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Kooblall KG, Stevenson M, Stewart M, Harris L, Zalucki O, Dewhurst H, Butterfield N, Leng H, Hough TA, Ma D, Siow B, Potter P, Cox RD, Brown SD, Horwood N, Wright B, Lockstone H, Buck D, Vincent TL, Hannan FM, Bassett JD, Williams GR, Lines KE, Piper M, Wells S, Teboul L, Hennekam RC, Thakker RV. A Mouse Model with a Frameshift Mutation in the Nuclear Factor I/X ( NFIX) Gene Has Phenotypic Features of Marshall-Smith Syndrome. JBMR Plus 2023; 7:e10739. [PMID: 37283649 PMCID: PMC10241085 DOI: 10.1002/jbm4.10739] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The nuclear factor I/X (NFIX) gene encodes a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor whose mutations lead to two allelic disorders characterized by developmental, skeletal, and neural abnormalities, namely, Malan syndrome (MAL) and Marshall-Smith syndrome (MSS). NFIX mutations associated with MAL mainly cluster in exon 2 and are cleared by nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) leading to NFIX haploinsufficiency, whereas NFIX mutations associated with MSS are clustered in exons 6-10 and escape NMD and result in the production of dominant-negative mutant NFIX proteins. Thus, different NFIX mutations have distinct consequences on NFIX expression. To elucidate the in vivo effects of MSS-associated NFIX exon 7 mutations, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate mouse models with exon 7 deletions that comprised: a frameshift deletion of two nucleotides (Nfix Del2); in-frame deletion of 24 nucleotides (Nfix Del24); and deletion of 140 nucleotides (Nfix Del140). Nfix +/Del2, Nfix +/Del24, Nfix +/Del140, Nfix Del24/Del24, and Nfix Del140/Del140 mice were viable, normal, and fertile, with no skeletal abnormalities, but Nfix Del2/Del2 mice had significantly reduced viability (p < 0.002) and died at 2-3 weeks of age. Nfix Del2 was not cleared by NMD, and NfixDel2/Del2 mice, when compared to Nfix +/+ and Nfix +/Del2 mice, had: growth retardation; short stature with kyphosis; reduced skull length; marked porosity of the vertebrae with decreased vertebral and femoral bone mineral content; and reduced caudal vertebrae height and femur length. Plasma biochemistry analysis revealed Nfix Del2/Del2 mice to have increased total alkaline phosphatase activity but decreased C-terminal telopeptide and procollagen-type-1-N-terminal propeptide concentrations compared to Nfix +/+ and Nfix +/Del2 mice. Nfix Del2/Del2 mice were also found to have enlarged cerebral cortices and ventricular areas but smaller dentate gyrus compared to Nfix +/+ mice. Thus, Nfix Del2/Del2 mice provide a model for studying the in vivo effects of NFIX mutants that escape NMD and result in developmental abnormalities of the skeletal and neural tissues that are associated with MSS. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kreepa G. Kooblall
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM)University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Mark Stevenson
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM)University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Michelle Stewart
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | | | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and The Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Hannah Dewhurst
- Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonHammersmith HospitalLondonUK
| | - Natalie Butterfield
- Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonHammersmith HospitalLondonUK
| | - Houfu Leng
- Centre for OA Pathogenesis Versus Arthritis, The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)Medical Sciences Division University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Tertius A. Hough
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Da Ma
- Department of Internal MedicineWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | | | - Paul Potter
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Roger D. Cox
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Stephen D.M. Brown
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Nicole Horwood
- Centre for OA Pathogenesis Versus Arthritis, The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)Medical Sciences Division University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Benjamin Wright
- Oxford Genomics Centre, The Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Helen Lockstone
- Oxford Genomics Centre, The Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - David Buck
- Oxford Genomics Centre, The Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Tonia L. Vincent
- Centre for OA Pathogenesis Versus Arthritis, The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)Medical Sciences Division University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Fadil M. Hannan
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM)University of OxfordOxfordUK
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive HealthUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - J.H. Duncan Bassett
- Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonHammersmith HospitalLondonUK
| | - Graham R. Williams
- Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonHammersmith HospitalLondonUK
| | - Kate E. Lines
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM)University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and The Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Sara Wells
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Lydia Teboul
- MRC Harwell, Mary Lyon CentreHarwell Science and Innovation CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Raoul C. Hennekam
- Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Rajesh V. Thakker
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM)University of OxfordOxfordUK
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Abstract
