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Hu Y, Tao W. Current perspectives on microglia-neuron communication in the central nervous system: Direct and indirect modes of interaction. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00006-7. [PMID: 38195039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.01.006] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incessant communication that takes place between microglia and neurons is essential the development, maintenance, and pathogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS). As mobile phagocytic cells, microglia serve a critical role in surveilling and scavenging the neuronal milieu to uphold homeostasis. AIM OF REVIEW This review aims to discuss the various mechanisms that govern the interaction between microglia and neurons, from the molecular to the organ system level, and to highlight the importance of these interactions in the development, maintenance, and pathogenesis of the CNS. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW Recent research has revealed that microglia-neuron interaction is vital for regulating fundamental neuronal functions, such as synaptic pruning, axonal remodeling, and neurogenesis. The review will elucidate the intricate signaling pathways involved in these interactions, both direct and indirect, to provide a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of brain function. Furthermore, gaining insights into these signals could lead to the development of innovative therapies for neural disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, and National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 220023, China; School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Weiwei Tao
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, and National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 220023, China; School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Fienko S, Landles C, Sathasivam K, McAteer SJ, Milton RE, Osborne GF, Smith EJ, Jones ST, Bondulich MK, Danby ECE, Phillips J, Taxy BA, Kordasiewicz HB, Bates GP. Alternative processing of human HTT mRNA with implications for Huntington's disease therapeutics. Brain 2022; 145:4409-4424. [PMID: 35793238 PMCID: PMC9762945 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT) that is translated into a polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin protein (HTT). We previously showed that HTT mRNA carrying an expanded CAG repeat was incompletely spliced to generate HTT1a, an exon 1 only transcript, which was translated to produce the highly aggregation-prone and pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. This occurred in all knock-in mouse models of Huntington's disease and could be detected in patient cell lines and post-mortem brains. To extend these findings to a model system expressing human HTT, we took advantage of YAC128 mice that are transgenic for a yeast artificial chromosome carrying human HTT with an expanded CAG repeat. We discovered that the HTT1a transcript could be detected throughout the brains of YAC128 mice. We implemented RNAscope to visualize HTT transcripts at the single molecule level and found that full-length HTT and HTT1a were retained together in large nuclear RNA clusters, as well as being present as single transcripts in the cytoplasm. Homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis demonstrated that the HTT1a transcript had been translated to produce the exon 1 HTT protein. The levels of exon 1 HTT in YAC128 mice, correlated with HTT aggregation, supportive of the hypothesis that exon 1 HTT initiates the aggregation process. Huntingtin-lowering strategies are a major focus of therapeutic development for Huntington's disease. These approaches often target full-length HTT alone and would not be expected to reduce pathogenic exon 1 HTT levels. We have established YAC128 mouse embryonic fibroblast lines and shown that, together with our QuantiGene multiplex assay, these provide an effective screening tool for agents that target HTT transcripts. The effects of current targeting strategies on nuclear RNA clusters are unknown, structures that may have a pathogenic role or alternatively could be protective by retaining HTT1a in the nucleus and preventing it from being translated. In light of recently halted antisense oligonucleotide trials, it is vital that agents targeting HTT1a are developed, and that the effects of HTT-lowering strategies on the subcellular levels of all HTT transcripts and their various HTT protein isoforms are understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fienko
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christian Landles
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sean J McAteer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Samuel T Jones
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Emily C E Danby
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jemima Phillips
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Bressan C, Saghatelyan A. Intrinsic Mechanisms Regulating Neuronal Migration in the Postnatal Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 14:620379. [PMID: 33519385 PMCID: PMC7838331 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.620379] [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: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal migration is a fundamental brain development process that allows cells to move from their birthplaces to their sites of integration. Although neuronal migration largely ceases during embryonic and early postnatal development, neuroblasts continue to be produced and to migrate to a few regions of the adult brain such as the dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone (SVZ). In the SVZ, a large number of neuroblasts migrate into the olfactory bulb (OB) along the rostral migratory stream (RMS). Neuroblasts migrate in chains in a tightly organized micro-environment composed of astrocytes that ensheath the chains of neuroblasts and regulate their migration; the blood vessels that are used by neuroblasts as a physical scaffold and a source of molecular factors; and axons that modulate neuronal migration. In addition to diverse sets of extrinsic micro-environmental cues, long-distance neuronal migration involves a number of intrinsic mechanisms, including membrane and cytoskeleton remodeling, Ca2+ signaling, mitochondria dynamics, energy consumption, and autophagy. All these mechanisms are required to cope with the different micro-environment signals and maintain cellular homeostasis in order to sustain the proper dynamics of migrating neuroblasts and their faithful arrival in the target regions. Neuroblasts in the postnatal brain not only migrate into the OB but may also deviate from their normal path to migrate to a site of injury induced by a stroke or by certain neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we will focus on the intrinsic mechanisms that regulate long-distance neuroblast migration in the adult brain and on how these pathways may be modulated to control the recruitment of neuroblasts to damaged/diseased brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Bressan
