Deletion of p75NTR impairs regeneration of peripheral nerves in mice

Strain-induced bands of Büngner formation promotes axon growth in 3D tissue-engineered constructs

Treatment of peripheral nerve lesions remains a major challenge due to poor functional recovery; hence, ongoing research efforts strive to enhance peripheral nerve repair. In this study, we aimed to establish three-dimensional tissue-engineered bands of Büngner constructs by subjecting Schwann cells (SCs) embedded in fibrin hydrogels to mechanical stimulation. We show for the first time that the application of strain induces (i) longitudinal alignment of SCs resembling bands of Büngner, and (ii) the expression of a pronounced repair SC phenotype as evidenced by upregulation of BDNF, NGF, and p75NTR. Furthermore, we show that mechanically aligned SCs provide physical guidance for migrating axons over several millimeters in vitro in a co-culture model with rat dorsal root ganglion explants. Consequently, these constructs hold great therapeutic potential for transplantation into patients and might also provide a physiologically relevant in vitro peripheral nerve model for drug screening or investigation of pathologic or regenerative processes.

Early regeneration of axons following peripheral nerve injury is enhanced if p75NTR is eliminated from the surrounding pathway

The common neurotrophin receptor, p75^NTR , has been proposed to be an inhibitor of axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury, but whether this effect is on the regenerating axons, immune cells migrating into the injury site, or cells in the pathway surrounding the axons is not clear. Cut nerves in mice expressing fluorescent proteins in axons were repaired with grafts from non-fluorescent hosts to study axon elongation when p75^NTR was eliminated separately from axons and immune cells in the proximal stump of cut nerves, from cells in the regeneration pathway, or both. Two weeks later, axons from wild type mice regenerating into grafts devoid of p75^NTR had elongated more than twice as far as axons in grafts from wild type mice. No enhancement of regeneration of axons in p75^NTR knockout mice was observed, whether nerves were repaired with grafts from wild type mice or from p75^NTR knockout mice. To evaluate whether inhibition of p75^NTR could be used to improve regeneration, nerves in wild type mice repaired without grafts were exposed to a specific inhibitor of the p75^NTR receptor, LM11A-31, at the time of nerve repair. This local blockade of p75^NTR resulted in successful regeneration of axons of nearly three times as many motoneurons and reinnervation of twice as many muscle fibers by regenerating motor axons as untreated controls. Expression of p75^NTR surrounding regenerating axons contributes to poor regeneration during the first 2 weeks after peripheral nerve injury. Inhibition of p75^NTR might be a therapeutic target for treatments of peripheral nerve injuries.

Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid regulates the repair of rat sciatic nerve injury by promoting the proliferation of Schwann cells

AIMS

This study aimed to study the effects of acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) on the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves and the ability of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway to regulate the proliferation of Schwann cells and the formation of myelin.

MAIN METHODS

A sciatic nerve crush injury model rats were randomly divided into the model control, low-, medium-, and high-dose AKBA groups. The repair of myelin damage was observed through Luxol Fast Blue staining and the expression of neurofilament-200 (NF200) protein was detected through immunohistochemical tests. The relative expression levels of ERK, Phosphorylated-ERK (p-ERK), c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK), and Phosphorylated-JNK (p-JNK) proteins were detected in vitro in Schwann cells treated with AKBA. The effect of AKBA on P0 and P75 protein expression in Schwann cells was detected through siRNA-mediated ERK gene knockout.

KEY FINDINGS

AKBA promotes the repair of rat sciatic nerve injury by elevating the phosphorylation of the ERK signaling pathway and by regulating the proliferation and myelination of Schwann cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

This test can provide data support for AKBA to repair sciatic nerve injury, provide a theoretical basis for further revealing AKBA repair mechanism, and provide reference for clinical development of sciatic nerve injury drugs.

Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Is Independent From Schwann Cell p75NTR Expression

Schwann cell reprogramming and differentiation are crucial prerequisites for neuronal regeneration and re-myelination to occur following injury to peripheral nerves. The neurotrophin receptor p75^NTR has been identified as a positive modulator for Schwann cell myelination during development and implicated in promoting nerve regeneration after injury. However, most studies base this conclusion on results obtained from complete p75^NTR knockout mouse models and cannot dissect the specific role of p75^NTR expressed by Schwann cells. In this present study, a conditional knockout model selectively deleting p75^NTR expression in Schwann cells was generated, where p75^NTR expression is replaced with that of an mCherry reporter. Silencing of Schwann cell p75^NTR expression was confirmed in the sciatic nerve in vivo and in vitro, without altering axonal expression of p75^NTR. No difference in sciatic nerve myelination during development or following sciatic nerve crush injury was observed, as determined by quantification of both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fiber densities, myelinated axonal diameter and myelin thickness. However, the absence of Schwann cell p75^NTR reduced motor nerve conduction velocity after crush injury. Our data indicate that the absence of Schwann cell p75^NTR expression in vivo is not critical for axonal regrowth or remyelination following sciatic nerve crush injury, but does play a key role in functional recovery. Overall, this represents the first step in redefining the role of p75^NTR in the peripheral nervous system, suggesting that the Schwann cell-axon unit functions as a syncytium, with the previous published involvement of p75^NTR in remyelination most likely depending on axonal/neuronal p75^NTR and/or mutual glial-axonal interactions.

