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Loser D, Schaefer J, Danker T, Möller C, Brüll M, Suciu I, Ückert AK, Klima S, Leist M, Kraushaar U. Human neuronal signaling and communication assays to assess functional neurotoxicity. Arch Toxicol 2021; 95:229-252. [PMID: 33269408 PMCID: PMC7811517 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02956-3] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Prediction of drug toxicity on the human nervous system still relies mainly on animal experiments. Here, we developed an alternative system allowing assessment of complex signaling in both individual human neurons and on the network level. The LUHMES cultures used for our approach can be cultured in 384-well plates with high reproducibility. We established here high-throughput quantification of free intracellular Ca2+ concentrations [Ca2+]i as broadly applicable surrogate of neuronal activity and verified the main processes by patch clamp recordings. Initially, we characterized the expression pattern of many neuronal signaling components and selected the purinergic receptors to demonstrate the applicability of the [Ca2+]i signals for quantitative characterization of agonist and antagonist responses on classical ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors. This included receptor sub-typing and the characterization of the anti-parasitic drug suramin as modulator of the cellular response to ATP. To exemplify potential studies on ion channels, we characterized voltage-gated sodium channels and their inhibition by tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin and lidocaine, as well as their opening by the plant alkaloid veratridine and the food-relevant marine biotoxin ciguatoxin. Even broader applicability of [Ca2+]i quantification as an end point was demonstrated by measurements of dopamine transporter activity based on the membrane potential-changing activity of this neurotransmitter carrier. The substrates dopamine or amphetamine triggered [Ca2+]i oscillations that were synchronized over the entire culture dish. We identified compounds that modified these oscillations by interfering with various ion channels. Thus, this new test system allows multiple types of neuronal signaling, within and between cells, to be assessed, quantified and characterized for their potential disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Loser
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
- NMI TT GmbH, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
- Life Sciences Faculty, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, 72488, Sigmaringen, Germany
| | - Jasmin Schaefer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
- NMI TT GmbH, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
| | | | - Clemens Möller
- Life Sciences Faculty, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, 72488, Sigmaringen, Germany
| | - Markus Brüll
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstr. 10, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Ilinca Suciu
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstr. 10, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Ückert
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstr. 10, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Stefanie Klima
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstr. 10, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstr. 10, 78457, Constance, Germany.
| | - Udo Kraushaar
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
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Meisig J, Dreser N, Kapitza M, Henry M, Rotshteyn T, Rahnenführer J, Hengstler J, Sachinidis A, Waldmann T, Leist M, Blüthgen N. Kinetic modeling of stem cell transcriptome dynamics to identify regulatory modules of normal and disturbed neuroectodermal differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:12577-12592. [PMID: 33245762 PMCID: PMC7736781 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of transcriptome data sets are available, but approaches for their use in dynamic cell response modelling are few, especially for processes affected simultaneously by two orthogonal influencing variables. We approached this problem for neuroepithelial development of human pluripotent stem cells (differentiation variable), in the presence or absence of valproic acid (signaling variable). Using few basic assumptions (sequential differentiation states of cells; discrete on/off states for individual genes in these states), and time-resolved transcriptome data, a comprehensive model of spontaneous and perturbed gene expression dynamics was developed. The model made reliable predictions (average correlation of 0.85 between predicted and subsequently tested expression values). Even regulations predicted to be non-monotonic were successfully validated by PCR in new sets of experiments. Transient patterns of gene regulation were identified from model predictions. They pointed towards activation of Wnt signaling as a candidate pathway leading to a redirection of differentiation away from neuroepithelial cells towards neural crest. Intervention experiments, using a Wnt/beta-catenin antagonist, led to a phenotypic rescue of this disturbed differentiation. Thus, our broadly applicable model allows the analysis of transcriptome changes in complex time/perturbation matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Meisig
- Institute of Pathology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Dreser
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marion Kapitza
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Margit Henry
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Tamara Rotshteyn
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jörg Rahnenführer
- Department of Statistics, TU Dortmund University, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), TU Dortmund University, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Agapios Sachinidis
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Tanja Waldmann
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nils Blüthgen
- Institute of Pathology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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