Understanding the neural bases of subjective experience remains one of the great challenges of the natural sciences. Higher-order theories of consciousness are typically defended by assessments of neural activity in higher cortical regions during perception, often with disregard to the nature of the neural computations that these regions execute. We have sought to refocus the problem toward identification of those neural computations that are necessary for subjective experience with the goal of defining the sorts of neural architectures that can perform these operations. This approach removes reliance on behaviour and brain homologies for appraising whether non-human animals have the potential to subjectively experience sensory stimuli. Using two basic principles—first, subjective experience is dependent on complex processing executing specific neural functions and second, the structure-determines-function principle—we have reasoned that subjective experience requires a neural architecture consisting of stacked forward models that predict the output of neural processing from inputs. Given that forward models are dependent on appropriately connected processing modules that generate prediction, error detection and feedback control, we define a minimal neural architecture that is necessary (but not sufficient) for subjective experience. We refer to this framework as the hierarchical forward models algorithm. Accordingly, we postulate that any animal lacking this neural architecture will be incapable of subjective experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Key
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- *Correspondence: Brian Key,
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Deborah J. Brown
- School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Deborah J. Brown,
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3
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Key B, Zalucki O, Brown DJ. Neural Design Principles for Subjective Experience: Implications for Insects. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:658037. [PMID: 34025371 PMCID: PMC8131515 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.658037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
How subjective experience is realized in nervous systems remains one of the great challenges in the natural sciences. An answer to this question should resolve debate about which animals are capable of subjective experience. We contend that subjective experience of sensory stimuli is dependent on the brain's awareness of its internal neural processing of these stimuli. This premise is supported by empirical evidence demonstrating that disruption to either processing streams or awareness states perturb subjective experience. Given that the brain must predict the nature of sensory stimuli, we reason that conscious awareness is itself dependent on predictions generated by hierarchically organized forward models of the organism's internal sensory processing. The operation of these forward models requires a specialized neural architecture and hence any nervous system lacking this architecture is unable to subjectively experience sensory stimuli. This approach removes difficulties associated with extrapolations from behavioral and brain homologies typically employed in addressing whether an animal can feel. Using nociception as a model sensation, we show here that the Drosophila brain lacks the required internal neural connectivity to implement the computations required of hierarchical forward models. Consequently, we conclude that Drosophila, and those insects with similar neuroanatomy, do not subjectively experience noxious stimuli and therefore cannot feel pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Key
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Deborah J. Brown
- School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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4
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Kasherman MA, Currey L, Kurniawan ND, Zalucki O, Vega MS, Jolly LA, Burne THJ, Wood SA, Piper M. Abnormal Behavior and Cortical Connectivity Deficits in Mice Lacking Usp9x. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1763-1775. [PMID: 33188399 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic association studies have identified many factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the way these genes shape neuroanatomical structure and connectivity is poorly understood. Recent research has focused on proteins that act as points of convergence for multiple factors, as these may provide greater insight into understanding the biology of neurodevelopmental disorders. USP9X, a deubiquitylating enzyme that regulates the stability of many ASD-related proteins, is one such point of convergence. Loss of function variants in human USP9X lead to brain malformations, which manifest as a neurodevelopmental syndrome that frequently includes ASD, but the underlying structural and connectomic abnormalities giving rise to patient symptoms is unknown. Here, we analyzed forebrain-specific Usp9x knockout mice (Usp9x-/y) to address this knowledge gap. Usp9x-/y mice displayed abnormal communication and social interaction behaviors. Moreover, the absence of Usp9x culminated in reductions to the size of multiple brain regions. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging revealed deficits in all three major forebrain commissures, as well as long-range hypoconnectivity between cortical and subcortical regions. These data identify USP9X as a key regulator of brain formation and function, and provide insights into the neurodevelopmental syndrome arising as a consequence of USP9X mutations in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Kasherman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Laura Currey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | | | - Lachlan A Jolly