The Role of BDNF in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: Activity-Dependent Treatments and Val66Met

Despite the ability of peripheral nerves to spontaneously regenerate after injury, recovery is generally very poor. The neurotrophins have emerged as an important modulator of axon regeneration, particularly brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF regulation and signaling, as well as its role in activity-dependent treatments including electrical stimulation, exercise, and optogenetic stimulation are discussed here. The importance of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the BDNF gene, Val66Met, which is present in 30% of the human population and may hinder the efficacy of these treatments in enhancing regeneration after injury is considered. Preliminary data are presented on the effectiveness of one such activity-dependent treatment, electrical stimulation, in enhancing axon regeneration in mice expressing the met allele of the Val66Met polymorphism.

ProBDNF collapses neurite outgrowth of primary neurons by activating RhoA

BACKGROUND

Neurons extend their dendrites and axons to build functional neural circuits, which are regulated by both positive and negative signals during development. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a positive regulator for neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival but the functions of its precursor (proBDNF) are less characterized.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Here we show that proBDNF collapses neurite outgrowth in murine dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and cortical neurons by activating RhoA via the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). We demonstrated that the receptor proteins for proBDNF, p75NTR and sortilin, were highly expressed in cultured DRG or cortical neurons. ProBDNF caused a dramatic neurite collapse in a dose-dependent manner and this effect was about 500 fold more potent than myelin-associated glycoprotein. Neutralization of endogenous proBDNF by using antibodies enhanced neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo, but this effect was lost in p75NTR(-/-) mice. The neurite outgrowth of cortical neurons from p75NTR deficient (p75NTR(-/-)) mice was insensitive to proBDNF. There was a time-dependent reduction of length and number of filopodia in response to proBDNF which was accompanied with a polarized RhoA activation in growth cones. Moreover, proBDNF treatment of cortical neurons resulted in a time-dependent activation of RhoA but not Cdc42 and the effect was absent in p75NTR(-/-) neurons. Rho kinase (ROCK) and the collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2) were also involved in the proBDNF action.

CONCLUSIONS

proBDNF has an opposing role in neurite outgrowth to that of mature BDNF. Our observations suggest that proBDNF collapses neurites outgrowth and filopodial growth cones by activating RhoA through the p75NTR signaling pathway.

The role of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily members in mammalian brain development, function and homeostasis

Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) members were initially identified as immunological mediators, and are still commonly perceived as immunological molecules. However, our understanding of the diversity of TNFRSF members' roles in mammalian physiology has grown significantly since the first discovery of TNFRp55 (TNFRSF1) in 1975. In particular, the last decade has provided evidence for important roles in brain development, function and the emergent field of neuronal homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that TNFRSF members are expressed in an overlapping regulated pattern during neuronal development, participating in the regulation of neuronal expansion, growth, differentiation and regional pattern development. This review examines evidence for non-immunological roles of TNFRSF members in brain development, function and maintenance under normal physiological conditions. In addition, several aspects of brain function during inflammation will also be described, when illuminating and relevant to the non-immunological role of TNFRSF members. Finally, key questions in the field will be outlined.

Schwann cell p75NTR prevents spontaneous sensory reinnervation of the adult spinal cord

Schwann cells are attractive candidates for repair of the injured spinal cord. Transplanted Schwann cells are permissive to regeneration, but their ability to promote regeneration into distal spinal cord remains weak despite their production of growth-promoting neurotrophins. Schwann cell activation such as that which accompanies peripheral nerve injury results in massive upregulation of the p75(NTR) pan-neurotrophin-receptor. Here we test the hypothesis that this p75(NTR) upregulation following dorsal root injury limits availability of endogenous neurotrophin to axons and restricts regeneration of injured axons into the spinal cord. We injured dorsal roots (fourth cervical to second thoracic) in mice lacking the neurotrophin-binding domain of p75(NTR) and in wild-type littermates. Axonal regeneration was assessed by selective tracing of neurotrophin-responsive and non-responsive dorsal root ganglion neurons. Functional reinnervation of the spinal cord was assessed in behavioural experiments and via Fos immunohistochemistry following formalin injection into the forepaw. We also measured levels of nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3 following nerve injury in knockout and wild-type mice, and used Trk-Fc receptor chimeras to block nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3 signalling in dorsal root ganglion/Schwann cell co-cultures and following dorsal root injury in vivo. The roles of neuronal and glial p75(NTR) were assessed in transplant experiments in vivo and in co-cultures. We found that nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3-responsive axons regenerated into the spinal cord of p75(NTR) knockout mice where they made functional connections with dorsal horn neurons. Despite equivalent levels of nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3 in wild-type and knockout mice, successful regeneration in knockouts was neurotrophin-dependent. Transplantation of p75(-/-) neurons into a wild-type environment, p75(-/-) peripheral nerve grafts into the injured p75(+/+) spinal cord, and dissociated sensory neuron/Schwann cell co-cultures showed that the absence of p75(NTR) from glia, not from neurons, promotes regeneration. These findings indicate that Schwann cell p75(NTR) restricts neurotrophin availability to the extent that it prevents spontaneous sensory axon regeneration into the spinal cord. The implication is that inactivating p75(NTR) in Schwann (or olfactory ensheathing) cells may enable axons to grow beyond transplants, improving the outcome of spinal cord injury.