1
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Wang B, Vartak R, Zaltsman Y, Naing ZZC, Hennick KM, Polacco BJ, Bashir A, Eckhardt M, Bouhaddou M, Xu J, Sun N, Lasser MC, Zhou Y, McKetney J, Guiley KZ, Chan U, Kaye JA, Chadha N, Cakir M, Gordon M, Khare P, Drake S, Drury V, Burke DF, Gonzalez S, Alkhairy S, Thomas R, Lam S, Morris M, Bader E, Seyler M, Baum T, Krasnoff R, Wang S, Pham P, Arbalaez J, Pratt D, Chag S, Mahmood N, Rolland T, Bourgeron T, Finkbeiner S, Swaney DL, Bandyopadhay S, Ideker T, Beltrao P, Willsey HR, Obernier K, Nowakowski TJ, Hüttenhain R, State MW, Willsey AJ, Krogan NJ. A foundational atlas of autism protein interactions reveals molecular convergence. bioRxiv 2024:2023.12.03.569805. [PMID: 38076945 PMCID: PMC10705567 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Translating high-confidence (hc) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes into viable treatment targets remains elusive. We constructed a foundational protein-protein interaction (PPI) network in HEK293T cells involving 100 hcASD risk genes, revealing over 1,800 PPIs (87% novel). Interactors, expressed in the human brain and enriched for ASD but not schizophrenia genetic risk, converged on protein complexes involved in neurogenesis, tubulin biology, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin modification. A PPI map of 54 patient-derived missense variants identified differential physical interactions, and we leveraged AlphaFold-Multimer predictions to prioritize direct PPIs and specific variants for interrogation in Xenopus tropicalis and human forebrain organoids. A mutation in the transcription factor FOXP1 led to reconfiguration of DNA binding sites and altered development of deep cortical layer neurons in forebrain organoids. This work offers new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying ASD and describes a powerful platform to develop and test therapeutic strategies for many genetically-defined conditions.
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2
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Sun N, Teyssier N, Wang B, Drake S, Seyler M, Zaltsman Y, Everitt A, Teerikorpi N, Willsey HR, Goodarzi H, Tian R, Kampmann M, Willsey AJ. Autism genes converge on microtubule biology and RNA-binding proteins during excitatory neurogenesis. bioRxiv 2024:2023.12.22.573108. [PMID: 38187634 PMCID: PMC10769323 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have identified over one hundred high-confidence (hc) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes. Systems biological and functional analyses on smaller subsets of these genes have consistently implicated excitatory neurogenesis. However, the extent to which the broader set of hcASD genes are involved in this process has not been explored systematically nor have the biological pathways underlying this convergence been identified. Here, we leveraged CROP-Seq to repress 87 hcASD genes in a human in vitro model of cortical neurogenesis. We identified 17 hcASD genes whose repression significantly alters developmental trajectory and results in a common cellular state characterized by disruptions in proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle, microtubule biology, and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). We also characterized over 3,000 differentially expressed genes, 286 of which had expression profiles correlated with changes in developmental trajectory. Overall, we uncovered transcriptional disruptions downstream of hcASD gene perturbations, correlated these disruptions with distinct differentiation phenotypes, and reinforced neurogenesis, microtubule biology, and RBPs as convergent points of disruption in ASD.