- University of Adelaide and Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Brisbane 4076, Australia
| | - Stephen A Wood
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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5
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Kouremenou I, Piper M, Zalucki O. Adult Neurogenesis in the Olfactory System: Improving Performance for Difficult Discrimination Tasks? Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000065. [PMID: 32767425 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
What is the function of new neurons entering the olfactory bulb? Many insights regarding the molecular control of adult neurogenesis have been uncovered, but the purpose of new neurons entering the olfactory bulb has been difficult to ascertain. Here, studies investigating the role of adult neurogenesis in olfactory discrimination in mice are reviewed. Studies in which adult neurogenesis is affected are highlighted, with a focus on the role of environment enrichment and what happens during ageing. There is evidence for a role of adult neurogenesis in fine discrimination tasks, as underscored by studies that enhance adult neurogenesis. This is also observed in ageing studies, where older mice with reduced levels of adult neurogenesis perform poorly in olfactory discrimination. Differences in methodology that could account for alternative conclusions, and the importance of specificity in methods being used to investigate the effect of adult neurogenesis in olfactory performance are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Kouremenou
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
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Fraser J, Essebier A, Brown AS, Davila RA, Harkins D, Zalucki O, Shapiro LP, Penzes P, Wainwright BJ, Scott MP, Gronostajski RM, Bodén M, Piper M, Harvey TJ. Common Regulatory Targets of NFIA, NFIX and NFIB during Postnatal Cerebellar Development. Cerebellum 2020; 19:89-101. [PMID: 31838646 PMCID: PMC7815246 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-019-01089-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation plays a central role in controlling neural stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation during neurogenesis. For instance, transcription factors from the nuclear factor I (NFI) family have been shown to co-ordinate neural stem and progenitor cell differentiation within multiple regions of the embryonic nervous system, including the neocortex, hippocampus, spinal cord and cerebellum. Knockout of individual Nfi genes culminates in similar phenotypes, suggestive of common target genes for these transcription factors. However, whether or not the NFI family regulates common suites of genes remains poorly defined. Here, we use granule neuron precursors (GNPs) of the postnatal murine cerebellum as a model system to analyse regulatory targets of three members of the NFI family: NFIA, NFIB and NFIX. By integrating transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) of Nfia- and Nfix-deficient GNPs with epigenomic profiling (ChIP-seq against NFIA, NFIB and NFIX, and DNase I hypersensitivity assays), we reveal that these transcription factors share a large set of potential transcriptional targets, suggestive of complementary roles for these NFI family members in promoting neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Fraser
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Alexandra Essebier
- The School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Alexander S Brown
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Raul Ayala Davila
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Danyon Harkins
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Lauren P Shapiro
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Peter Penzes
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brandon J Wainwright
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Matthew P Scott
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mikael Bodén
- The School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
| | - Tracey J Harvey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
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7
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Oishi S, Zalucki O, Vega MS, Harkins D, Harvey TJ, Kasherman M, Davila RA, Hale L, White M, Piltz S, Thomas P, Burne THJ, Harris L, Piper M. Investigating cortical features of Sotos syndrome using mice heterozygous for Nsd1. Genes Brain Behav 2020; 19:e12637. [PMID: 31909872 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sotos syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by a suite of clinical features. In children, the three cardinal features of Sotos syndrome are a characteristic facial appearance, learning disability and overgrowth (height and/or head circumference > 2 SDs above average). These features are also evident in adults with this syndrome. Over 90% of Sotos syndrome patients are haploinsufficient for the gene encoding nuclear receptor-binding Su(var)3-9, Enhancer-of-zesteand Trithorax domain-containing protein 1 (NSD1). NSD1 is a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes the methylation of lysine residue 36 on histone H3. However, although the symptomology of Sotos syndrome is well established, many aspects of NSD1 biology remain unknown. Here, we assessed the expression of Nsd1 within the mouse brain, and showed a predominantly neuronal pattern of expression for this histone-modifying factor. We also generated a mouse strain lacking one allele of Nsd1 and analyzed morphological and behavioral characteristics in these mice, showing behavioral characteristics reminiscent of some of the deficits seen in Sotos syndrome patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle S Vega
