find that a majority of candidate genes are enriched in the ganglion cell layer during early stages of postnatal development, but dynamically change their expression profile. We also document transcript-specific expression differences for two example candidates, using RT-PCR and ISH. Brn3a dependency could be confirmed by ISH and IIF only for a fraction of our candidates. CONCLUSIONS Amongst our candidate Brn3a target genes, a majority demonstrated ganglion cell layer specificity, however only around two thirds showed Brn3a dependency. Some were previously implicated in RGC type specification, while others have known physiological functions in RGCs. Only three genes were found to be consistently regulated by Brn3a throughout postnatal retina development - Mapk10, Tusc5 and Cdh4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Brooks
- Genomics Core, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, NIH, Building 6, Room 331B Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0610, USA
| | - Tudor Constantin Badea
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Building 6, Room 331B Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0610, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Kautzman AG, Keeley PW, Borhanian S, Ackley CR, Reese BE. Genetic Control of Rod Bipolar Cell Number in the Mouse Retina. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:285. [PMID: 29867309 PMCID: PMC5954209 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants modulate the numbers of various retinal cell types in mice. For instance, there is minimal variation in the number of rod bipolar cells (RBCs) in two inbred strains of mice (A/J and C57BL/6J), yet their F1 offspring contain significantly more RBCs than either parental strain. To investigate the genetic source of this variation, we mapped the variation in the number of RBCs across 24 genetically distinct recombinant inbred (RI) strains (the AXB/BXA strain-set), seeking to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL). We then sought to identify candidate genes and potential casual variants at those genomic loci. Variation in RBC number mapped to three genomic loci, each modulating cell number in excess of one-third of the range observed across the RI strains. At each of these loci, we identified candidate genes containing variants that might alter gene function or expression. The latter genes were also analyzed using a transcriptome database, revealing a subset for which expression correlated with variation in RBC number. Using an electroporation strategy, we demonstrate that early postnatal expression of one of them, Ggct (gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase), modulates bipolar cell number. We identify candidate regulatory variants for this gene, finding a large structural variant (SV) in the putative promoter that reduces expression using a luciferase assay. This SV reducing Ggct expression in vitro is likely the causal variant within the gene associated with the variation in Ggct expression in vivo, implicating it as a quantitative trait variant (QTV) participating in the control of RBC number.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Kautzman
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Patrick W Keeley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Sarra Borhanian
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Caroline R Ackley
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Benjamin E Reese
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Xu M, Xie X, Dong X, Liang G, Gan L. Generation and characterization of Lhx3 GFP reporter knockin and Lhx3 loxP conditional knockout mice. Genesis 2018; 56:e23098. [PMID: 29508544 PMCID: PMC5908734 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
LHX3, a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor, is broadly expressed in the developing pituitary, spinal cord, medulla, retina and inner ear, and plays essential roles during embryonic development. Mice with homozygous Lhx3 null mutation exhibit failure in the formation of pituitary gland and die perinatally. To facilitate the functional study of Lhx3 in mice, we engineered and characterized two novel Lhx3 mouse strains: Lhx3GFP reporter knock-in and Lhx3loxP conditional knockout mice. Coimmunolabeling of LHX3 and GFP shows that the expression pattern of the knock-in GFP reporter recapitulates that of endogenous LHX3 in cochlea, vestibule, retina, and spinal cord. By crossing Lhx3loxP mice with the ubiquitous CMV-Cre mice, we have demonstrated a high efficiency of Cre recombinase-mediated removal of exons 3 to 5 of Lhx3, which encode the second LIM-domain and the HD domain of LHX3, resulting global knockout of Lhx3. Thus, Lhx3GFP and Lhx3loxP mice serve as valuable genetic tools to dissect the tissue-specific roles of Lhx3 at late-gestation and postnatal stages in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Xu
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Xuhui Dong
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Guoqing Liang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310036, China
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Abstract
The retina shares its embryological origin with the central nervous system (CNS), so the neural circuitry of the retina has long been considered to be a relatively simple model of the neural networks in the brain, sharing similar morphologies, neurotransmitters, and receptors. Amacrine cells are, by far, the largest group of inhibitory neurons in the retina that also have the most diverse range of phenotypes of any retinal neuron. Here, I describe an approach, using immunolabeling of cryosections, to identify different subclasses of amacrine cell in the mouse retina.