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3
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Lasser M, Sun N, Xu Y, Wang S, Drake S, Law K, Gonzalez S, Wang B, Drury V, Castillo O, Zaltsman Y, Dea J, Bader E, McCluskey KE, State MW, Willsey AJ, Willsey HR. Pleiotropy of autism-associated chromatin regulators. Development 2023; 150:dev201515. [PMID: 37366052 PMCID: PMC10399978 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Gene ontology analyses of high-confidence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk genes highlight chromatin regulation and synaptic function as major contributors to pathobiology. Our recent functional work in vivo has additionally implicated tubulin biology and cellular proliferation. As many chromatin regulators, including the ASD risk genes ADNP and CHD3, are known to directly regulate both tubulins and histones, we studied the five chromatin regulators most strongly associated with ASD (ADNP, CHD8, CHD2, POGZ and KMT5B) specifically with respect to tubulin biology. We observe that all five localize to microtubules of the mitotic spindle in vitro in human cells and in vivo in Xenopus. Investigation of CHD2 provides evidence that mutations present in individuals with ASD cause a range of microtubule-related phenotypes, including disrupted localization of the protein at mitotic spindles, cell cycle stalling, DNA damage and cell death. Lastly, we observe that ASD genetic risk is significantly enriched among tubulin-associated proteins, suggesting broader relevance. Together, these results provide additional evidence that the role of tubulin biology and cellular proliferation in ASD warrants further investigation and highlight the pitfalls of relying solely on annotated gene functions in the search for pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Lasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nawei Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sam Drake
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Karen Law
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Silvano Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Belinda Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Vanessa Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Octavio Castillo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yefim Zaltsman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ethel Bader
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kate E. McCluskey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Matthew W. State
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - A. Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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4
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Willsey HR, Willsey AJ, Wang B, State MW. Genomics, convergent neuroscience and progress in understanding autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:323-341. [PMID: 35440779 PMCID: PMC10693992 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00576-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
More than a hundred genes have been identified that, when disrupted, impart large risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current knowledge about the encoded proteins - although incomplete - points to a very wide range of developmentally dynamic and diverse biological processes. Moreover, the core symptoms of ASD involve distinctly human characteristics, presenting challenges to interpreting evolutionarily distant model systems. Indeed, despite a decade of striking progress in gene discovery, an actionable understanding of pathobiology remains elusive. Increasingly, convergent neuroscience approaches have been recognized as an important complement to traditional uses of genetics to illuminate the biology of human disorders. These methods seek to identify intersection among molecular-level, cellular-level and circuit-level functions across multiple risk genes and have highlighted developing excitatory neurons in the human mid-gestational prefrontal cortex as an important pathobiological nexus in ASD. In addition, neurogenesis, chromatin modification and synaptic function have emerged as key potential mediators of genetic vulnerability. The continued expansion of foundational 'omics' data sets, the application of higher-throughput model systems and incorporating developmental trajectories and sex differences into future analyses will refine and extend these results. Ultimately, a systems-level understanding of ASD genetic risk holds promise for clarifying pathobiology and advancing therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Belinda Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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5
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Willsey HR, Guille M, Grainger RM. Modeling Human Genetic Disorders with CRISPR Technologies in Xenopus. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2022; 2022:pdb.prot106997. [PMID: 34531330 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot106997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Combining the power of Xenopus developmental biology with CRISPR-based technologies promises great discoveries in understanding and treating human genetic disorders. Here we provide a practical pipeline for how to go from known disease gene(s) or risk gene(s) of interest to methods for gaining functional insight into the contribution of these genes to disorder etiology in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, United Kingdom
| | - Robert M Grainger
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
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6