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Danyon Harkins
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tracey J Harvey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maria Kasherman
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Raul A Davila
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lauren Hale
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Melissa White
- School of Biological Sciences and South Australia Genome Editing Facility, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sandra Piltz
- School of Biological Sciences and South Australia Genome Editing Facility, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Paul Thomas
- School of Biological Sciences and South Australia Genome Editing Facility, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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8
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Oishi S, Harkins D, Kurniawan ND, Kasherman M, Harris L, Zalucki O, Gronostajski RM, Burne THJ, Piper M. Heterozygosity for Nuclear Factor One X in mice models features of Malan syndrome. EBioMedicine 2019; 39:388-400. [PMID: 30503862 PMCID: PMC6354567 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear Factor One X (NFIX) haploinsufficiency in humans results in Malan syndrome, a disorder characterized by overgrowth, macrocephaly and intellectual disability. Although clinical assessments have determined the underlying symptomology of Malan syndrome, the fundamental mechanisms contributing to the enlarged head circumference and intellectual disability in these patients remains undefined. METHODS Here, we used Nfix heterozygous mice as a model to investigate these aspects of Malan syndrome. Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to calculate the volumes of 20 brain sub regions. Diffusion tensor MRI was used to perform tractography-based analyses of the corpus callosum, hippocampal commissure, and anterior commissure, as well as structural connectome mapping of the whole brain. Immunohistochemistry examined the neocortical cellular populations. Two behavioral assays were performed, including the active place avoidance task to assess spatial navigation and learning and memory function, and the 3-chambered sociability task to examine social behaviour. FINDINGS Adult Nfix+/- mice exhibit significantly increased brain volume (megalencephaly) compared to wildtypes, with the cerebral cortex showing the highest increase. Moreover, all three forebrain commissures, in particular the anterior commissure, revealed significantly reduced fractional anisotropy, axial and radial diffusivity, and tract density intensity. Structural connectome analyses revealed aberrant connectivity between many crucial brain regions. Finally, Nfix+/- mice exhibit behavioral deficits that model intellectual disability. INTERPRETATION Collectively, these data provide a significant conceptual advance in our understanding of Malan syndrome by suggesting that megalencephaly underlies the enlarged head size of these patients, and that disrupted cortical connectivity may contribute to the intellectual disability these patients exhibit. FUND: Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Grants, ARC Fellowship, NYSTEM and Australian Postgraduate Fellowships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Danyon Harkins
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- The Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria Kasherman
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, King's Cross, London, United Kingdom
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Brisbane, QLD 4076, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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9
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Zalucki O, Harris L, Harvey TJ, Harkins D, Widagdo J, Oishi S, Matuzelski E, Yong XLH, Schmidt H, Anggono V, Burne THJ, Gronostajski RM, Piper M. NFIX-Mediated Inhibition of Neuroblast Branching Regulates Migration Within the Adult Mouse Ventricular–Subventricular Zone. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:3590-3604. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding the migration of newborn neurons within the brain presents a major challenge in contemporary biology. Neuronal migration is widespread within the developing brain but is also important within the adult brain. For instance, stem cells within the ventricular–subventricular zone (V-SVZ) and the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus of the adult rodent brain produce neuroblasts that migrate to the olfactory bulb and granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, respectively, where they regulate key brain functions including innate olfactory responses, learning, and memory. Critically, our understanding of the factors mediating neuroblast migration remains limited. The transcription factor nuclear factor I X (NFIX) has previously been implicated in embryonic cortical development. Here, we employed conditional ablation of Nfix from the adult mouse brain and demonstrated that the removal of this gene from either neural stem and progenitor cells, or neuroblasts, within the V-SVZ culminated in neuroblast migration defects. Mechanistically, we identified aberrant neuroblast branching, due in part to increased expression of the guanylyl cyclase natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (Npr2), as a factor contributing to abnormal migration in Nfix-deficient adult mice. Collectively, these data provide new insights into how neuroblast migration is regulated at a transcriptional level within the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tracey J Harvey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Danyon Harkins
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jocelyn Widagdo