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhang C, Yu WQ, Hoshino A, Huang J, Rieke F, Reh TA, Wong ROL. Development of ON and OFF cholinergic amacrine cells in the human fetal retina. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:174-186. [PMID: 29405294 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expressing retinal amacrine cells are present across vertebrates. These interneurons play important roles in the development of retinal projections to the brain and in motion detection, specifically in generating direction-selective responses to moving stimuli. ChAT amacrine cells typically comprise two spatially segregated populations that form circuits in the 'ON' or 'OFF' synaptic layers of the inner retina. This stereotypic arrangement is also found across the adult human retina, with the notable exception that ChAT expression is evident in the ON but not OFF layer of the fovea, a region specialized for high-acuity vision. We thus investigated whether the human fovea exhibits a developmental path for ON and OFF ChAT cells that is retinal location-specific. Our analysis shows that at each retinal location, human ON and OFF ChAT cells differentiate, form their separate synaptic layers, and establish non-random mosaics at about the same time. However, unlike in the adult fovea, ChAT immunostaining is initially robust in both ON and OFF populations, up until at least mid-gestation. ChAT expression in the OFF layer in the fovea is therefore significantly reduced after mid-gestation. OFF ChAT cells in the human fovea and in the retinal periphery thus follow distinct maturational paths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Wan-Qing Yu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Akina Hoshino
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Thomas A Reh
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Rachel O L Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Fairchild CL, Hino K, Han JS, Miltner AM, Peinado Allina G, Brown CE, Burns ME, La Torre A, Simó S. RBX2 maintains final retinal cell position in a DAB1-dependent and -independent fashion. Development 2018; 145:dev.155283. [PMID: 29361558 DOI: 10.1242/dev.155283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The laminated structure of the retina is fundamental for the organization of the synaptic circuitry that translates light input into patterns of action potentials. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cell migration and layering of the retina are poorly understood. Here, we show that RBX2, a core component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase CRL5, is essential for retinal layering and function. RBX2 regulates the final cell position of rod bipolar cells, cone photoreceptors and Muller glia. Our data indicate that sustained RELN/DAB1 signaling, triggered by depletion of RBX2 or SOCS7 - a CRL5 substrate adaptor known to recruit DAB1 - causes rod bipolar cell misposition. Moreover, whereas SOCS7 also controls Muller glia cell lamination, it is not responsible for cone photoreceptor positioning, suggesting that RBX2, most likely through CRL5 activity, controls other signaling pathways required for proper cone localization. Furthermore, RBX2 depletion reduces the number of ribbon synapses and disrupts cone photoreceptor function. Together, these results uncover RBX2 as a crucial molecular regulator of retina morphogenesis and cone photoreceptor function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corinne L Fairchild
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Keiko Hino
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jisoo S Han
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Adam M Miltner
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gabriel Peinado Allina
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Caileigh E Brown
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marie E Burns
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Anna La Torre
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sergi Simó
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Tahara N, Akiyama R, Theisen JWM, Kawakami H, Wong J, Garry DJ, Kawakami Y. Gata6 restricts Isl1 to the posterior of nascent hindlimb buds through Isl1 cis-regulatory modules. Dev Biol 2018; 434:74-83. [PMID: 29197504 PMCID: PMC5785445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Isl1 is required for two processes during hindlimb development: initiation of the processes directing hindlimb development in the lateral plate mesoderm and configuring posterior hindlimb field in the nascent hindlimb buds. During these processes, Isl1 expression is restricted to the posterior mesenchyme of hindlimb buds. How this dynamic change in Isl1 expression is regulated remains unknown. We found that two evolutionarily conserved sequences, located 3' to the Isl1 gene, regulate LacZ transgene expression in the hindlimb-forming region in mouse embryos. Both sequences contain GATA binding motifs, and expression pattern analysis identified that Gata6 is expressed in the flank and the anterior portion of nascent hindlimb buds. Recent studies have shown that conditional inactivation of Gata6 in mice causes hindlimb-specific pre-axial polydactyly, indicating a role of Gata6 in anterior-posterior patterning of hindlimbs. We studied whether Gata6 restricts Isl1 in the nascent hindlimb bud through the cis-regulatory modules. In vitro experiments demonstrate that GATA6 binds to the conserved GATA motifs in the cis-regulatory modules. GATA6 repressed expression of a luciferase reporter that contains the cis-regulatory modules by synergizing with Zfpm2. Analyses of Gata6 mutant embryos showed that ISL1 levels are higher in the anterior of nascent hindlimb buds than in wild type. Moreover, we detected a greater number of Isl1-transcribing cells in the anterior of nascent hindlimb buds in Gata6 mutants. Our results support a model in which Gata6 contributes to repression of Isl1 expression in the anterior of nascent hindlimb buds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Tahara
