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Konsolaki E, Koropouli E, Tsape E, Pothakos K, Zagoraiou L. Genetic Inactivation of Cholinergic C Bouton Output Improves Motor Performance but not Survival in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neuroscience 2020; 450:71-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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102
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Garcia-Diaz A, Efe G, Kabra K, Patel A, Lowry ER, Shneider NA, Corneo B, Wichterle H. Standardized Reporter Systems for Purification and Imaging of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Motor Neurons and Other Cholinergic Cells. Neuroscience 2020; 450:48-56. [PMID: 32615233 PMCID: PMC7688562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Reliable and consistent pluripotent stem cell reporter systems for efficient purification and visualization of motor neurons are essential reagents for the study of normal motor neuron biology and for effective disease modeling. To overcome the inherent noisiness of transgene-based reporters, we developed a new series of human induced pluripotent stem cell lines by knocking in tdTomato, Cre, or CreERT2 recombinase into the HB9 (MNX1) or VACHT (SLC18A3) genomic loci. The new lines were validated by directed differentiation into spinal motor neurons and immunostaining for motor neuron markers HB9 and ISL1. To facilitate efficient purification of spinal motor neurons, we further engineered the VACHT-Cre cell line with a validated, conditional CD14-GFP construct that allows for both fluorescence-based identification of motor neurons, as well as magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) to isolate differentiated motor neurons at scale. The targeting strategies developed here offer a standardized platform for reproducible comparison of motor neurons across independently derived pluripotent cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Garcia-Diaz
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (in Neurology), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; The Stem Cell Core Facility, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Gizem Efe
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (in Neurology), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; The Stem Cell Core Facility, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Khushbu Kabra
- The Stem Cell Core Facility, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Achchhe Patel
- The Stem Cell Core Facility, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Emily R Lowry
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (in Neurology), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Neil A Shneider
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Barbara Corneo
- The Stem Cell Core Facility, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (in Neurology), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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103
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Mishra V, Re DB, Le Verche V, Alvarez MJ, Vasciaveo A, Jacquier A, Doulias PT, Greco TM, Nizzardo M, Papadimitriou D, Nagata T, Rinchetti P, Perez-Torres EJ, Politi KA, Ikiz B, Clare K, Than ME, Corti S, Ischiropoulos H, Lotti F, Califano A, Przedborski S. Systematic elucidation of neuron-astrocyte interaction in models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using multi-modal integrated bioinformatics workflow. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5579. [PMID: 33149111 PMCID: PMC7642391 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19177-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communications are critical determinants of pathophysiological phenotypes, but methodologies for their systematic elucidation are lacking. Herein, we propose an approach for the Systematic Elucidation and Assessment of Regulatory Cell-to-cell Interaction Networks (SEARCHIN) to identify ligand-mediated interactions between distinct cellular compartments. To test this approach, we selected a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which astrocytes expressing mutant superoxide dismutase-1 (mutSOD1) kill wild-type motor neurons (MNs) by an unknown mechanism. Our integrative analysis that combines proteomics and regulatory network analysis infers the interaction between astrocyte-released amyloid precursor protein (APP) and death receptor-6 (DR6) on MNs as the top predicted ligand-receptor pair. The inferred deleterious role of APP and DR6 is confirmed in vitro in models of ALS. Moreover, the DR6 knockdown in MNs of transgenic mutSOD1 mice attenuates the ALS-like phenotype. Our results support the usefulness of integrative, systems biology approach to gain insights into complex neurobiological disease processes as in ALS and posit that the proposed methodology is not restricted to this biological context and could be used in a variety of other non-cell-autonomous communication mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vartika Mishra
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Spark Therapeutics, 3737 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Diane B Re
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Virginia Le Verche
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Mariano J Alvarez
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- DarwinHealth Inc., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Alessandro Vasciaveo
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arnaud Jacquier
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR 5310 - INSERM U1217 - Université de Lyon - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Paschalis-Tomas Doulias
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Todd M Greco
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Monica Nizzardo
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Dimitra Papadimitriou
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Henry Dunant Hospital, BRFAA, Athens, Greece
| | - Tetsuya Nagata
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paola Rinchetti
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Eduardo J Perez-Torres
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kristin A Politi
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Burcin Ikiz
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kevin Clare
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Manuel E Than
- Protein Crystallography Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstr. 11, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Harry Ischiropoulos
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Francesco Lotti
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- J.P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Serge Przedborski
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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104
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Dos Santos M, Backer S, Saintpierre B, Izac B, Andrieu M, Letourneur F, Relaix F, Sotiropoulos A, Maire P. Single-nucleus RNA-seq and FISH identify coordinated transcriptional activity in mammalian myofibers. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5102. [PMID: 33037211 PMCID: PMC7547110 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle fibers are large syncytia but it is currently unknown whether gene expression is coordinately regulated in their numerous nuclei. Here we show by snRNA-seq and snATAC-seq that slow, fast, myotendinous and neuromuscular junction myonuclei each have different transcriptional programs, associated with distinct chromatin states and combinations of transcription factors. In adult mice, identified myofiber types predominantly express either a slow or one of the three fast isoforms of Myosin heavy chain (MYH) proteins, while a small number of hybrid fibers can express more than one MYH. By snRNA-seq and FISH, we show that the majority of myonuclei within a myofiber are synchronized, coordinately expressing only one fast Myh isoform with a preferential panel of muscle-specific genes. Importantly, this coordination of expression occurs early during post-natal development and depends on innervation. These findings highlight a previously undefined mechanism of coordination of gene expression in a syncytium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stéphanie Backer
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS., 75014, Paris, France
| | | | - Brigitte Izac
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS., 75014, Paris, France
| | - Muriel Andrieu
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS., 75014, Paris, France
| | - Franck Letourneur
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS., 75014, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Relaix
- Université Paris-Est Creteil, INSERM U955 IMRB., 94000, Creteil, France
| | | | - Pascal Maire
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS., 75014, Paris, France.
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105
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Abdelaal AY, Mousa MH, Gamal M, Khalil MI, Elbasiouny SM, Eldawlatly S. A Classification Approach to Recognize the Firing of Spinal Motoneurons in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2020:3680-3683. [PMID: 33018799 DOI: 10.1109/embc44109.2020.9176551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the nervous system causing muscle weakness, paralysis, leading to death. Given that abnormalities in spinal motoneuron (MN) excitability begin long before symptoms manifest, developing an approach that could recognize fluctuations in MN firing could help in early diagnosis of ALS. This paper introduces a machine learning approach to discriminate between ALS and normal MN firing. The approach is based on two electrophysiological markers; namely, spiking latency and the spike-triggered average signal. The method is examined using data generated from a computational model under systematic variation of MN properties. Such variations mimic the differential dynamic changes in cellular properties that different MN types experience during ALS progression. Our results demonstrate the ability of the approach to accurately recognize ALS firing patterns across the spectrum of examined variations in MN properties.Clinical Relevance- These results represent a proof of concept for using the proposed machine-learning approach in early diagnosis of ALS.