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Elise Matuzelski
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Xuan Ling Hilary Yong
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hannes Schmidt
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Victor Anggono
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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10
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Zalucki O, Harkins D, Harris L, Burne THJ, Gronostajski RM, Piper M. Analysis of hippocampal-dependent learning and memory behaviour in mice lacking Nfix from adult neural stem cells. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:564. [PMID: 30081965 PMCID: PMC6080370 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3652-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The active place avoidance task (APA) is a behavioural task used to assess learning and memory in rodents. This task relies on the hippocampus, a region of the cerebral cortex capable of generating new neurons from neural stem cells. In this study, to gain further insight into the behavioural phenotype of mice deficient in the transcription factor Nfix, a gene expressed by adult neural stem cells, we examined learning and memory parameters from the APA task that were not published in our original investigation. We analysed time to first and second shock, maximum path and time of shock avoidance, number of entries into the shock zone and time spent in the shock zone. We also assessed performance in the APA task based on sex. Results We found mice deficient in Nfix displayed decreased latency to second shock compared to the control mice. Nfix deficient mice entered the shock zone more frequently and also spent more time in the shock zone. Our data provides further insights into the memory deficits evident in Nfix mutant mice, indicating these mice have a memory retrieval problem and may employ a different navigation strategy in the APA task. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3652-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Danyon Harkins
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, 4076, Australia
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
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11
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Harris L, Zalucki O, Gobius I, McDonald H, Osinki J, Harvey TJ, Essebier A, Vidovic D, Gladwyn-Ng I, Burne TH, Heng JI, Richards LJ, Gronostajski RM, Piper M. Correction: Transcriptional regulation of intermediate progenitor cell generation during hippocampal development (doi: 10.1242/dev.140681). Development 2018; 145:145/14/dev169631. [PMID: 30042194 DOI: 10.1242/dev.169631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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12
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Abstract
In the original publication of the article, two errors were made in describing the equations for Tc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia. .,Queensland Brain Institute, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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13
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Harris L, Zalucki O, Clément O, Fraser J, Matuzelski E, Oishi S, Harvey TJ, Burne THJ, Heng JIT, Gronostajski RM, Piper M. Neurogenic differentiation by hippocampal neural stem and progenitor cells is biased by NFIX expression. Development 2018; 145:145/3/dev155689. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.155689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Our understanding of the transcriptional programme underpinning adult hippocampal neurogenesis is incomplete. In mice, under basal conditions, adult hippocampal neural stem cells (AH-NSCs) generate neurons and astrocytes, but not oligodendrocytes. The factors limiting oligodendrocyte production, however, remain unclear. Here, we reveal that the transcription factor NFIX plays a key role in this process. NFIX is expressed by AH-NSCs, and its expression is sharply upregulated in adult hippocampal neuroblasts. Conditional ablation of Nfix from AH-NSCs, coupled with lineage tracing, transcriptomic sequencing and behavioural studies collectively reveal that NFIX is cell-autonomously required for neuroblast maturation and survival. Moreover, a small number of AH-NSCs also develop into oligodendrocytes following Nfix deletion. Remarkably, when Nfix is deleted specifically from intermediate progenitor cells and neuroblasts using a Dcx-creERT2 driver, these cells also display elevated signatures of oligodendrocyte gene expression. Together, these results demonstrate the central role played by NFIX in neuroblasts within the adult hippocampal stem cell neurogenic niche in promoting the maturation and survival of these cells, while concomitantly repressing oligodendrocyte gene expression signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Olivier Clément
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia 6102
| | - James Fraser
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Elise Matuzelski
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Tracey J. Harvey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Thomas H. J. Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 4072
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Queensland, Australia 4076
| | - Julian Ik-Tsen Heng
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia 6102
| | - Richard M. Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4072
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 4072
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14