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Rosenthal SB, Willsey HR, Xu Y, Mei Y, Dea J, Wang S, Curtis C, Sempou E, Khokha MK, Chi NC, Willsey AJ, Fisch KM, Ideker T. A convergent molecular network underlying autism and congenital heart disease. Cell Syst 2021; 12:1094-1107.e6. [PMID: 34411509 PMCID: PMC8602730 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, have an elevated incidence of congenital heart disease, but the extent to which these conditions share molecular mechanisms remains unknown. Here, we use network genetics to identify a convergent molecular network underlying autism and congenital heart disease. This network is impacted by damaging genetic variants from both disorders in multiple independent cohorts of patients, pinpointing 101 genes with shared genetic risk. Network analysis also implicates risk genes for each disorder separately, including 27 previously unidentified genes for autism and 46 for congenital heart disease. For 7 genes with shared risk, we create engineered disruptions in Xenopus tropicalis, confirming both heart and brain developmental abnormalities. The network includes a family of ion channels, such as the sodium transporter SCN2A, linking these functions to early heart and brain development. This study provides a road map for identifying risk genes and pathways involved in co-morbid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Brin Rosenthal
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yuan Mei
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sheng Wang
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Charlotte Curtis
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emily Sempou
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Neil C Chi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Arthur Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Fisch
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Trey Ideker
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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7
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Ly VT, Baudin PV, Pansodtee P, Jung EA, Voitiuk K, Rosen YM, Willsey HR, Mantalas GL, Seiler ST, Selberg JA, Cordero SA, Ross JM, Rolandi M, Pollen AA, Nowakowski TJ, Haussler D, Mostajo-Radji MA, Salama SR, Teodorescu M. Picroscope: low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1261. [PMID: 34737378 PMCID: PMC8569150 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02779-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simultaneous longitudinal imaging across multiple conditions and replicates has been crucial for scientific studies aiming to understand biological processes and disease. Yet, imaging systems capable of accomplishing these tasks are economically unattainable for most academic and teaching laboratories around the world. Here, we propose the Picroscope, which is the first low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging made primarily using off-the-shelf and 3D-printed materials. The Picroscope is compatible with standard 24-well cell culture plates and captures 3D z-stack image data. The Picroscope can be controlled remotely, allowing for automatic imaging with minimal intervention from the investigator. Here, we use this system in a range of applications. We gathered longitudinal whole organism image data for frogs, zebrafish, and planaria worms. We also gathered image data inside an incubator to observe 2D monolayers and 3D mammalian tissue culture models. Using this tool, we can measure the behavior of entire organisms or individual cells over long-time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria T Ly
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
| | - Pierre V Baudin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Pattawong Pansodtee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Erik A Jung
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Kateryna Voitiuk
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Yohei M Rosen
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Gary L Mantalas
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Spencer T Seiler
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - John A Selberg
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Sergio A Cordero
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Jayden M Ross
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Marco Rolandi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - David Haussler
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Mohammed A Mostajo-Radji
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Sofie R Salama
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Mircea Teodorescu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
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8
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Naert T, Çiçek Ö, Ogar P, Bürgi M, Shaidani NI, Kaminski MM, Xu Y, Grand K, Vujanovic M, Prata D, Hildebrandt F, Brox T, Ronneberger O, Voigt FF, Helmchen F, Loffing J, Horb ME, Willsey HR, Lienkamp SS. Deep learning is widely applicable to phenotyping embryonic development and disease. Development 2021; 148:273338. [PMID: 34739029 PMCID: PMC8602947 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Genome editing simplifies the generation of new animal models for congenital disorders. However, the detailed and unbiased phenotypic assessment of altered embryonic development remains a challenge. Here, we explore how deep learning (U-Net) can automate segmentation tasks in various imaging modalities, and we quantify phenotypes of altered renal, neural and craniofacial development in Xenopus embryos in comparison with normal variability. We demonstrate the utility of this approach in embryos with polycystic kidneys (pkd1 and pkd2) and craniofacial dysmorphia (six1). We highlight how in toto light-sheet microscopy facilitates accurate reconstruction of brain and craniofacial structures within X. tropicalis embryos upon dyrk1a and six1 loss of function or treatment with retinoic acid inhibitors. These tools increase the sensitivity and throughput of evaluating developmental malformations caused by chemical or genetic disruption. Furthermore, we provide a library of pre-trained networks and detailed instructions for applying deep learning to the reader's own datasets. We demonstrate the versatility, precision and scalability of deep neural network phenotyping on embryonic disease models. By combining light-sheet microscopy and deep learning, we provide a framework for higher-throughput characterization of embryonic model organisms. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Özgün Çiçek