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Ryutaro Akiyama
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Joshua W M Theisen
- Lillehei Heart Institute Regenerative Medicine and Sciences Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Hiroko Kawakami
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Julia Wong
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Daniel J Garry
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Lillehei Heart Institute Regenerative Medicine and Sciences Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Yasuhiko Kawakami
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Blixt MKE, Konjusha D, Ring H, Hallböök F. Zinc finger gene nolz1 regulates the formation of retinal progenitor cells and suppresses the Lim3/Lhx3 phenotype of retinal bipolar cells in chicken retina. Dev Dyn 2017; 247:630-641. [PMID: 29139167 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The zinc-finger transcription factor Nolz1 regulates spinal cord neuron development by interacting with the transcription factors Isl1, Lim1, and Lim3, which are also important for photoreceptors, horizontal and bipolar cells during retinal development. We, therefore, studied Nolz1 during retinal development. RESULTS Nolz1 expression was seen in two waves during development: one early (peak at embryonic day 3-4.5) in retinal progenitors and one late (embryonic day 8) in newly differentiated cells in the inner nuclear layer. Overexpression and knockdown showed that Nolz1 decreases proliferation and stimulates cell cycle withdrawal in retinal progenitors with effects on the generation of retinal ganglion cells, photoreceptors, and horizontal cells without triggering apoptosis. Overexpression of Nolz1 gave more p27 positive cells. Sustained overexpression of Nolz1 in the retina gave fewer Lim3/Lhx3 bipolar cells. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Nolz1 has multiple functions during development and suggest a mechanism in which Nolz1 initially regulates the proliferation state of the retinal progenitor cells and then acts as a repressor that suppresses the Lim3/Lhx3 bipolar cell phenotype at the time of bipolar cell differentiation. Developmental Dynamics 247:630-641, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria K E Blixt
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dardan Konjusha
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Henrik Ring
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Finn Hallböök
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Goodson NB, Nahreini J, Randazzo G, Uruena A, Johnson JE, Brzezinski JA. Prdm13 is required for Ebf3+ amacrine cell formation in the retina. Dev Biol 2017; 434:149-163. [PMID: 29258872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Amacrine interneurons play a critical role in the processing of visual signals within the retina. They are highly diverse, representing 30 or more distinct subtypes. Little is known about how amacrine subtypes acquire their unique gene expression and morphological features. We characterized the gene expression pattern of the zinc-finger transcription factor Prdm13 in the mouse. Consistent with a developmental role, Prdm13 was expressed by Ptf1a+ amacrine and horizontal precursors. Over time, Prdm13 expression diverged from the transiently expressed Ptf1a and marked just a subset of amacrine cells in the adult retina. While heterogeneous, we show that most of these Prdm13+ amacrine cells express the transcription factor Ebf3 and the calcium binding protein calretinin. Loss of Prdm13 did not affect the number of amacrine cells formed during development. However, we observed a modest loss of amacrine cells and increased apoptosis that correlated with the onset timing of Ebf3 expression. Adult Prdm13 loss-of-function mice had 25% fewer amacrine cells, altered calretinin expression, and a lack of Ebf3+ amacrines. Forcing Prdm13 expression in retinal progenitor cells did not significantly increase amacrine cell formation, Ebf3 or calretinin expression, and appeared detrimental to the survival of photoreceptors. Our data show that Prdm13 is not required for amacrine fate as a class, but is essential for the formation of Ebf3+ amacrine cell subtypes. Rather than driving subtype identity, Prdm13 may act by restricting competing fate programs to maintain identity and survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Goodson
- University of Colorado Denver, Department of Ophthalmology, United States; University of Colorado Denver, Neuroscience Graduate Program, United States
| | - Jhenya Nahreini
- University of Colorado Denver, Department of Ophthalmology, United States
| | - Grace Randazzo
- University of Colorado Denver, Department of Ophthalmology, United States
| | - Ana Uruena
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience, United States
| | - Jane E Johnson
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|