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106
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Sepehrimanesh M, Ding B. Generation and optimization of highly pure motor neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells via lentiviral delivery of transcription factors. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2020; 319:C771-C780. [PMID: 32783653 PMCID: PMC7654652 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00279.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Generation of neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) overcomes the limited access to human brain samples and greatly facilitates the progress of research in neurological diseases. However, it is still a challenge to generate a particular neuronal subtype with high purity and yield for determining the pathogenesis of diseased neurons using biochemical approaches. Motor neurons (MNs) are a specialized neuronal subtype responsible for governing both autonomic and volitional movement. Dysfunctions in MNs are implicated in a variety of movement diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this study, we generated functional MNs from human iPSCs via lentiviral delivery of transcription factors. Moreover, we optimized induction conditions by using different combinations of transcription factors and found that a single lentiviral vector expressing three factors [neurogenin-2 (NGN2), insulin gene enhancer 1 (ISL1), and LIM/homeobox 3 (LHX3)] is necessary and sufficient to induce iPSC-derived MNs (iPSC-MNs). These MNs robustly expressed general neuron markers [microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), neurofilament protein (SMI-32), and tubulin β-3 class III (TUBB3)] and MN-specific markers [HB9 and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)] and showed electrical maturation and firing of action potentials within 3 wk. This approach significantly improved the neuronal survival, yield, and purity, making it feasible to obtain abundant materials for biochemical studies in modeling movement diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masood Sepehrimanesh
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
| | - Baojin Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
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107
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Colón-Rodríguez A, Colón-Carrión NM, Atchison WD. AMPA receptor contribution to methylmercury-mediated alteration of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in human induced pluripotent stem cell motor neurons. Neurotoxicology 2020; 81:116-126. [PMID: 32991939 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
α motor neurons (MNs) are a target of the environmental neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg), accumulating MeHg and subsequently degenerating. In mouse spinal cord MN cultures, MeHg increased intracellular Ca2+ [Ca2+]i; the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist CNQX delayed the increase in [Ca2+]i, implicating the role of AMPARs in this response. Here we used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MNs (hiPSC-MNs), to characterize the role of MN AMPARs in MeHg neurotoxicity. Acute exposure to MeHg (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 μM), fura-2 microfluorimetry, and a standard cytotoxicity assay, were used to examine MN regulation of [Ca2+]i, and cytotoxicity, respectively. Contribution of Ca2+-permeable and impermeable AMPARs was compared using either CNQX, or the Ca2+-permeable AMPAR antagonist N-acetyl spermine (NAS). MeHg-induced cytotoxicity was evaluated following a 24 h delay subsequent to 1 h exposure of hiPSC-MNs. MeHg caused a characteristic biphasic increase in [Ca2+]i, the onset of which was concentration-dependent; higher MeHg concentrations hastened onset of both phases. CNQX significantly delayed MeHg's effect on onset time of both phases. In contrast, NAS significantly delayed only the 2nd phase increase in fura-2 fluorescence. Exposure to MeHg for 1 h followed by a 24 h recovery period caused a concentration-dependent incidence of cell death. These results demonstrate for the first time that hiPSC-derived MNs are highly sensitive to effects of MeHg on [Ca2+]i, and cytotoxicity, and that both Ca2+-permeable and impermeable AMPARs contribute the elevations in [Ca2+]i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B338 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B338 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B331 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Nicole M Colón-Carrión
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B338 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - William D Atchison
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B338 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B338 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 1355 Bogue St., B331 Life Science Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
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108
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Smith CC, Brownstone RM. Spinal motoneuron firing properties mature from rostral to caudal during postnatal development of the mouse. J Physiol 2020; 598:5467-5485. [PMID: 32851667 PMCID: PMC8436765 DOI: 10.1113/jp280274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Key points Many mammals are born with immature motor systems that develop through a critical period of postnatal development. In rodents, postnatal maturation of movement occurs from rostral to caudal, correlating with maturation of descending supraspinal and local spinal circuits. We asked whether development of fundamental electrophysiological properties of spinal motoneurons follows the same rostro‐caudal sequence. We show that in both regions, repetitive firing parameters increase and excitability decreases with development; however, these characteristics mature earlier in cervical motoneurons. We suggest that in addition to autonomous mechanisms, motoneuron development depends on activity resulting from their circuit milieu.
Abstract Altricial mammals are born with immature nervous systems comprised of circuits that do not yet have the neuronal properties and connectivity required to produce future behaviours. During the critical period of postnatal development, neuronal properties are tuned to participate in functional circuits. In rodents, cervical motoneurons are born prior to lumbar motoneurons, and spinal cord development follows a sequential rostro‐caudal pattern. Here we asked whether birth order is reflected in the postnatal development of electrophysiological properties. We show that motoneurons of both regions have similar properties at birth and follow the same developmental profile, with maximal firing increasing and excitability decreasing into the third postnatal week. However, these maturative processes occur in cervical motoneurons prior to lumbar motoneurons, correlating with the maturation of premotor descending and local spinal systems. These results suggest that motoneuron properties do not mature by cell autonomous mechanisms alone, but also depend on developing premotor circuits. Many mammals are born with immature motor systems that develop through a critical period of postnatal development. In rodents, postnatal maturation of movement occurs from rostral to caudal, correlating with maturation of descending supraspinal and local spinal circuits. We asked whether development of fundamental electrophysiological properties of spinal motoneurons follows the same rostro‐caudal sequence. We show that in both regions, repetitive firing parameters increase and excitability decreases with development; however, these characteristics mature earlier in cervical motoneurons. We suggest that in addition to autonomous mechanisms, motoneuron development depends on activity resulting from their circuit milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin C Smith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert M Brownstone
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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109
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Tenney AP, Livet J, Belton T, Prochazkova M, Pearson EM, Whitman MC, Kulkarni AB, Engle EC, Henderson CE. Etv1 Controls the Establishment of Non-overlapping Motor Innervation of Neighboring Facial Muscles during Development. Cell Rep 2020; 29:437-452.e4. [PMID: 31597102 PMCID: PMC7032945 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The somatotopic motor-neuron projections onto their cognate target muscles are essential for coordinated movement, but how that occurs for facial motor circuits, which have critical roles in respiratory and interactive behaviors, is poorly understood. We report extensive molecular heterogeneity in developing facial motor neurons in the mouse and identify markers of subnuclei and the motor pools innervating specific facial muscles. Facial subnuclei differentiate during migration to the ventral hindbrain, where neurons with progressively later birth dates—and evolutionarily more recent functions—settle in more-lateral positions. One subpopulation marker, ETV1, determines both positional and target muscle identity for neurons of the dorsolateral (DL) subnucleus. In Etv1 mutants, many markers of DL differentiation are lost, and individual motor pools project indifferently to their own and neighboring muscle targets. The resulting aberrant activation patterns are reminiscent of the facial synkinesis observed in humans after facial nerve injury. Tenney et al. demonstrate that embryonic facial motor neurons are transcriptionally diverse as they establish somatotopic innervation of the facial muscles, a process that requires the transcription factor ETV1. Facial-motor axon-targeting errors in Etv1 mutants cause coordination of whisking and eyeblink evocative of human blepharospasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan P Tenney
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease (MNC), Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Jean Livet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Timothy Belton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michaela Prochazkova
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Erica M Pearson
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease (MNC), Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mary C Whitman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ashok B Kulkarni
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Christopher E Henderson
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease (MNC), Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI), Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative (CTNI), Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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110
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Patti F, Fiore M, Chisari CG, D'Amico E, Lo Fermo S, Toscano S, Copat C, Ferrante M, Zappia M. CSF neurotoxic metals/metalloids levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: comparison between bulbar and spinal onset. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 188:109820. [PMID: 32615355 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) that causes progressive and irreversible damage in motor neurons. Different causal hypotheses include genetic, viral, traumatic and environmental mechanisms, such as exposure to heavy metals. The aim of this study was to compare metal/metalloid levels in cerebro-spinal fluid of ALS subtypes (spinal vs bulbar clinical onset). MATERIAL AND METHODS This observational study consecutively screened all ALS patients referring to the Neurology Clinic of the University of Catania (Italy). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to quantify magnesium (Mg), cuprum (Cu), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), alluminium (Al), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and palladium (Pd) levels. RESULTS Thirty-seven patients were enrolled (62.2% females), median age of 65 years (IQR: 59-71 years). Thirty-one (83.8%) patients had a spinal onset and 6 (16.2%) a bulbar onset. Se and As levels were higher compared to the reference values (RV) both in spinal and bulbar onset, while Cu was higher than RV only in bulbar onset. Moreover, Cu (129.8 μg/L vs 29.8 μg/L), Fe (54.5 μg/L vs 33.3 μg/L), Mn (3.4 μg/L vs 1.8 μg/L), Zn (46.1 μg/L vs 35.7 μg/L), Al (12.2 μg/L vs 6.7 μg/L), Ni (2.80 μg/L vs 1.40 μg/L), and Pb (0.60 μg/L vs 0.30 μg/L) levels were higher in bulbar than in spinal onset, conversely As was slightly higher in spinal than in bulbar onset (1.40 μg/L vs 1.10 μg/L). Overall, Cu (129 μg/L vs 31 μg/L), Fe (92.2 μg/L vs 32.9 μg/L), Mn (3.35 μg/L vs 1.80 μg/L), Zn (56.5 μg/L vs 35.2 μg/L), Al (14.45 μg/L vs 6.70 μg/L), and Cd (0.40 μg/L vs 0.08 μg/L) levels were higher in patients with disease duration less than 19 months. CONCLUSION Our results supported the hypothesis that metals/metalloids with neurotoxic effects could be involved in the etiology of ALS, showing higher levels of Cu, Se and As. Relevant differences in Cu and Mn levels were found between bulbar and spinal onset patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Patti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
| | - Maria Fiore
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratory (LIAA), Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Clara G Chisari
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele D'Amico
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Lo Fermo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Simona Toscano
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Chiara Copat
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratory (LIAA), Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Margherita Ferrante
- Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratory (LIAA), Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Mario Zappia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
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111
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Differential Loss of Spinal Interneurons in a Mouse Model of ALS. Neuroscience 2020; 450:81-95. [PMID: 32858144 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to a loss of specific motor neuron populations in the spinal cord and cortex. Emerging evidence suggests that interneurons may also be affected, but a detailed characterization of interneuron loss and its potential impacts on motor neuron loss and disease progression is lacking. To examine this issue, the fate of V1 inhibitory neurons during ALS was assessed in the ventral spinal cord using the SODG93A mouse model. The V1 population makes up ∼30% of all ventral inhibitory neurons, ∼50% of direct inhibitory synaptic contacts onto motor neuron cell bodies, and is thought to play a key role in modulating motor output, in part through recurrent and reciprocal inhibitory circuits. We find that approximately half of V1 inhibitory neurons are lost in SODG93A mice at late disease stages, but that this loss is delayed relative to the loss of motor neurons and V2a excitatory neurons. We further identify V1 subpopulations based on transcription factor expression that are differentially susceptible to degeneration in SODG93A mice. At an early disease stage, we show that V1 synaptic contacts with motor neuron cell bodies increase, suggesting an upregulation of inhibition before V1 neurons are lost in substantial numbers. These data support a model in which progressive changes in V1 synaptic contacts early in disease, and in select V1 subpopulations at later stages, represent a compensatory upregulation and then deleterious breakdown of specific interneuron circuits within the spinal cord.