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Armen Saghatelyan
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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hiPSCs for predictive modelling of neurodegenerative diseases: dreaming the possible. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:381-392. [PMID: 33658662 PMCID: PMC7928200 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00465-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were first generated in 2007, but the full translational potential of this valuable tool has yet to be realized. The potential applications of hiPSCs are especially relevant to neurology, as brain cells from patients are rarely available for research. hiPSCs from individuals with neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative diseases have facilitated biological and multi-omics studies as well as large-scale screening of chemical libraries. However, researchers are struggling to improve the scalability, reproducibility and quality of this descriptive disease modelling. Addressing these limitations will be the first step towards a new era in hiPSC research - that of predictive disease modelling - involving the correlation and integration of in vitro experimental data with longitudinal clinical data. This approach is a key element of the emerging precision medicine paradigm, in which hiPSCs could become a powerful diagnostic and prognostic tool. Here, we consider the steps necessary to achieve predictive modelling of neurodegenerative disease with hiPSCs, using Huntington disease as an example.
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Wu Z, Parry M, Hou XY, Liu MH, Wang H, Cain R, Pei ZF, Chen YC, Guo ZY, Abhijeet S, Chen G. Gene therapy conversion of striatal astrocytes into GABAergic neurons in mouse models of Huntington's disease. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1105. [PMID: 32107381 PMCID: PMC7046613 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14855-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by Huntingtin (Htt) gene mutation resulting in the loss of striatal GABAergic neurons and motor functional deficits. We report here an in vivo cell conversion technology to reprogram striatal astrocytes into GABAergic neurons in both R6/2 and YAC128 HD mouse models through AAV-mediated ectopic expression of NeuroD1 and Dlx2 transcription factors. We found that the astrocyte-to-neuron (AtN) conversion rate reached 80% in the striatum and >50% of the converted neurons were DARPP32+ medium spiny neurons. The striatal astrocyte-converted neurons showed action potentials and synaptic events, and projected their axons to the targeted globus pallidus and substantia nigra in a time-dependent manner. Behavioral analyses found that NeuroD1 and Dlx2-treated R6/2 mice showed a significant extension of life span and improvement of motor functions. This study demonstrates that in vivo AtN conversion may be a disease-modifying gene therapy to treat HD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wu
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Matthew Parry
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xiao-Yi Hou
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Min-Hui Liu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rachel Cain
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zi-Fei Pei
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zi-Yuan Guo
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sambangi Abhijeet
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Siracusa R, Fusco R, Cuzzocrea S. Astrocytes: Role and Functions in Brain Pathologies. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1114. [PMID: 31611796 PMCID: PMC6777416 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are a population of cells with distinctive morphological and functional characteristics that differ within specific areas of the brain. Postnatally, astrocyte progenitors migrate to reach their brain area and related properties. They have a regulatory role of brain functions that are implicated in neurogenesis and synaptogenesis, controlling blood-brain barrier permeability and maintaining extracellular homeostasis. Mature astrocytes also express some genes enriched in cell progenitors, suggesting they can retain proliferative potential. Considering heterogeneity of cell population, it is not surprising that their disorders are related to a wide range of different neuro-pathologies. Brain diseases are characterized by the active inflammatory state of the astrocytes, which is usually described as up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In particular, the loss of astrocytes function as a result of cellular senescence could have implications for the neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer disease and Huntington disease, and for the aging brain. Astrocytes can also drive the induction and the progression of the inflammatory state due to their Ca2+ signals and that it is strongly related to the disease severity/state. Moreover, they contribute to the altered neuronal activity in several frontal cortex pathologies such as ischemic stroke and epilepsy. There, we describe the current knowledge pertaining to astrocytes' role in brain pathologies and discuss the possibilities to target them as approach toward pharmacological therapies for neuro-pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalba Siracusa
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Fusco
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.,Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
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