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Kann MR, Ackerman MK, Ackerman SD. OptoChamber: A Low-cost, Easy-to-Make, Customizable, and Multi-Chambered Electronic Device for Applying Optogenetic Stimulation to Larval Drosophila melanogaster. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001082. [PMID: 38681674 PMCID: PMC11056014 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Optogenetics is a powerful tool used to manipulate physiological processes in animals through cell-specific expression of genetically modified channelrhodopsins. In Drosophila melanogaster, optogenetics is frequently used for temporal control of neuronal activation or silencing through light-dependent actuation of cation and anion channelrhodopsins, respectively. The high setup costs and complexity associated with commercially available optogenetic systems prevents many investigators from exploring the use of this technology. We developed a low-cost, customizable, and easy-to-make optogenetics chamber (OptoChamber) and verified its functionality in a robust cellular assay: activity-dependent remodeling of larval motor neurons in Drosophila embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ryan Kann
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Brian Immunology & Glia (BIG) Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | | | - Sarah D. Ackerman
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Brian Immunology & Glia (BIG) Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States
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El Hajj R, Al Sagheer T, Ballout N. Optogenetics in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, controlling the brain with light: A systematic review. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25321. [PMID: 38588013 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25321] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive disorders characterized by synaptic loss and neuronal death. Optogenetics combines optical and genetic methods to control the activity of specific cell types. The efficacy of this approach in neurodegenerative diseases has been investigated in many reviews, however, none of them tackled it systematically. Our study aimed to review systematically the findings of optogenetics and its potential applications in animal models of chronic neurodegenerative diseases and compare it with deep brain stimulation and designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs techniques. The search strategy was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines and the risk of bias was assessed following the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation tool. A total of 247 articles were found, of which 53 were suitable for the qualitative analysis. Our data revealed that optogenetic manipulation of distinct neurons in the brain is efficient in rescuing memory impairment, alleviating neuroinflammation, and reducing plaque pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, this technique shows an advanced understanding of the contribution of various neurons involved in the basal ganglia pathways with Parkinson's disease motor symptoms and pathology. However, the optogenetic application using animal models of Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was limited. Optogenetics is a promising technique that enhanced our knowledge in the research of neurodegenerative diseases and addressed potential therapeutic solutions for managing these diseases' symptoms and delaying their progression. Nevertheless, advanced investigations should be considered to improve optogenetic tools' efficacy and safety to pave the way for their translatability to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rojine El Hajj
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Tareq Al Sagheer
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Nissrine Ballout
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
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Chia K, Klingseisen A, Sieger D, Priller J. Zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:940484. [PMID: 36311026 PMCID: PMC9606821 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.940484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly recognized as a model organism for translational research into human neuropathology. The zebrafish brain exhibits fundamental resemblance with human neuroanatomical and neurochemical pathways, and hallmarks of human brain pathology such as protein aggregation, neuronal degeneration and activation of glial cells, for example, can be modeled and recapitulated in the fish central nervous system. Genetic manipulation, imaging, and drug screening are areas where zebrafish excel with the ease of introducing mutations and transgenes, the expression of fluorescent markers that can be detected in vivo in the transparent larval stages overtime, and simple treatment of large numbers of fish larvae at once followed by automated screening and imaging. In this review, we summarize how zebrafish have successfully been employed to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of choosing zebrafish as a model for these neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelda Chia
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Klingseisen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Sieger
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Dirk Sieger,
| | - Josef Priller
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, DZNE, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Josef Priller,
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Emerging Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in Neurodevelopment. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10020023. [PMID: 35735914 PMCID: PMC9224834 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) are generated by a relatively small pool of neural stem cells during early development. Spatial and temporal regulation of stem cell behavior relies on precise coordination of gene expression. Well-studied mechanisms include hormone signaling, transcription factor activity, and chromatin remodeling processes. Much less is known about downstream RNA-dependent mechanisms including posttranscriptional regulation, nuclear export, alternative splicing, and transcript stability. These important functions are carried out by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Recent work has begun to explore how RBPs contribute to stem cell function and homeostasis, including their role in metabolism, transport, epigenetic regulation, and turnover of target transcripts. Additional layers of complexity are provided by the different target recognition mechanisms of each RBP as well as the posttranslational modifications of the RBPs themselves that alter function. Altogether, these functions allow RBPs to influence various aspects of RNA metabolism to regulate numerous cellular processes. Here we compile advances in RNA biology that have added to our still limited understanding of the role of RBPs in neurodevelopment.
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Chen W, Li C, Liang W, Li Y, Zou Z, Xie Y, Liao Y, Yu L, Lin Q, Huang M, Li Z, Zhu X. The Roles of Optogenetics and Technology in Neurobiology: A Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:867863. [PMID: 35517048 PMCID: PMC9063564 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.867863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic is a technique that combines optics and genetics to control specific neurons. This technique usually uses adenoviruses that encode photosensitive protein. The adenovirus may concentrate in a specific neural region. By shining light on the target nerve region, the photosensitive protein encoded by the adenovirus is controlled. Photosensitive proteins controlled by light can selectively allow ions inside and outside the cell membrane to pass through, resulting in inhibition or activation effects. Due to the high precision and minimally invasive, optogenetics has achieved good results in many fields, especially in the field of neuron functions and neural circuits. Significant advances have also been made in the study of many clinical diseases. This review focuses on the research of optogenetics in the field of neurobiology. These include how to use optogenetics to control nerve cells, study neural circuits, and treat diseases by changing the state of neurons. We hoped that this review will give a comprehensive understanding of the progress of optogenetics in the field of neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wanmin Liang
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yunqi Li
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhuoheng Zou
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yunxuan Xie
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yangzeng Liao
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Lin Yu
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Qianyi Lin
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Meiying Huang
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zesong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Tumor, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhu’s Team, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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Varela M, Meijer AH. A fresh look at mycobacterial pathogenicity with the zebrafish host model. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:661-669. [PMID: 34714579 PMCID: PMC9297993 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish has earned its place among animal models to study tuberculosis and other infections caused by pathogenic mycobacteria. This model host is especially useful to study the role of granulomas, the inflammatory lesions characteristic of mycobacterial disease. The optically transparent zebrafish larvae provide a window on the initial stages of granuloma development in the context of innate immunity. Application of fluorescent dyes and transgenic markers enabled real-time visualization of how innate immune mechanisms, such as autophagy and inflammasomes, are activated in infected macrophages and how propagating calcium signals drive communication between macrophages during granuloma formation. A combination of imaging, genetic, and chemical approaches has revealed that the interplay between macrophages and mycobacteria is the main driver of tissue dissemination and granuloma development, while neutrophils have a protective function in early granulomas. Different chemokine signaling axes, conserved between humans and zebrafish, have been shown to recruit macrophages permissive to mycobacterial growth, control their microbicidal capacity, drive their spreading and aggregation, and mediate granuloma vascularization. Finally, zebrafish larvae are now exploited to explore cell death processes, emerging as crucial factors in granuloma expansion. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the understanding of mycobacterial pathogenesis contributed by zebrafish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Varela
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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