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Bunt J, Osinski JM, Lim JW, Vidovic D, Ye Y, Zalucki O, O'Connor TR, Harris L, Gronostajski RM, Richards LJ, Piper M. Combined allelic dosage of Nfia and Nfib regulates cortical development. Brain Neurosci Adv 2017; 1:2398212817739433. [PMID: 32166136 PMCID: PMC7058261 DOI: 10.1177/2398212817739433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Nuclear factor I family members nuclear factor I A and nuclear factor I B play important roles during cerebral cortical development. Nuclear factor I A and nuclear factor I B regulate similar biological processes, as their expression patterns, regulation of target genes and individual knockout phenotypes overlap. We hypothesised that the combined allelic loss of Nfia and Nfib would culminate in more severe defects in the cerebral cortex than loss of a single member. Methods: We combined immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry on knockout mouse models to investigate whether nuclear factor I A and nuclear factor I B function similarly and whether increasing allelic loss of Nfia and Nfib caused a more severe phenotype. Results: We determined that the biological functions of nuclear factor I A and nuclear factor I B overlap during early cortical development. These proteins are co-expressed and can form heterodimers in vivo. Differentially regulated genes that are shared between Nfia and Nfib knockout mice are highly enriched for nuclear factor I binding sites in their promoters and are associated with neurodevelopment. We found that compound heterozygous deletion of both genes resulted in a cortical phenotype similar to that of single homozygous Nfia or Nfib knockout embryos. This was characterised by retention of the interhemispheric fissure, dysgenesis of the corpus callosum and a malformed dentate gyrus. Double homozygous knockout of Nfia and Nfib resulted in a more severe phenotype, with increased ventricular enlargement and decreased numbers of differentiated glia and neurons. Conclusion: In the developing cerebral cortex, nuclear factor I A and nuclear factor I B share similar biological functions and function additively, as the combined allelic loss of these genes directly correlates with the severity of the developmental brain phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bunt
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jason M Osinski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan Wc Lim
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Diana Vidovic
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yunan Ye
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Timothy R O'Connor
- School of Chemical and Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Linda J Richards
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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15
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Harris L, Zalucki O, Gobius I, McDonald H, Osinki J, Harvey TJ, Essebier A, Vidovic D, Gladwyn-Ng I, Burne TH, Heng JI, Richards LJ, Gronostajski RM, Piper M. Transcriptional regulation of intermediate progenitor cell generation during hippocampal development. Development 2017; 143:4620-4630. [PMID: 27965439 DOI: 10.1242/dev.140681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
During forebrain development, radial glia generate neurons through the production of intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs). The production of IPCs is a central tenet underlying the generation of the appropriate number of cortical neurons, but the transcriptional logic underpinning this process remains poorly defined. Here, we examined IPC production using mice lacking the transcription factor nuclear factor I/X (Nfix). We show that Nfix deficiency delays IPC production and prolongs the neurogenic window, resulting in an increased number of neurons in the postnatal forebrain. Loss of additional Nfi alleles (Nfib) resulted in a severe delay in IPC generation while, conversely, overexpression of NFIX led to precocious IPC generation. Mechanistically, analyses of microarray and ChIP-seq datasets, coupled with the investigation of spindle orientation during radial glial cell division, revealed that NFIX promotes the generation of IPCs via the transcriptional upregulation of inscuteable (Insc). These data thereby provide novel insights into the mechanisms controlling the timely transition of radial glia into IPCs during forebrain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Ilan Gobius
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Hannah McDonald
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jason Osinki
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Tracey J Harvey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Alexandra Essebier
- The School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Diana Vidovic
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Ivan Gladwyn-Ng
- The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,The Centre for Medical Research, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Thomas H Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol 4076, Australia
| | - Julian I Heng
- The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,The Centre for Medical Research, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Linda J Richards
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Richard M Gronostajski
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia .,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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16
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Harris L, Zalucki O, Oishi S, Burne TH, Jhaveri DJ, Piper M. A morphology independent approach for identifying dividing adult neural stem cells in the mouse hippocampus. Dev Dyn 2017; 247:194-200. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Harris
- The School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Thomas H. Burne
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental HealthWacol Queensland Australia