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany
| | - Paulina Ogar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Max Bürgi
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Nikko-Ideen Shaidani
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Michael M Kaminski
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 10115, Germany.,Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kelli Grand
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marko Vujanovic
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Prata
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Friedhelm Hildebrandt
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115,USA
| | - Thomas Brox
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany
| | - Olaf Ronneberger
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany.,DeepMind, London WC2H 8AG , UK
| | - Fabian F Voigt
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Loffing
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marko E Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Soeren S Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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9
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Abstract
A major advantage of experimentation in Xenopus is the ability to query the localization of endogenous proteins and RNAs in situ in the entire animal during all of development. Here I describe three variations of staining to visualize mRNAs and proteins in developing Xenopus embryos and tadpoles. The first section outlines a traditional colorimetric staining for mRNAs that is suitable for all stages of development, and the second extends this protocol for fluorescence-based detection for higher spatial and quantitative resolution. The final section details detection of proteins by immunofluorescence, optimized for tadpole stages but widely applicable to others. Finally, optimization strategies are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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10
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Willsey HR, Exner CRT, Xu Y, Everitt A, Sun N, Wang B, Dea J, Schmunk G, Zaltsman Y, Teerikorpi N, Kim A, Anderson AS, Shin D, Seyler M, Nowakowski TJ, Harland RM, Willsey AJ, State MW. Parallel in vivo analysis of large-effect autism genes implicates cortical neurogenesis and estrogen in risk and resilience. Neuron 2021; 109:1409. [PMID: 33887193 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Exner CRT, Willsey HR. Xenopus leads the way: Frogs as a pioneering model to understand the human brain. Genesis 2021; 59:e23405. [PMID: 33369095 PMCID: PMC8130472 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
From its long history in the field of embryology to its recent advances in genetics, Xenopus has been an indispensable model for understanding the human brain. Foundational studies that gave us our first insights into major embryonic patterning events serve as a crucial backdrop for newer avenues of investigation into organogenesis and organ function. The vast array of tools available in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis allows interrogation of developmental phenomena at all levels, from the molecular to the behavioral, and the application of CRISPR technology has enabled the investigation of human disorder risk genes in a higher-throughput manner. As the only major tetrapod model in which all developmental stages are easily manipulated and observed, frogs provide the unique opportunity to study organ development from the earliest stages. All of these features make Xenopus a premier model for studying the development of the brain, a notoriously complex process that demands an understanding of all stages from fertilization to organogenesis and beyond. Importantly, core processes of brain development are conserved between Xenopus and human, underlining the advantages of this model. This review begins by summarizing discoveries made in amphibians that form the cornerstones of vertebrate neurodevelopmental biology and goes on to discuss recent advances that have catapulted our understanding of brain development in Xenopus and in relation to human development and disease. As we engage in a new era of patient-driven gene discovery, Xenopus offers exceptional potential to uncover conserved biology underlying human brain disorders and move towards rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
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12