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112
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Falgairolle M, O'Donovan MJ. Motoneuronal Spinal Circuits in Degenerative Motoneuron Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:74. [PMID: 32523513 PMCID: PMC7261878 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The most evident phenotype of degenerative motoneuron disease is the loss of motor function which accompanies motoneuron death. In both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), it is now clear that dysfunction is not restricted to motoneurons but is manifest in the spinal circuits in which motoneurons are embedded. As mounting evidence shows that motoneurons possess more elaborate and extensive connections within the spinal cord than previously realized, it is necessary to consider the role of this circuitry and its dysfunction in the disease process. In this review article, we ask if the selective vulnerability of the different motoneuron types and the relative disease resistance of distinct motoneuron groups can be understood in terms of their intraspinal connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Falgairolle
- Section on Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michael J O'Donovan
- Section on Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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113
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Zhang X, Lyu J, Jin X, Yang W, Lou Z, Xi Y, Yang X, Ge W. A motor neuron protective role of miR-969 mediated by the transcription factor kay. RNA Biol 2020; 17:1277-1283. [PMID: 32397794 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1757897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of motor neuron structure and function is crucial in development and motor behaviour. However, the genetic regulatory mechanism of motor neuron function remains less well understood. In the present study, we identify a novel neuroprotective role of the microRNA miR-969 in Drosophila motor neurons. miR-969 is highly expressed in motor neurons. Loss of miR-969 results in early-onset and age-progressive locomotion impairment. Flies lacking miR-969 also exhibit shortened lifespan. Moreover, miR-969 is required in motor neurons. We further identify kay as a functionally important target of miR-969. Together, our results indicate that miR-969 can protect motor neuron function by limiting kay activity in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jialan Lyu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoye Jin
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weiwei Yang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ziwei Lou
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongmei Xi
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaohang Yang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanzhong Ge
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Institute of Genetics and Department of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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114
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Thiry L, Hamel R, Pluchino S, Durcan T, Stifani S. Characterization of Human iPSC-derived Spinal Motor Neurons by Single-cell RNA Sequencing. Neuroscience 2020; 450:57-70. [PMID: 32380268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer the opportunity to generate specific cell types from healthy and diseased individuals, allowing the study of mechanisms of early human development, modelling a variety of human diseases, and facilitating the development of new therapeutics. Human iPSC-based applications are often limited by the variability among iPSC lines originating from a single donor, as well as the heterogeneity among specific cell types that can be derived from iPSCs. The ability to deeply phenotype different iPSC-derived cell types is therefore of primary importance to the successful and informative application of this technology. Here we describe a combination of motor neuron (MN) derivation and single-cell RNA sequencing approaches to generate and characterize specific MN subtypes obtained from human iPSCs. Our studies provide evidence for rapid and robust generation of MN progenitor cells that can give rise to a heterogenous population of MNs. Approximately 58% of human iPSC-derived MNs display molecular characteristics of lateral motor column MNs, with a number of molecularly distinct subpopulations present within this MN group. Roughly 19% of induced MNs resemble hypaxial motor column MNs, while ∼6% of induced MNs have features of median motor column MNs. The present study has the potential to improve our understanding of iPSC-derived MN subtype function and dysfunction, possibly leading to improved iPSC-based applications for the study of human MN biology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Thiry
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal (Quebec) H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Regan Hamel
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clifford Allbutt Building - Cambridge Biosciences Campus and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, CB2 0HA Cambridge, UK
| | - Stefano Pluchino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clifford Allbutt Building - Cambridge Biosciences Campus and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, CB2 0HA Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas Durcan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal (Quebec) H3A 2B4, Canada; Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Canada
| | - Stefano Stifani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal (Quebec) H3A 2B4, Canada.
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115
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Nizzardo M, Taiana M, Rizzo F, Aguila Benitez J, Nijssen J, Allodi I, Melzi V, Bresolin N, Comi GP, Hedlund E, Corti S. Synaptotagmin 13 is neuroprotective across motor neuron diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:837-853. [PMID: 32065260 PMCID: PMC7181443 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02133-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal and lower brainstem motor neurons degenerate, but some motor neuron subtypes are spared, including oculomotor neurons (OMNs). The mechanisms responsible for this selective degeneration are largely unknown, but the molecular signatures of resistant and vulnerable motor neurons are distinct and offer clues to neuronal resilience and susceptibility. Here, we demonstrate that healthy OMNs preferentially express Synaptotagmin 13 (SYT13) compared to spinal motor neurons. In end-stage ALS patients, SYT13 is enriched in both OMNs and the remaining relatively resilient spinal motor neurons compared to controls. Overexpression of SYT13 in ALS and SMA patient motor neurons in vitro improves their survival and increases axon lengths. Gene therapy with Syt13 prolongs the lifespan of ALS mice by 14% and SMA mice by 50% by preserving motor neurons and delaying muscle denervation. SYT13 decreases endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis of motor neurons, both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, SYT13 is a resilience factor that can protect motor neurons and a candidate therapeutic target across motor neuron diseases.