| | - Dhanisha J. Jhaveri
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Australia
- Mater Research InstituteThe University of QueenslandQueensland Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Queensland Australia
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane Australia
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17
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Oishi S, Zalucki O, Premarathne S, Wood SA, Piper M. USP9X deletion elevates the density of oligodendrocytes within the postnatal dentate gyrus. Neurogenesis (Austin) 2016; 3:e1235524. [PMID: 27830160 DOI: 10.1080/23262133.2016.1235524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neural stem cells (NSCs) within the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus reside in the subgranular zone (SGZ). A dynamic network of signaling mechanisms controls the balance between the maintenance of NSC identity, and their subsequent differentiation into dentate granule neurons. Recently, the ubiquitin-specific protease 9 X-linked (USP9X) was shown to be important for hippocampal morphogenesis, as mice lacking this gene exhibited a higher proportion of proliferating NSCs, yet a decrease in neuronal numbers, within the postnatal dentate gyrus. Here we reveal that Usp9x-deficiency results in the upregulation of numerous oligodendrocytic and myelin-associated genes within the postnatal hippocampus. Moreover, cell counts reveal a significant increase in oligodendrocyte precursor cells and mature oligodendrocytes per unit volume of the mutant dentate gyrus. Collectively, these findings indicate that USP9X may regulate NSC lineage determination within the postnatal SGZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Oishi
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oressia Zalucki
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susitha Premarathne
- The Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen A Wood
- The Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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18
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Zalucki O, van Swinderen B. What is unconsciousness in a fly or a worm? A review of general anesthesia in different animal models. Conscious Cogn 2016; 44:72-88. [PMID: 27366985 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
All animals are rendered unresponsive by general anesthetics. In humans, this is observed as a succession of endpoints from memory loss to unconsciousness to immobility. Across animals, anesthesia endpoints such as loss of responsiveness or immobility appear to require significantly different drug concentrations. A closer examination in key model organisms such as the mouse, fly, or the worm, uncovers a trend: more complex behaviors, either requiring several sub-behaviors, or multiple neural circuits working together, are more sensitive to volatile general anesthetics. This trend is also evident when measuring neural correlates of general anesthesia. Here, we review this complexity hypothesis in humans and model organisms, and attempt to reconcile these findings with the more recent view that general anesthetics potentiate endogenous sleep pathways in most animals. Finally, we propose a presynaptic mechanism, and thus an explanation for how these drugs might compromise a succession of brain functions of increasing complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oressia Zalucki
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Zalucki O, Day R, Kottler B, Karunanithi S, van Swinderen B. Behavioral and electrophysiological analysis of general anesthesia in 3 background strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2015; 9:7-15. [PMID: 26267354 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2015.1072663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
General anesthetics achieve behavioral unresponsiveness via a mechanism that is incompletely understood. The study of genetic model systems such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is crucial to advancing our understanding of how anesthetic drugs render animals unresponsive. Previous studies have shown that wild-type control strains differ significantly in their sensitivity to general anesthetics, which potentially introduces confounding factors for comparing genetic mutations placed on these wild-type backgrounds. Here, we examined a variety of behavioral and electrophysiological endpoints in Drosophila, in both adult and larval animals. We characterized these endpoints in 3 commonly used fly strains: wild-type Canton Special (CS), and 2 commonly used white-eyed strains, isoCJ1 and w(1118). We found that CS and isoCJ1 show remarkably similar sensitivity to isoflurane across a variety of behavioral and electrophysiological endpoints. In contrast, w(1118) is resistant to isoflurane compared to the other 2 strains at both the adult and larval stages. This resistance is however not reflected at the level of neurotransmitter release at the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). This suggests that the w(1118) strain harbors another mutation that produces isoflurane resistance, by acting on an arousal pathway that is most likely preserved between larval and adult brains. This mutation probably also affects sleep, as marked differences between isoCJ1 and w(1118) have also recently been found for behavioral responsiveness and sleep intensity measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oressia Zalucki
- a Queensland Brain Institute; The University of Queensland ; Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
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20