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Willsey HR, Exner CRT, Xu Y, Everitt A, Sun N, Wang B, Dea J, Schmunk G, Zaltsman Y, Teerikorpi N, Kim A, Anderson AS, Shin D, Seyler M, Nowakowski TJ, Harland RM, Willsey AJ, State MW. Parallel in vivo analysis of large-effect autism genes implicates cortical neurogenesis and estrogen in risk and resilience. Neuron 2021; 109:788-804.e8. [PMID: 33497602 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [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: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Gene Ontology analyses of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) risk genes have repeatedly highlighted synaptic function and transcriptional regulation as key points of convergence. However, these analyses rely on incomplete knowledge of gene function across brain development. Here we leverage Xenopus tropicalis to study in vivo ten genes with the strongest statistical evidence for association with ASD. All genes are expressed in developing telencephalon at time points mapping to human mid-prenatal development, and mutations lead to an increase in the ratio of neural progenitor cells to maturing neurons, supporting previous in silico systems biological findings implicating cortical neurons in ASD vulnerability, but expanding the range of convergent functions to include neurogenesis. Systematic chemical screening identifies that estrogen, via Sonic hedgehog signaling, rescues this convergent phenotype in Xenopus and human models of brain development, suggesting a resilience factor that may mitigate a range of ASD genetic risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Amanda Everitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nawei Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Belinda Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Galina Schmunk
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yefim Zaltsman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nia Teerikorpi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Albert Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Aoife S Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - David Shin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Meghan Seyler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - A Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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Dur AH, Tang T, Viviano S, Sekuri A, Willsey HR, Tagare HD, Kahle KT, Deniz E. In Xenopus ependymal cilia drive embryonic CSF circulation and brain development independently of cardiac pulsatile forces. Fluids Barriers CNS 2020; 17:72. [PMID: 33308296 PMCID: PMC7731788 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-020-00234-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydrocephalus, the pathological expansion of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled cerebral ventricles, is a common, deadly disease. In the adult, cardiac and respiratory forces are the main drivers of CSF flow within the brain ventricular system to remove waste and deliver nutrients. In contrast, the mechanics and functions of CSF circulation in the embryonic brain are poorly understood. This is primarily due to the lack of model systems and imaging technology to study these early time points. Here, we studied embryos of the vertebrate Xenopus with optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to investigate in vivo ventricular and neural development during the onset of CSF circulation. METHODS Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a cross-sectional imaging modality, was used to study developing Xenopus tadpole brains and to dynamically detect in vivo ventricular morphology and CSF circulation in real-time, at micrometer resolution. The effects of immobilizing cilia and cardiac ablation were investigated. RESULTS In Xenopus, using OCT imaging, we demonstrated that ventriculogenesis can be tracked throughout development until the beginning of metamorphosis. We found that during Xenopus embryogenesis, initially, CSF fills the primitive ventricular space and remains static, followed by the initiation of the cilia driven CSF circulation where ependymal cilia create a polarized CSF flow. No pulsatile flow was detected throughout these tailbud and early tadpole stages. As development progressed, despite the emergence of the choroid plexus in Xenopus, cardiac forces did not contribute to the CSF circulation, and ciliary flow remained the driver of the intercompartmental bidirectional flow as well as the near-wall flow. We finally showed that cilia driven flow is crucial for proper rostral development and regulated the spatial neural cell organization. CONCLUSIONS Our data support a paradigm in which Xenopus embryonic ventriculogenesis and rostral brain development are critically dependent on ependymal cilia-driven CSF flow currents that are generated independently of cardiac pulsatile forces. Our work suggests that the Xenopus ventricular system forms a complex cilia-driven CSF flow network which regulates neural cell organization. This work will redirect efforts to understand the molecular regulators of embryonic CSF flow by focusing attention on motile cilia rather than other forces relevant only to the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Dur
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - T Tang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 300 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - S Viviano
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - A Sekuri
- Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - H R Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - H D Tagare
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 300 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - K T Kahle
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery and Cellular & Molecular Physiology, and Centers for Mendelian Genomics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - E Deniz
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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Willsey HR, Xu Y, Everitt A, Dea J, Exner CRT, Willsey AJ, State MW, Harland RM. Correction: The neurodevelopmental disorder risk gene DYRK1A is required for ciliogenesis and control of brain size in Xenopus embryos. Development 2020; 147:dev198317. [PMID: 33288503 PMCID: PMC10846505 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Amanda Everitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - A Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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15