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116
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Liu W, Venugopal S, Majid S, Ahn IS, Diamante G, Hong J, Yang X, Chandler SH. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of the brainstem of mutant SOD1 mice reveals perturbed cell types and pathways of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104877. [PMID: 32360664 PMCID: PMC7519882 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons throughout the brain and spinal cord progressively degenerate resulting in muscle atrophy, paralysis and death. Recent studies using animal models of ALS implicate multiple cell-types (e.g., astrocytes and microglia) in ALS pathogenesis in the spinal motor systems. To ascertain cellular vulnerability and cell-type specific mechanisms of ALS in the brainstem that orchestrates oral-motor functions, we conducted parallel single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis using the high-throughput Drop-seq method. We isolated 1894 and 3199 cells from the brainstem of wildtype and mutant SOD1 symptomatic mice respectively, at postnatal day 100. We recovered major known cell types and neuronal subpopulations, such as interneurons and motor neurons, and trigeminal ganglion (TG) peripheral sensory neurons, as well as, previously uncharacterized interneuron subtypes. We found that the majority of the cell types displayed transcriptomic alterations in ALS mice. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of individual cell populations revealed cell-type specific alterations in numerous pathways, including previously known ALS pathways such as inflammation (in microglia), stress response (ependymal and an uncharacterized cell population), neurogenesis (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons), synapse organization and transmission (microglia, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and neuronal subtypes), and mitochondrial function (uncharacterized cell populations). Other cell-type specific processes altered in SOD1 mutant brainstem include those from motor neurons (axon regeneration, voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels underlying excitability, potassium ion transport), trigeminal sensory neurons (detection of temperature stimulus involved in sensory perception), and cellular response to toxic substances (uncharacterized cell populations). DEGs consistently altered across cell types (e.g., Malat1), as well as cell-type specific DEGs, were identified. Importantly, DEGs from various cell types overlapped with known ALS genes from the literature and with top hits from an existing human ALS genome-wide association study (GWAS), implicating the potential cell types in which the ALS genes function with ALS pathogenesis. Our molecular investigation at single cell resolution provides comprehensive insights into the cell types, genes and pathways altered in the brainstem in a widely used ALS mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Liu
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Sharmila Venugopal
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Sana Majid
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - In Sook Ahn
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Graciel Diamante
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jason Hong
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Scott H Chandler
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, 2024 Terasaki Bld, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
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117
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Steele PR, Cavarsan CF, Dowaliby L, Westefeld M, Katenka N, Drobyshevsky A, Gorassini MA, Quinlan KA. Altered Motoneuron Properties Contribute to Motor Deficits in a Rabbit Hypoxia-Ischemia Model of Cerebral Palsy. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:69. [PMID: 32269513 PMCID: PMC7109297 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by a variety of factors attributed to early brain damage, resulting in permanently impaired motor control, marked by weakness and muscle stiffness. To find out if altered physiology of spinal motoneurons (MNs) could contribute to movement deficits, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp in neonatal rabbit spinal cord slices after developmental injury at 79% gestation. After preterm hypoxia-ischemia (HI), rabbits are born with motor deficits consistent with a spastic phenotype including hypertonia and hyperreflexia. There is a range in severity, thus kits are classified as severely affected, mildly affected, or unaffected based on modified Ashworth scores and other behavioral tests. At postnatal day (P)0-5, we recorded electrophysiological parameters of 40 MNs in transverse spinal cord slices using whole-cell patch-clamp. We found significant differences between groups (severe, mild, unaffected and sham control MNs). Severe HI MNs showed more sustained firing patterns, depolarized resting membrane potential, and fired action potentials at a higher frequency. These properties could contribute to muscle stiffness, a hallmark of spastic CP. Interestingly altered persistent inward currents (PICs) and morphology in severe HI MNs would dampen excitability (depolarized PIC onset and increased dendritic length). In summary, changes we observed in spinal MN physiology likely contribute to the severity of the phenotype, and therapeutic strategies for CP could target the excitability of spinal MNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preston R. Steele
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Clarissa Fantin Cavarsan
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Lisa Dowaliby
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Megan Westefeld
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - N. Katenka
- Department of Computer Science and Statistics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | | | - Monica A. Gorassini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Katharina A. Quinlan
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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118
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Rossor AM, Sleigh JN, Groves M, Muntoni F, Reilly MM, Hoogenraad CC, Schiavo G. Loss of BICD2 in muscle drives motor neuron loss in a developmental form of spinal muscular atrophy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:34. [PMID: 32183910 PMCID: PMC7076953 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-00909-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant missense mutations in BICD2 cause Spinal Muscular Atrophy Lower Extremity Predominant 2 (SMALED2), a developmental disease of motor neurons. BICD2 is a key component of the cytoplasmic dynein/dynactin motor complex, which in axons drives the microtubule-dependent retrograde transport of intracellular cargo towards the cell soma. Patients with pathological mutations in BICD2 develop malformations of cortical and cerebellar development similar to Bicd2 knockout (-/-) mice. In this study we sought to re-examine the motor neuron phenotype of conditional Bicd2-/- mice. Bicd2-/- mice show a significant reduction in the number of large calibre motor neurons of the L4 ventral root compared to wild type mice. Muscle-specific knockout of Bicd2 results in a similar reduction in L4 ventral axons comparable to global Bicd2-/- mice. Rab6, a small GTPase required for the sorting of exocytic vesicles from the Trans Golgi Network to the plasma membrane is a major binding partner of BICD2. We therefore examined the secretory pathway in SMALED2 patient fibroblasts and demonstrated that BICD2 is required for physiological flow of constitutive secretory cargoes from the Trans Golgi Network to the plasma membrane using a VSV-G reporter assay. Together, these data indicate that BICD2 loss from muscles is a major driver of non-cell autonomous pathology in the motor nervous system, which has important implications for future therapeutic approaches in SMALED2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Rossor
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - James N Sleigh
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael Groves
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre and National Institute for Health Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Mary M Reilly
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Casper C Hoogenraad
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
- Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, University College London Campus, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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119
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Sceniak MP, Spitsbergen JB, Sabo SL, Yuan Y, Atchison WD. Acute neurotoxicant exposure induces hyperexcitability in mouse lumbar spinal motor neurons. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:1448-1459. [PMID: 32159428 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00775.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal motor neurons (MNs) are susceptible to glutamatergic excitotoxicity, an effect associated with lumbar MN degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MN susceptibility to environmental toxicant exposure, one prospective contributor to sporadic ALS, has not been systematically studied. The goal of this study was to test the ability of a well-known environmental neurotoxicant to induce hyperexcitability in mouse lumbar MNs. Methylmercury (MeHg) causes neurotoxicity through mechanisms involving elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), a hallmark of excitotoxicity. We tested whether acute exposure to MeHg induces hyperexcitability in MNs by altering synaptic transmission, using whole cell patch-clamp recordings of lumbar spinal MNs in vitro. Acute MeHg exposure (20 μM) led to an increase in the frequency of both spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and miniature EPSCs. The frequency of inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) was also increased by MeHg. Action potential firing rates, both spontaneous and evoked, were increased by MeHg, despite increases in both EPSCs and IPSCs, indicating a shift toward hyperexcitability. Also consistent with hyperexcitability, fluo 4-AM microfluorimetry indicated that MeHg exposure induced an increase in [Ca2+]i. Spinal cord hyperexcitability is partially mediated by Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors, as MeHg-dependent increases in EPSCs were blocked by 1-napthyl spermine. Therefore, spinal MNs appear highly susceptible to MeHg exposure, leading to significant increases in spontaneous network excitability and disruption of normal function. Prolonged hyperexcitability could lead to eventual neurodegeneration and loss of motor function as observed in spinal cord after MeHg exposure in vivo and may contribute to MeHg-induced acceleration of ALS symptoms.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Spinal motor neurons (MN) are susceptible to glutamatergic excitotoxicity, an effect associated with lumbar MN degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study investigated MN susceptibility to environmental toxicant exposure, one prospective contributor to sporadic ALS. Spinal MNs appear highly susceptible to methylmercury exposure, leading to significant increases in spontaneous network excitability and disruption of normal function. Prolonged hyperexcitability could lead to neurodegeneration and loss of motor function as observed in ALS spinal cord symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Sceniak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.,Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
| | - Jake B Spitsbergen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Shasta L Sabo
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
| | - Yukun Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - William D Atchison
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9030212. [PMID: 32150878 PMCID: PMC7139782 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9030212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
According to our hypothesis, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle. It is caused by the superposition of compression when repetitive eccentric contractions are executed under cognitive demand. The acute compression axonopathy could coincide with microinjury of the surrounding tissues and is enhanced by immune-mediated inflammation. DOMS is masked by sympathetic nervous system activity at initiation, but once it subsides, a safety mode comes into play to prevent further injury. DOMS becomes manifest when the microinjured non-nociceptive sensory fibers of the muscle spindle stop inhibiting the effects of the microinjured, hyperexcited nociceptive sensory fibers, therefore providing the ‘open gate’ in the dorsal horn to hyperalgesia. Reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide play a cross-talking role in the parallel, interlinked degeneration–regeneration mechanisms of these injured tissues. We propose that the mitochondrial electron transport chain generated free radical involvement in the acute compression axonopathy. ‘Closed gate exercises’ could be of nonpharmacological therapeutic importance, because they reduce neuropathic pain in addition to having an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, DOMS could have an important ontogenetical role by not just enhancing ability to escape danger to survive in the wild, but also triggering muscle growth.
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The Timing and Extent of Motor Neuron Vulnerability in ALS Correlates with Accumulation of Misfolded SOD1 Protein in the Cortex and in the Spinal Cord. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020502. [PMID: 32098365 PMCID: PMC7072754 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the cellular and molecular basis of selective vulnerability has been challenging, especially for motor neuron diseases. Developing drugs that improve the health of neurons that display selective vulnerability relies on in vivo cell-based models and quantitative readout measures that translate to patient outcome. We initially developed and characterized UCHL1-eGFP mice, in which motor neurons are labeled with eGFP that is stable and long-lasting. By crossing UCHL1-eGFP to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease models, we generated ALS mouse models with fluorescently labeled motor neurons. Their examination over time began to reveal the cellular basis of selective vulnerability even within the related motor neuron pools. Accumulation of misfolded SOD1 protein both in the corticospinal and spinal motor neurons over time correlated with the timing and extent of degeneration. This further proved simultaneous degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons, and the requirement to consider both upper and lower motor neuron populations in drug discovery efforts. Demonstration of the direct correlation between misfolded SOD1 accumulation and motor neuron degeneration in both cortex and spinal cord is important for building cell-based assays in vivo. Our report sets the stage for shifting focus from mice to diseased neurons for drug discovery efforts, especially for motor neuron diseases.
