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Aísa-Marín I, Rovira Q, Díaz N, Calvo-López L, Vaquerizas JM, Marfany G. Specific photoreceptor cell fate pathways are differentially altered in NR2E3-associated diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 194:106463. [PMID: 38485095 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in NR2E3, a gene encoding an orphan nuclear transcription factor, cause two retinal dystrophies with a distinct phenotype, but the precise role of NR2E3 in rod and cone transcriptional networks remains unclear. To dissect NR2E3 function, we performed scRNA-seq in the retinas of wildtype and two different Nr2e3 mouse models that show phenotypes similar to patients carrying NR2E3 mutations. Our results reveal that rod and cone populations are not homogeneous and can be separated into different sub-classes. We identify a previously unreported cone pathway that generates hybrid cones co-expressing both cone- and rod-related genes. In mutant retinas, this hybrid cone subpopulation is more abundant and includes a subpopulation of rods transitioning towards a cone cell fate. Hybrid photoreceptors with high misexpression of cone- and rod-related genes are prone to regulated necrosis. Overall, our results shed light on the role of NR2E3 in modulating photoreceptor differentiation towards cone and rod fates and explain how different mutations in NR2E3 lead to distinct visual disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izarbe Aísa-Marín
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain; IBUB-IRSJD, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona-Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona 08028, Spain; CIBERER, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Quirze Rovira
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Noelia Díaz
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Laura Calvo-López
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany; MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Gemma Marfany
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain; IBUB-IRSJD, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona-Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona 08028, Spain; CIBERER, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona 08028, Spain; DBGen Ocular Genomics, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
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