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Willsey HR, Xu Y, Everitt A, Dea J, Exner CRT, Willsey AJ, State MW, Harland RM. The neurodevelopmental disorder risk gene DYRK1A is required for ciliogenesis and control of brain size in Xenopus embryos. Development 2020; 147:dev189290. [PMID: 32467234 PMCID: PMC10755402 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
DYRK1A [dual specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1 A] is a high-confidence autism risk gene that encodes a conserved kinase. In addition to autism, individuals with putative loss-of-function variants in DYRK1A exhibit microcephaly, intellectual disability, developmental delay and/or congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. DYRK1A is also located within the critical region for Down syndrome; therefore, understanding the role of DYRK1A in brain development is crucial for understanding the pathobiology of multiple developmental disorders. To characterize the function of this gene, we used the diploid frog Xenopus tropicalis We discover that Dyrk1a is expressed in ciliated tissues, localizes to ciliary axonemes and basal bodies, and is required for ciliogenesis. We also demonstrate that Dyrk1a localizes to mitotic spindles and that its inhibition leads to decreased forebrain size, abnormal cell cycle progression and cell death during brain development. These findings provide hypotheses about potential mechanisms of pathobiology and underscore the utility of X. tropicalis as a model system for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Amanda Everitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - A Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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16
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Blackburn ATM, Bekheirnia N, Uma VC, Corkins ME, Xu Y, Rosenfeld JA, Bainbridge MN, Yang Y, Liu P, Madan-Khetarpal S, Delgado MR, Hudgins L, Krantz I, Rodriguez-Buritica D, Wheeler PG, Al-Gazali L, Mohamed Saeed Mohamed Al Shamsi A, Gomez-Ospina N, Chao HT, Mirzaa GM, Scheuerle AE, Kukolich MK, Scaglia F, Eng C, Willsey HR, Braun MC, Lamb DJ, Miller RK, Bekheirnia MR. DYRK1A-related intellectual disability: a syndrome associated with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Genet Med 2019; 21:2755-2764. [PMID: 31263215 PMCID: PMC6895419 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-019-0576-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Haploinsufficiency of DYRK1A causes a recognizable clinical syndrome. The goal of this paper is to investigate congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and genital defects (GD) in patients with DYRK1A variants. METHODS A large database of clinical exome sequencing (ES) was queried for de novo DYRK1A variants and CAKUT/GD phenotypes were characterized. Xenopus laevis (frog) was chosen as a model organism to assess Dyrk1a's role in renal development. RESULTS Phenotypic details and variants of 19 patients were compiled after an initial observation that one patient with a de novo pathogenic variant in DYRK1A had GD. CAKUT/GD data were available from 15 patients, 11 of whom presented with CAKUT/GD. Studies in Xenopus embryos demonstrated that knockdown of Dyrk1a, which is expressed in forming nephrons, disrupts the development of segments of embryonic nephrons, which ultimately give rise to the entire genitourinary (GU) tract. These defects could be rescued by coinjecting wild-type human DYRK1A RNA, but not with DYRK1AR205* or DYRK1AL245R RNA. CONCLUSION Evidence supports routine GU screening of all individuals with de novo DYRK1A pathogenic variants to ensure optimized clinical management. Collectively, the reported clinical data and loss-of-function studies in Xenopus substantiate a novel role for DYRK1A in GU development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria T M Blackburn
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nasim Bekheirnia
- Renal Section, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Mark E Corkins
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew N Bainbridge
- Codified Genomics, LLC, Houston, TX, USA
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yaping Yang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Suneeta Madan-Khetarpal
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mauricio R Delgado
- Department of neurology and Neurotherapeutics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Louanne Hudgins
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian Krantz
- Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David Rodriguez-Buritica
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Lihadh Al-Gazali
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Natalia Gomez-Ospina
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hsiao-Tuan Chao
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- McNair Medical Institute at The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ghayda M Mirzaa
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Angela E Scheuerle
- Department of Pediatrics (Genetics and Metabolism), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mary K Kukolich
- Clinical Genetics, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Fernando Scaglia
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Joint BCM-CUHK Center of Medical Genetics, Prince of Wales Hospital, ShaTin, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Christine Eng
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Braun