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Vicencio E, Beltrán S, Labrador L, Manque P, Nassif M, Woehlbier U. Implications of Selective Autophagy Dysfunction for ALS Pathology. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020381. [PMID: 32046060 PMCID: PMC7072226 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder that progressively affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Due to the biological complexity of the disease, its etiology remains unknown. Several cellular mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative process in ALS have been found, including the loss of RNA and protein homeostasis, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Insoluble protein aggregates, damaged mitochondria, and stress granules, which contain RNA and protein components, are recognized and degraded by the autophagy machinery in a process known as selective autophagy. Autophagy is a highly dynamic process whose dysregulation has now been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, by numerous studies. In ALS, the autophagy process has been found deregulated in both familial and sporadic cases of the disease. Likewise, mutations in genes coding for proteins involved in the autophagy machinery have been reported in ALS patients, including selective autophagy receptors. In this review, we focus on the role of selective autophagy in ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Vicencio
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Sebastián Beltrán
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Luis Labrador
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Patricio Manque
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Melissa Nassif
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
- Correspondence: (U.W.); (M.N.)
| | - Ute Woehlbier
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
- Correspondence: (U.W.); (M.N.)
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Spinal Motoneuron TMEM16F Acts at C-boutons to Modulate Motor Resistance and Contributes to ALS Pathogenesis. Cell Rep 2020; 30:2581-2593.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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124
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Brandenburg JE, Fogarty MJ, Sieck GC. Why individuals with cerebral palsy are at higher risk for respiratory complications from COVID-19. J Pediatr Rehabil Med 2020; 13:317-327. [PMID: 33136080 DOI: 10.3233/prm-200746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory dysfunction is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). In children and adults with CP, movement and physical function is always affected. Yet, many clinicians overlook potential for impaired movement and function of the diaphragm muscle (DIAm) in individuals with CP. Since individuals with pre-existing respiratory disorders are at greater risk for respiratory complications if they contract COVID-19, understanding potential risks to individuals with CP is important. In this review we present research on respiratory function and DIAm force generation in children with CP. We compare this clinical work to basic science research investigating phrenic motor neuron and DIAm motor unit dysfunction in an animal model with CP symptoms, the spa mouse. Finally, we integrate the clinical and basic science work in respiratory function in CP, discussing potential for individuals with CP to have severe respiratory symptoms from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joline E Brandenburg
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Matthew J Fogarty
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gary C Sieck
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
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125
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Generating ventral spinal organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Methods Cell Biol 2020; 159:257-277. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2020.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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126
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The proteasome regulator PI31 is required for protein homeostasis, synapse maintenance, and neuronal survival in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:24639-24650. [PMID: 31754024 PMCID: PMC6900516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911921116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The conserved proteasome-binding protein PI31 serves as an adapter to couple proteasomes with cellular motors to mediate their transport to distal tips of neurons where protein breakdown occurs. We generated global and conditional PI31 knockout mouse strains and show that this protein is required for protein homeostasis, and that its conditional inactivation in neurons disrupts synaptic structures and long-term survival. This work establishes a critical role for PI31 and local protein degradation in the maintenance of neuronal architecture, circuitry, and function. Because mutations in the PI31 pathway cause neurodegenerative diseases in humans, reduced PI31 activity may contribute to the etiology of these diseases. Proteasome-mediated degradation of intracellular proteins is essential for cell function and survival. The proteasome-binding protein PI31 (Proteasomal Inhibitor of 31kD) promotes 26S assembly and functions as an adapter for proteasome transport in axons. As localized protein synthesis and degradation is especially critical in neurons, we generated a conditional loss of PI31 in spinal motor neurons (MNs) and cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). A cKO of PI31 in these neurons caused axon degeneration, neuronal loss, and progressive spinal and cerebellar neurological dysfunction. For both MNs and PCs, markers of proteotoxic stress preceded axonal degeneration and motor dysfunction, indicating a critical role for PI31 in neuronal homeostasis. The time course of the loss of MN and PC function in developing mouse central nervous system suggests a key role for PI31 in human neurodegenerative diseases.
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127
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Chen TH, Chen JA. Multifaceted roles of microRNAs: From motor neuron generation in embryos to degeneration in spinal muscular atrophy. eLife 2019; 8:50848. [PMID: 31738166 PMCID: PMC6861003 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two crucial questions in neuroscience are how neurons establish individual identity in the developing nervous system and why only specific neuron subtypes are vulnerable to neurodegenerative diseases. In the central nervous system, spinal motor neurons serve as one of the best-characterized cell types for addressing these two questions. In this review, we dissect these questions by evaluating the emerging role of regulatory microRNAs in motor neuron generation in developing embryos and their potential contributions to neurodegenerative diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Given recent promising results from novel microRNA-based medicines, we discuss the potential applications of microRNAs for clinical assessments of SMA disease progression and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Heng Chen
- PhD Program in Translational Medicine, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Academia Sinica, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jun-An Chen
- PhD Program in Translational Medicine, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Academia Sinica, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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128
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Fujiki R, Lee JY, Jurgens JA, Whitman MC, Engle EC. Isolation and Culture of Oculomotor, Trochlear, and Spinal Motor Neurons from Prenatal Islmn:GFP Transgenic Mice. J Vis Exp 2019:10.3791/60440. [PMID: 31789317 PMCID: PMC7036286 DOI: 10.3791/60440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oculomotor neurons (CN3s) and trochlear neurons (CN4s) exhibit remarkable resistance to degenerative motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when compared to spinal motor neurons (SMNs). The ability to isolate and culture primary mouse CN3s, CN4s, and SMNs would provide an approach to study mechanisms underlying this selective vulnerability. To date, most protocols use heterogeneous cell cultures, which can confound the interpretation of experimental outcomes. To minimize the problems associated with mixed-cell populations, pure cultures are indispensable. Here, the first protocol describes in detail how to efficiently purify and cultivate CN3s/CN4s alongside SMNs counterparts from the same embryos using embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) IslMN:GFP transgenic mouse embryos. The protocol provides details on the tissue dissection and dissociation, FACS-based cell isolation, and in vitro cultivation of cells from CN3/CN4 and SMN nuclei. This protocol adds a novel in vitro CN3/CN4 culture system to existing protocols and simultaneously provides a pure species- and age-matched SMN culture for comparison. Analyses focusing on the morphological, cellular, molecular, and electrophysiological characteristics of motor neurons are feasible in this culture system. This protocol will enable research into the mechanisms that define motor neuron development, selective vulnerability, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Fujiki
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital; FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School; Department of Neurology, Kokura Memorial Hospital
| | - Joun Y Lee
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital; FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
| | - Julie A Jurgens
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital; FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard
| | - Mary C Whitman
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital; FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard; Howard Hughes Medical Institute;
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129
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A customizable microfluidic platform for medium-throughput modeling of neuromuscular circuits. Biomaterials 2019; 225:119537. [PMID: 31614290 PMCID: PMC7294901 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Neuromuscular circuits (NMCs) are vital for voluntary movement, and effective models of NMCs are needed to understand the pathogenesis of, as well as to identify effective treatments for, multiple diseases, including Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Microfluidics are ideal for recapitulating the central and peripheral compartments of NMCs, but myotubes often detach before functional NMCs are formed. In addition, microfluidic systems are often limited to a single experimental unit, which significantly limits their application in disease modeling and drug discovery. Here, we developed a microfluidic platform (MFP) containing over 100 experimental units, making it suitable for medium-throughput applications. To overcome detachment, we incorporated a reactive polymer surface allowing customization of the environment to culture different cell types. Using this approach, we identified conditions that enable long-term co-culture of human motor neurons and myotubes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells inside our MFP. Optogenetics demonstrated the formation of functional NMCs. Furthermore, we developed a novel application of the rabies tracing assay to efficiently identify NMCs in our MFP. Therefore, our MFP enables large-scale generation and quantification of functional NMCs for disease modeling and pharmacological drug targeting.