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Fothergill T, Donahoo ALS, Douglass A, Zalucki O, Yuan J, Shu T, Goodhill GJ, Richards LJ. Netrin-DCC signaling regulates corpus callosum formation through attraction of pioneering axons and by modulating Slit2-mediated repulsion. Cereb Cortex 2014; 24:1138-51. [PMID: 23302812 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The left and right sides of the nervous system communicate via commissural axons that cross the midline during development using evolutionarily conserved molecules. These guidance cues have been particularly well studied in the mammalian spinal cord, but it remains unclear whether these guidance mechanisms for commissural axons are similar in the developing forebrain, in particular for the corpus callosum, the largest and most important commissure for cortical function. Here, we show that Netrin1 initially attracts callosal pioneering axons derived from the cingulate cortex, but surprisingly is not attractive for the neocortical callosal axons that make up the bulk of the projection. Instead, we show that Netrin-deleted in colorectal cancer signaling acts in a fundamentally different manner, to prevent the Slit2-mediated repulsion of precrossing axons thereby allowing them to approach and cross the midline. These results provide the first evidence for how callosal axons integrate multiple guidance cues to navigate the midline.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Axons/physiology
- Cells, Cultured
- Cerebral Cortex/cytology
- Coculture Techniques
- Corpus Callosum/physiology
- DCC Receptor
- Embryo, Mammalian
- Female
- Functional Laterality/genetics
- Functional Laterality/physiology
- Humans
- In Vitro Techniques
- Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Neurologic Mutants
- Nerve Growth Factors/genetics
- Nerve Growth Factors/metabolism
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Netrin-1
- Pregnancy
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptors, Cell Surface/genetics
- Receptors, Cell Surface/metabolism
- Receptors, Immunologic/genetics
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics
- Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism
- Roundabout Proteins
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Fothergill
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Qld., Australia
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Kottler B, Bao H, Zalucki O, Imlach W, Troup M, van Alphen B, Paulk A, Zhang B, van Swinderen B. A sleep/wake circuit controls isoflurane sensitivity in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2013; 23:594-8. [PMID: 23499534 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
General anesthesia remains a mysterious phenomenon, even though a number of compelling target proteins and processes have been proposed [1]. General anesthetics such as isoflurane abolish behavioral responsiveness in all animals, and in the mammalian brain, these diverse compounds probably achieve this in part by targeting endogenous sleep mechanisms [2, 3]. However, most animals sleep [4], and they are therefore likely to have conserved sleep processes. A decade of neurogenetic studies of arousal in Drosophila melanogaster have identified a number of different neurons and brain structures that modulate sleep duration in the fly brain [5-9], but it has remained unclear until recently whether any neurons might form part of a dedicated circuit that actively controls sleep and wake states in the fly brain, as has been proposed for the mammalian brain [10]. We studied general anesthesia in Drosophila by measuring stimulus-induced locomotion under isoflurane gas exposure. Using a syntaxin1A gain-of-function construct, we found that increasing synaptic activity in different Drosophila neurons could produce hypersensitivity or resistance to isoflurane. We uncover a common pathway in the fly brain controlling both sleep duration and isoflurane sensitivity, centered on monoaminergic modulation of sleep-promoting neurons of the fan-shaped body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kottler
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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22
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Piper M, Plachez C, Zalucki O, Fothergill T, Goudreau G, Erzurumlu R, Gu C, Richards LJ. Neuropilin 1-Sema signaling regulates crossing of cingulate pioneering axons during development of the corpus callosum. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 19 Suppl 1:i11-21. [PMID: 19357391 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pioneer axons from the cingulate cortex initiate corpus callosum (CC) development, yet nothing is known about the molecules that regulate their guidance. We demonstrate that neuropilin 1 (Npn1) plays an integral role in the development of the CC. Npn1 is localized to axons of cingulate neurons as they cross the midline, and multiple class 3 semaphorins (Semas) are expressed around the developing CC, implicating these guidance molecules in the regulation of Npn1-expressing axons emanating from the cingulate cortex. Furthermore, axons from the cingulate cortex display guidance errors in Npn1(Sema-) mice, a knockin mouse line in which Npn1 is unable to bind Semas. Analysis of mice deficient in the transcription factor Emx2 demonstrated that the cingulate cortex of these mice was significantly reduced in comparison to wild-type controls at E17 and that the CC was absent in rostral sections. Expression of Npn1 was absent in rostral sections of Emx2 mutants, suggesting that Npn1-expressing cingulate pioneers are required for CC formation. These data highlight a central role for Npn1 in the development of projections from the cingulate cortex and further illustrate the importance of these pioneer axons in the formation of the CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Piper
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
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