- Renal Section, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dolores J Lamb
- Department of Urology and Center for Reproductive Genomics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel K Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Mir Reza Bekheirnia
- Renal Section, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Willsey HR, Walentek P, Exner CRT, Xu Y, Lane AB, Harland RM, Heald R, Santama N. Katanin-like protein Katnal2 is required for ciliogenesis and brain development in Xenopus embryos. Dev Biol 2018; 442:276-287. [PMID: 30096282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microtubule remodeling is critical for cellular and developmental processes underlying morphogenetic changes and for the formation of many subcellular structures. Katanins are conserved microtubule severing enzymes that are essential for spindle assembly, ciliogenesis, cell division, and cellular motility. We have recently shown that a related protein, Katanin-like 2 (KATNAL2), is similarly required for cytokinesis, cell cycle progression, and ciliogenesis in cultured mouse cells. However, its developmental expression pattern, localization, and in vivo role during organogenesis have yet to be characterized. Here, we used Xenopus embryos to reveal that Katnal2 (1) is expressed broadly in ciliated and neurogenic tissues throughout embryonic development; (2) is localized to basal bodies, ciliary axonemes, centrioles, and mitotic spindles; and (3) is required for ciliogenesis and brain development. Since human KATNAL2 is a risk gene for autism spectrum disorders, our functional data suggest that Xenopus may be a relevant system for understanding the relationship of mutations in this gene to autism and the underlying molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Peter Walentek
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
| | - Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Andrew B Lane
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Rebecca Heald
- Department of Molecular&Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Niovi Santama
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Cyprus.
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Willsey HR, Zheng X, Carlos Pastor-Pareja J, Willsey AJ, Beachy PA, Xu T. Localized JNK signaling regulates organ size during development. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 26974344 PMCID: PMC4848088 DOI: 10.7554/elife.11491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question of biology is what determines organ size. Despite demonstrations that factors within organs determine their sizes, intrinsic size control mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that Drosophila wing size is regulated by JNK signaling during development. JNK is active in a stripe along the center of developing wings, and modulating JNK signaling within this stripe changes organ size. This JNK stripe influences proliferation in a non-canonical, Jun-independent manner by inhibiting the Hippo pathway. Localized JNK activity is established by Hedgehog signaling, where Ci elevates dTRAF1 expression. As the dTRAF1 homolog, TRAF4, is amplified in numerous cancers, these findings provide a new mechanism for how the Hedgehog pathway could contribute to tumorigenesis, and, more importantly, provides a new strategy for cancer therapies. Finally, modulation of JNK signaling centers in developing antennae and legs changes their sizes, suggesting a more generalizable role for JNK signaling in developmental organ size control. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11491.001 A key challenge in biology is to understand what determines size. As an animal grows, signals are produced that control the size of its organs. Many of the signaling pathways that regulate size during normal animal development also contribute to the formation of tumors. Therefore, it is important to find out exactly how the signaling molecules that regulate size are linked to those that regulate tumor growth. A protein called JNK activates a signaling pathway that triggers tumor growth. JNK signaling also stimulates cells to multiply in tissues that need repair, but it is not known whether it also regulates the size of organs during animal development. Here, Willsey et al. investigate whether JNK is active in the developing wings of fruit flies, which are commonly used as models of animal development. The experiments show that JNK is active in a stripe across the developing wing and is required for the wing to grow to its proper size. A master signal protein called Hedgehog is responsible for establishing this stripe of JNK activity. Unexpectedly, rather than acting through its usual signaling pathway, JNK activates the Hippo pathway in the wing to control organ size during development. Willsey et al.’s findings highlight potential new targets for cancer therapies. A future challenge will be to find out whether small patches of JNK signaling are found in the developing organs of other animals, and whether they can help explain how size changes between species. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11491.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Xiaoyan Zheng
- Departments of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - José Carlos Pastor-Pareja
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - A Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Philip A Beachy
- Departments of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Tian Xu
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and National Center for International Research, Fudan-Yale Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Developmental Biology and Molecular Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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