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130
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Circuit-Specific Early Impairment of Proprioceptive Sensory Neurons in the SOD1 G93A Mouse Model for ALS. J Neurosci 2019; 39:8798-8815. [PMID: 31530644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1214-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons degenerate, resulting in muscle atrophy, paralysis, and fatality. Studies using mouse models of ALS indicate a protracted period of disease development with progressive motor neuron pathology, evident as early as embryonic and postnatal stages. Key missing information includes concomitant alterations in the sensorimotor circuit essential for normal development and function of the neuromuscular system. Leveraging unique brainstem circuitry, we show in vitro evidence for reflex circuit-specific postnatal abnormalities in the jaw proprioceptive sensory neurons in the well-studied SOD1G93A mouse. These include impaired and arrhythmic action potential burst discharge associated with a deficit in Nav1.6 Na+ channels. However, the mechanoreceptive and nociceptive trigeminal ganglion neurons and the visual sensory retinal ganglion neurons were resistant to excitability changes in age-matched SOD1G93A mice. Computational modeling of the observed disruption in sensory patterns predicted asynchronous self-sustained motor neuron discharge suggestive of imminent reflexive defects, such as muscle fasciculations in ALS. These results demonstrate a novel reflex circuit-specific proprioceptive sensory abnormality in ALS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurodegenerative diseases have prolonged periods of disease development and progression. Identifying early markers of vulnerability can therefore help devise better diagnostic and treatment strategies. In this study, we examined postnatal abnormalities in the electrical excitability of muscle spindle afferent proprioceptive neurons in the well-studied SOD1G93A mouse model for neurodegenerative motor neuron disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Our findings suggest that these proprioceptive sensory neurons are exclusively afflicted early in the disease process relative to sensory neurons of other modalities. Moreover, they presented Nav1.6 Na+ channel deficiency, which contributed to arrhythmic burst discharge. Such sensory arrhythmia could initiate reflexive defects, such as muscle fasciculations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as suggested by our computational model.
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131
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Veltsista D, Papapavlou C, Chroni E. F Wave Analyzer, a system for repeater F-waves detection: Application in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 130:1954-1961. [PMID: 31472478 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We assessed the clinical usefulness of repeater F-waves (Freps) analysis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), using an automated computerized system (F Wave Analyzer). METHODS Forty consecutive F-waves were recorded from the ulnar and peroneal nerve in 52 patients with ALS and 52 healthy control subjects. Data were imported into the F Wave Analyzer which identifies Freps and groups them. Parameters of Freps and non repeater F-waves (Fnonreps) were compared. RESULTS Total number of repeating neurons, Freps persistence (100xFreps/40stimuli) and Index Total Freps (100xFreps/total number of F-waves) were significantly higher in the ALS compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.005). There were no consistent differences of F-wave latency or amplitude measurements between Freps and Fnonreps for both studied groups, with the exception of prolonged Freps minimum latency in ALS. CONCLUSION In ALS, the high numbers of Freps, reduced overall F-wave persistence and increased F-wave amplitude measurements in a relatively unaffected nerve-muscle complex reflects excitability alterations of the corresponding motor neuron pool. Overall, automatic analysis facilitates accurate and fast detection of Freps and could be useful in other clinical settings. SIGNIFICANCE Analysis of repeater F-waves is expected to provide new insight regarding ALS pathophysiology and utilized for monitoring in clinical drug trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Veltsista
- Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Chris Papapavlou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Elisabeth Chroni
- Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
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Cholinergic modulation of motor neurons through the C-boutons are necessary for the locomotor compensation for severe motor neuron loss during amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease progression. Behav Brain Res 2019; 369:111914. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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133
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Catela C, Kratsios P. Transcriptional mechanisms of motor neuron development in vertebrates and invertebrates. Dev Biol 2019; 475:193-204. [PMID: 31479648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Across phylogeny, motor neurons (MNs) represent a single but often remarkably diverse neuronal class composed of a multitude of subtypes required for vital behaviors, such as eating and locomotion. Over the past decades, seminal studies in multiple model organisms have advanced our molecular understanding of the early steps of MN development, such as progenitor specification and acquisition of MN subtype identity, by revealing key roles for several evolutionarily conserved transcription factors. However, very little is known about the molecular strategies that allow distinct MN subtypes to maintain their identity- and function-defining features during the late steps of development and postnatal life. Here, we provide an overview of invertebrate and vertebrate studies on transcription factor-based strategies that control early and late steps of MN development, aiming to highlight evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory principles necessary for establishment and maintenance of neuronal identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Catela
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; The Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paschalis Kratsios
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; The Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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134
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Wang J, Khodabukus A, Rao L, Vandusen K, Abutaleb N, Bursac N. Engineered skeletal muscles for disease modeling and drug discovery. Biomaterials 2019; 221:119416. [PMID: 31419653 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle is the largest organ of human body with several important roles in everyday movement and metabolic homeostasis. The limited ability of small animal models of muscle disease to accurately predict drug efficacy and toxicity in humans has prompted the development in vitro models of human skeletal muscle that fatefully recapitulate cell and tissue level functions and drug responses. We first review methods for development of three-dimensional engineered muscle tissues and organ-on-a-chip microphysiological systems and discuss their potential utility in drug discovery research and development of new regenerative therapies. Furthermore, we describe strategies to increase the functional maturation of engineered muscle, and motivate the importance of incorporating multiple tissue types on the same chip to model organ cross-talk and generate more predictive drug development platforms. Finally, we review the ability of available in vitro systems to model diseases such as type II diabetes, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease, and dysferlinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Lingjun Rao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Keith Vandusen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nadia Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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135
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Complexity of Generating Mouse Models to Study the Upper Motor Neurons: Let Us Shift Focus from Mice to Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20163848. [PMID: 31394733 PMCID: PMC6720674 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20163848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor neuron circuitry is one of the most elaborate circuitries in our body, which ensures voluntary and skilled movement that requires cognitive input. Therefore, both the cortex and the spinal cord are involved. The cortex has special importance for motor neuron diseases, in which initiation and modulation of voluntary movement is affected. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is defined by the progressive degeneration of both the upper and lower motor neurons, whereas hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) are characterized mainly by the loss of upper motor neurons. In an effort to reveal the cellular and molecular basis of neuronal degeneration, numerous model systems are generated, and mouse models are no exception. However, there are many different levels of complexities that need to be considered when developing mouse models. Here, we focus our attention to the upper motor neurons, which are one of the most challenging neuron populations to study. Since mice and human differ greatly at a species level, but the cells/neurons in mice and human share many common aspects of cell biology, we offer a solution by focusing our attention to the affected neurons to reveal the complexities of diseases at a cellular level and to improve translational efforts.
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136
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Fernandes JG, Franco NH, Grierson AJ, Hultgren J, Furley AJW, Olsson IAS. Methodological standards, quality of reporting and regulatory compliance in animal research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review. BMJ OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 3:e000016. [PMID: 35047680 PMCID: PMC8715942 DOI: 10.1136/bmjos-2018-000016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research community was one of the first to adopt methodology guidelines to improve preclinical research reproducibility. We here present the results of a systematic review to investigate how the standards in this field changed over the 10-year period during which the guidelines were first published (2007) and updated (2010). Methods We searched for papers reporting ALS research on SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1) mice published between 2005 and 2015 on the ISI Web of Science database, resulting in a sample of 569 papers to review, after triage. Two scores-one for methodological quality, one for regulatory compliance-were built from weighted sums of separate sets of items, and subjected to multivariable regression analysis, to assess how these related to publication year, type of study, country of origin and journal. Results Reporting standards improved over time. Of papers published after the first ALS guidelines were made public, fewer than 9% referred specifically to these. Of key research parameters, only three (genetic background, number of transgenes and group size) were reported in >50% of the papers. Information on housing conditions, randomisation and blinding was absent in over two-thirds of the papers. Group size was among the best reported parameters, but the majority reported using fewer than the recommended sample size and only two studies clearly justified group size. Conclusions General methodological standards improved gradually over a period of 8-10 years, but remained generally comparable with related fields with no specific guidelines, except with regard to severity. Only 11% of ALS studies were classified in the highest severity level (animals allowed to reach death or moribund stages), substantially below the proportion in studies of comparable neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's. The existence of field-specific guidelines, although a welcome indication of concern, seems insufficient to ensure adherence to high methodological standards. Other mechanisms may be required to improve methodological and welfare standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana G Fernandes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno H Franco
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Andrew J Grierson
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jan Hultgren
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden
| | - Andrew J W Furley
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - I Anna S Olsson
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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137
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Quinlan KA, Reedich EJ, Arnold WD, Puritz AC, Cavarsan CF, Heckman CJ, DiDonato CJ. Hyperexcitability precedes motoneuron loss in the Smn2B/- mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1297-1311. [PMID: 31365319 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00652.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal motoneuron dysfunction and loss are pathological hallmarks of the neuromuscular disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Changes in motoneuron physiological function precede cell death, but how these alterations vary with disease severity and motoneuron maturational state is unknown. To address this question, we assessed the electrophysiology and morphology of spinal motoneurons of presymptomatic Smn2B/- mice older than 1 wk of age and tracked the timing of motor unit loss in this model using motor unit number estimation (MUNE). In contrast to other commonly used SMA mouse models, Smn2B/- mice exhibit more typical postnatal development until postnatal day (P)11 or 12 and have longer survival (~3 wk of age). We demonstrate that Smn2B/- motoneuron hyperexcitability, marked by hyperpolarization of the threshold voltage for action potential firing, was present at P9-10 and preceded the loss of motor units. Using MUNE studies, we determined that motor unit loss in this mouse model occurred 2 wk after birth. Smn2B/- motoneurons were also larger in size, which may reflect compensatory changes taking place during postnatal development. This work suggests that motoneuron hyperexcitability, marked by a reduced threshold for action potential firing, is a pathological change preceding motoneuron loss that is common to multiple models of severe SMA with different motoneuron maturational states. Our results indicate voltage-gated sodium channel activity may be altered in the disease process.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Changes in spinal motoneuron physiologic function precede cell death in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), but how they vary with maturational state and disease severity remains unknown. This study characterized motoneuron and neuromuscular electrophysiology from the Smn2B/- model of SMA. Motoneurons were hyperexcitable at postnatal day (P)9-10, and specific electrophysiological changes in Smn2B/- motoneurons preceded functional motor unit loss at P14, as determined by motor unit number estimation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Quinlan
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island.,George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - E J Reedich
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - W D Arnold
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - A C Puritz
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - C F Cavarsan
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island.,George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
| | - C J Heckman
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - C J DiDonato
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
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138
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Natarajan A, Sethumadhavan A, Krishnan UM. Toward Building the Neuromuscular Junction: In Vitro Models To Study Synaptogenesis and Neurodegeneration. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:12969-12977. [PMID: 31460423 PMCID: PMC6682064 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b00973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a unique, specialized chemical synapse that plays a crucial role in transmitting and amplifying information from spinal motor neurons to skeletal muscles. NMJ complexity ensures closely intertwined interactions between numerous synaptic vesicles, signaling molecules, ion channels, motor neurons, glia, and muscle fibers, making it difficult to dissect the underlying mechanisms and factors affecting neurodegeneration and muscle loss. Muscle fiber or motor neuron cell death followed by rapid axonal degeneration due to injury or disease has a debilitating effect on movement and behavior, which adversely affects the quality of life. It thus becomes imperative to study the synapse and intercellular signaling processes that regulate plasticity at the NMJ and elucidate mechanisms and pathways at the cellular level. Studies using in vitro 2D cell cultures have allowed us to gain a fundamental understanding of how the NMJ functions. However, they do not provide information on the intricate signaling networks that exist between NMJs and the biological environment. The advent of 3D cell cultures and microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies has opened whole new avenues to explore the NMJ. In this perspective, we look at the challenges involved in building a functional NMJ and the progress made in generating models for studying the NMJ, highlighting the current and future applications of these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupama Natarajan
- Centre
for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical
& Biotechnology, and School of Arts, Science & Humanities, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613 401, India
| | - Anjali Sethumadhavan
- Centre
for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical
& Biotechnology, and School of Arts, Science & Humanities, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613 401, India
| | - Uma Maheswari Krishnan
- Centre
for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical
& Biotechnology, and School of Arts, Science & Humanities, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613 401, India
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139
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Pharmacological Profiling of Purified Human Stem Cell-Derived and Primary Mouse Motor Neurons. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10835. [PMID: 31346219 PMCID: PMC6658502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47203-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has enabled the generation of specific neuronal subtypes that approximate the intended primary mammalian cells on both the RNA and protein levels. These cells offer unique opportunities, including insights into mechanistic understanding of the early driving events in neurodegenerative disease, replacement of degenerating cell populations, and compound identification and evaluation in the context of precision medicine. However, whether the derived neurons indeed recapitulate the physiological features of the desired bona fide neuronal subgroups remains an unanswered question and one important for validating stem cell models as accurate functional representations of the primary cell types. Here, we purified both hPSC-derived and primary mouse spinal motor neurons in parallel and used extracellular multi-electrode array (MEA) recording to compare the pharmacological sensitivity of neuronal excitability and network function. We observed similar effects for most receptor and channel agonists and antagonists, supporting the consistency between human PSC-derived and mouse primary spinal motor neuron models from a physiological perspective.
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140
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Villalón E, Lee NN, Marquez J, Lorson CL. Muscle fiber-type selective propensity to pathology in the nmd mouse model of SMARD1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 516:313-319. [PMID: 31256932 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.06.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) is an autosomal recessive disease that causes distal limb muscle atrophy, due to motor neuron degeneration. Similar to other motor neuron diseases, SMARD1 shows differential vulnerability to denervation in various muscle groups, which is recapitulated in the nmd mouse, a model of SMARD1. In multiple neurodegenerative disease models, transcriptomic analysis has identified differentially expressed genes between vulnerable motor neuron populations, but the mechanism leading to susceptibility is largely unknown. To investigate if denervation vulnerability is linked to intrinsic muscle properties, we analyzed muscle fiber-type composition in muscles from motor units that show different degrees of denervation in nmd mice: gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior (TA), and extensor digitorum longus (EDL). Our results revealed that denervation vulnerability correlated with atrophy and loss of MyHC-IIb and MyHC-IIx muscle fiber types. Interestingly, increased vulnerability also correlated with an increased abundance of MyHC-I and MyHC-IIa muscle fibers. These results indicated that MyHC-IIx muscle fibers are the most vulnerable to denervation, followed by MyHC-IIb muscle fibers. Moreover, our data indicate that type MyHC-IIa and MyHC-IIb muscle fibers show resistance to denervation and compensate for the loss of MyHC-IIx and MyHC-IIb muscle fibers in the most vulnerable muscles. Taken together these results provide a basis for the selective vulnerability to denervation of specific muscles in nmd mice and identifies new targets for potential therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Villalón
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Naomi N Lee
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jose Marquez
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Christian L Lorson
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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141
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Ragagnin AMG, Shadfar S, Vidal M, Jamali MS, Atkin JD. Motor Neuron Susceptibility in ALS/FTD. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:532. [PMID: 31316328 PMCID: PMC6610326 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of both upper and lower motor neurons (MNs) in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. The neurodegenerative mechanisms leading to MN loss in ALS are not fully understood. Importantly, the reasons why MNs are specifically targeted in this disorder are unclear, when the proteins associated genetically or pathologically with ALS are expressed ubiquitously. Furthermore, MNs themselves are not affected equally; specific MNs subpopulations are more susceptible than others in both animal models and human patients. Corticospinal MNs and lower somatic MNs, which innervate voluntary muscles, degenerate more readily than specific subgroups of lower MNs, which remain resistant to degeneration, reflecting the clinical manifestations of ALS. In this review, we discuss the possible factors intrinsic to MNs that render them uniquely susceptible to neurodegeneration in ALS. We also speculate why some MN subpopulations are more vulnerable than others, focusing on both their molecular and physiological properties. Finally, we review the anatomical network and neuronal microenvironment as determinants of MN subtype vulnerability and hence the progression of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey M G Ragagnin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sina Shadfar
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marta Vidal
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Md Shafi Jamali
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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142
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An D, Fujiki R, Iannitelli DE, Smerdon JW, Maity S, Rose MF, Gelber A, Wanaselja EK, Yagudayeva I, Lee JY, Vogel C, Wichterle H, Engle EC, Mazzoni EO. Stem cell-derived cranial and spinal motor neurons reveal proteostatic differences between ALS resistant and sensitive motor neurons. eLife 2019; 8:44423. [PMID: 31157617 PMCID: PMC6594754 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spinal motor neurons (SpMN) progressively degenerate while a subset of cranial motor neurons (CrMN) are spared until late stages of the disease. Using a rapid and efficient protocol to differentiate mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to SpMNs and CrMNs, we now report that ESC-derived CrMNs accumulate less human (h)SOD1 and insoluble p62 than SpMNs over time. ESC-derived CrMNs have higher proteasome activity to degrade misfolded proteins and are intrinsically more resistant to chemically-induced proteostatic stress than SpMNs. Chemical and genetic activation of the proteasome rescues SpMN sensitivity to proteostatic stress. In agreement, the hSOD1 G93A mouse model reveals that ALS-resistant CrMNs accumulate less insoluble hSOD1 and p62-containing inclusions than SpMNs. Primary-derived ALS-resistant CrMNs are also more resistant than SpMNs to proteostatic stress. Thus, an ESC-based platform has identified a superior capacity to maintain a healthy proteome as a possible mechanism to resist ALS-induced neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disi An
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Ryosuke Fujiki
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | | | - John W Smerdon
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Shuvadeep Maity
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Matthew F Rose
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | - Alon Gelber
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - Ilona Yagudayeva
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Joun Y Lee
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Christine Vogel
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Esteban Orlando Mazzoni
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, United States
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143
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Abstract
A recent study reports that microglia and oligodendrocytes promote motor neuron degeneration by inducing inflammation and necroptosis in a manner dependent on receptor-interacting kinase 1 (RIPK1). These findings could be significant for our understanding of the neurobiology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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144
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Tung YT, Peng KC, Chen YC, Yen YP, Chang M, Thams S, Chen JA. Mir-17∼92 Confers Motor Neuron Subtype Differential Resistance to ALS-Associated Degeneration. Cell Stem Cell 2019; 25:193-209.e7. [PMID: 31155482 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Progressive degeneration of motor neurons (MNs) is the hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Limb-innervating lateral motor column MNs (LMC-MNs) seem to be particularly vulnerable and are among the first MNs affected in ALS. Here, we report association of this differential susceptibility with reduced expression of the mir-17∼92 cluster in LMC-MNs prior to disease onset. Reduced mir-17∼92 is accompanied by elevated nuclear PTEN in spinal MNs of presymptomatic SOD1G93A mice. Selective dysregulation of the mir-17∼92/nuclear PTEN axis in degenerating SOD1G93A LMC-MNs was confirmed in a double-transgenic embryonic stem cell system and recapitulated in human SOD1+/L144F-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MNs. We further show that overexpression of mir-17∼92 significantly rescues human SOD1+/L144F MNs, and intrathecal delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV)9-mir-17∼92 improves motor deficits and survival in SOD1G93A mice. Thus, mir-17∼92 may have value as a prognostic marker of MN degeneration and is a candidate therapeutic target in SOD1-linked ALS. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Tsen Tung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Kuan-Chih Peng
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chung Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ping Yen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Mien Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Sebastian Thams
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jun-An Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
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145
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Brandenburg JE, Fogarty MJ, Sieck GC. A Critical Evaluation of Current Concepts in Cerebral Palsy. Physiology (Bethesda) 2019; 34:216-229. [PMID: 30968751 PMCID: PMC7938766 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00054.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spastic cerebral palsy (CP), despite the name, is not consistently identifiable by specific brain lesions. CP animal models focus on risk factors for development of CP, yet few reproduce the diagnostic symptoms. Animal models of CP must advance beyond risk factors to etiologies, including both the brain and spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joline E Brandenburg
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Matthew J Fogarty
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Gary C Sieck
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, Minnesota
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146
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Schram S, Chuang D, Schmidt G, Piponov H, Helder C, Kerns J, Gonzalez M, Song F, Loeb JA. Mutant SOD1 prevents normal functional recovery through enhanced glial activation and loss of motor neuron innervation after peripheral nerve injury. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 124:469-478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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147
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148
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Salvany S, Casanovas A, Tarabal O, Piedrafita L, Hernández S, Santafé M, Soto-Bernardini MC, Calderó J, Schwab MH, Esquerda JE. Localization and dynamic changes of neuregulin-1 at C-type synaptic boutons in association with motor neuron injury and repair. FASEB J 2019; 33:7833-7851. [PMID: 30912977 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802329r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
C-type synaptic boutons (C-boutons) provide cholinergic afferent input to spinal cord motor neurons (MNs), which display an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-related subsurface cistern (SSC) adjacent to their postsynaptic membrane. A constellation of postsynaptic proteins is clustered at C-boutons, including M2 muscarinic receptors, potassium channels, and σ-1 receptors. In addition, we previously found that neuregulin (NRG)1 is associated with C-boutons at postsynaptic SSCs, whereas its ErbB receptors are located in the presynaptic compartment. C-bouton-mediated regulation of MN excitability has been implicated in MN disease, but NRG1-mediated functions and the impact of various pathologic conditions on C-bouton integrity have not been studied in detail. Here, we investigated changes in C-boutons after electrical stimulation, pharmacological treatment, and peripheral nerve axotomy. SSC-linked NRG1 clusters were severely disrupted in acutely stressed MNs and after tunicamycin-induced ER stress. In axotomized MNs, C-bouton loss occurred in concomitance with microglial recruitment and was prevented by the ER stress inhibitor salubrinal. Activated microglia displayed a positive chemotaxis to C-boutons. Analysis of transgenic mice overexpressing NRG1 type I and type III isoforms in MNs indicated that NRG1 type III acts as an organizer of SSC-like structures, whereas NRG1 type I promotes synaptogenesis of presynaptic cholinergic terminals. Moreover, MN-derived NRG1 signals may regulate the activity of perineuronal microglial cells. Together, these data provide new insights into the molecular and cellular pathology of C-boutons in MN injury and suggest that distinct NRG1 isoform-mediated signaling functions regulate the complex matching between pre- and postsynaptic C-bouton elements.-Salvany, S., Casanovas, A., Tarabal, O., Piedrafita, L., Hernández, S., Santafé, M., Soto-Bernardini, M. C., Calderó, J., Schwab, M. H., Esquerda, J. E. Localization and dynamic changes of neuregulin-1 at C-type synaptic boutons in association with motor neuron injury and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Salvany
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anna Casanovas
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Olga Tarabal
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lídia Piedrafita
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sara Hernández
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manuel Santafé
- Unitat d'Histologia i Neurobiologia (UHN), Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - María Clara Soto-Bernardini
- Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC), Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología (CIB), Escuela de Biología, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Jordi Calderó
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Markus H Schwab
- Institute of Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Josep E Esquerda
- Unitat de Neurobiologia Cellular, Departament de Medicina Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
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149
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Converging Mechanisms of p53 Activation Drive Motor Neuron Degeneration in Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Cell Rep 2019; 21:3767-3780. [PMID: 29281826 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hallmark of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), an inherited disease caused by ubiquitous deficiency in the SMN protein, is the selective degeneration of subsets of spinal motor neurons. Here, we show that cell-autonomous activation of p53 occurs in vulnerable but not resistant motor neurons of SMA mice at pre-symptomatic stages. Moreover, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of p53 prevents motor neuron death, demonstrating that induction of p53 signaling drives neurodegeneration. At late disease stages, however, nuclear accumulation of p53 extends to resistant motor neurons and spinal interneurons but is not associated with cell death. Importantly, we identify phosphorylation of serine 18 as a specific post-translational modification of p53 that exclusively marks vulnerable SMA motor neurons and provide evidence that amino-terminal phosphorylation of p53 is required for the neurodegenerative process. Our findings indicate that distinct events induced by SMN deficiency converge on p53 to trigger selective death of vulnerable SMA motor neurons.
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Karagiannis P, Takahashi K, Saito M, Yoshida Y, Okita K, Watanabe A, Inoue H, Yamashita JK, Todani M, Nakagawa M, Osawa M, Yashiro Y, Yamanaka S, Osafune K. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Use in Human Models of Disease and Development. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:79-114. [PMID: 30328784 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00039.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of somatic cell nuclear transfer proved that somatic cells can carry the same genetic code as the zygote, and that activating parts of this code are sufficient to reprogram the cell to an early developmental state. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) nearly half a century later provided a molecular mechanism for the reprogramming. The initial creation of iPSCs was accomplished by the ectopic expression of four specific genes (OCT4, KLF4, SOX2, and c-Myc; OSKM). iPSCs have since been acquired from a wide range of cell types and a wide range of species, suggesting a universal molecular mechanism. Furthermore, cells have been reprogrammed to iPSCs using a myriad of methods, although OSKM remains the gold standard. The sources for iPSCs are abundant compared with those for other pluripotent stem cells; thus the use of iPSCs to model the development of tissues, organs, and other systems of the body is increasing. iPSCs also, through the reprogramming of patient samples, are being used to model diseases. Moreover, in the 10 years since the first report, human iPSCs are already the basis for new cell therapies and drug discovery that have reached clinical application. In this review, we examine the generation of iPSCs and their application to disease and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Karagiannis
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Takahashi
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Megumu Saito
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yoshida
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Keisuke Okita
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Haruhisa Inoue
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Jun K Yamashita
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Masaya Todani
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Masato Nakagawa
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Mitsujiro Osawa
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Yoshimi Yashiro
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Shinya Yamanaka
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
| | - Kenji Osafune
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan
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