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Yang Z. The Principle of Cortical Development and Evolution. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2. [PMID: 39023844 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2] [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: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Human's robust cognitive abilities, including creativity and language, are made possible, at least in large part, by evolutionary changes made to the cerebral cortex. This paper reviews the biology and evolution of mammalian cortical radial glial cells (primary neural stem cells) and introduces the concept that a genetically step wise process, based on a core molecular pathway already in use, is the evolutionary process that has molded cortical neurogenesis. The core mechanism, which has been identified in our recent studies, is the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7)-GLI3 repressor form (GLI3R)-sonic hedgehog (SHH) positive feedback loop. Additionally, I propose that the molecular basis for cortical evolutionary dwarfism, exemplified by the lissencephalic mouse which originated from a larger gyrencephalic ancestor, is an increase in SHH signaling in radial glia, that antagonizes ERK-BMP7 signaling. Finally, I propose that: (1) SHH signaling is not a key regulator of primate cortical expansion and folding; (2) human cortical radial glial cells do not generate neocortical interneurons; (3) human-specific genes may not be essential for most cortical expansion. I hope this review assists colleagues in the field, guiding research to address gaps in our understanding of cortical development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Pandurangan K, Jayakumar J, Savoia S, Nanda R, Lata S, Kumar EH, S S, Vasudevan S, Srinivasan C, Joseph J, Sivaprakasam M, Verma R. Systematic development of immunohistochemistry protocol for large cryosections-specific to non-perfused fetal brain. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 405:110085. [PMID: 38387804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an important technique in understanding the expression of neurochemical molecules in the developing human brain. Despite its routine application in the research and clinical setup, the IHC protocol specific for soft fragile fetal brains that are fixed using the non-perfusion method is still limited in studying the whole brain. NEW METHOD This study shows that the IHC protocols, using a chromogenic detection system, used in animals and adult humans are not optimal in the fetal brains. We have optimized key steps from Antigen retrieval (AR) to chromogen visualization for formalin-fixed whole-brain cryosections (20 µm) mounted on glass slides. RESULTS We show the results from six validated, commonly used antibodies to study the fetal brain. We achieved optimal antigen retrieval with 0.1 M Boric Acid, pH 9.0 at 70°C for 20 minutes. We also present the optimal incubation duration and temperature for protein blocking and the primary antibody that results in specific antigen labeling with minimal tissue damage. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The IHC protocol commonly used for adult human and animal brains results in significant tissue damage in the fetal brains with little or suboptimal antigen expression. Our new method with important modifications including the temperature, duration, and choice of the alkaline buffer for AR addresses these pitfalls and provides high-quality results. CONCLUSION The optimized IHC protocol for the developing human brain (13-22 GW) provides a high-quality, repeatable, and reliable method for studying chemoarchitecture in neurotypical and pathological conditions across different gestational ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthika Pandurangan
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Jaikishan Jayakumar
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Center for Computational Brain Research, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | | | - Reetuparna Nanda
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - S Lata
- Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | | | - Suresh S
- Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Sudha Vasudevan
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Chitra Srinivasan
- Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Jayaraj Joseph
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Richa Verma
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Hunter SK, Hoffman MC, D’Alessandro A, Freedman R. Developmental Windows for Effects of Choline and Folate on Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurotransmission During Human Gestation. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22453. [PMID: 38646069 PMCID: PMC11031125 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Choline and folate are critical nutrients for fetal brain development, but the timing of their influence during gestation has not been previously characterized. At different periods during gestation, choline stimulation of α7-nicotinic receptors facilitates conversion of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors from excitatory to inhibitory and recruitment of GluR1-R2 receptors for faster excitatory responses to glutamate. The outcome of the fetal development of inhibition and excitation was assessed in 159 newborns by P50 cerebral auditory-evoked responses. Paired stimuli, S1, S2, were presented 500 msec apart. Higher P50 amplitude in response to S1 (P50S1microV) assesses excitation, and lower P50S2microV assesses inhibition in this paired-stimulus paradigm. Development of inhibition was related solely to maternal choline plasma concentration and folate supplementation at 16 weeks' gestation. Development of excitation was related only to maternal choline at 28 weeks. Higher maternal choline concentrations later in gestation did not compensate for earlier lower concentrations. At 4 years of age, increased behavior problems on the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5yrs were related to both newborn inhibition and excitation. Incomplete development of inhibition and excitation associated with lower choline and folate during relatively brief periods of gestation thus has enduring effects on child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon K. Hunter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine
| | - M. Camille Hoffman
- Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine
| | - Angelo D’Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
| | - Robert Freedman
- Department Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine
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Cai E, Barba MG, Ge X. Hedgehog Signaling in Cortical Development. Cells 2023; 13:21. [PMID: 38201225 PMCID: PMC10778342 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays a crucial role in embryonic development, acting both as a morphogenic signal that organizes tissue formation and a potent mitogenic signal driving cell proliferation. Dysregulated Hh signaling leads to various developmental defects in the brain. This article aims to review the roles of Hh signaling in the development of the neocortex in the mammalian brain, focusing on its regulation of neural progenitor proliferation and neuronal production. The review will summarize studies on genetic mouse models that have targeted different components of the Hh pathway, such as the ligand Shh, the receptor Ptch1, the GPCR-like transducer Smo, the intracellular transducer Sufu, and the three Gli transcription factors. As key insights into the Hh signaling transduction mechanism were obtained from mouse models displaying neural tube defects, this review will also cover some studies on Hh signaling in neural tube development. The results from these genetic mouse models suggest an intriguing hypothesis that elevated Hh signaling may play a role in the gyrification of the brain in certain species. Additionally, the distinctive production of GABAergic interneurons in the dorsal cortex in the human brain may also be linked to the extension of Hh signaling from the ventral to the dorsal brain region. Overall, these results suggest key roles of Hh signaling as both a morphogenic and mitogenic signal during the forebrain development and imply the potential involvement of Hh signaling in the evolutionary expansion of the neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xuecai Ge
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95340, USA
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5
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Zhang R, Quan H, Wang Y, Luo F. Neurogenesis in primates versus rodents and the value of non-human primate models. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad248. [PMID: 38025664 PMCID: PMC10659238 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis, the process of generating neurons from neural stem cells, occurs during both embryonic and adult stages, with each stage possessing distinct characteristics. Dysfunction in either stage can disrupt normal neural development, impair cognitive functions, and lead to various neurological disorders. Recent technological advancements in single-cell multiomics and gene-editing have facilitated investigations into primate neurogenesis. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of neurogenesis across rodents, non-human primates, and humans, covering embryonic development to adulthood and focusing on the conservation and diversity among species. While non-human primates, especially monkeys, serve as valuable models with closer neural resemblance to humans, we highlight the potential impacts and limitations of non-human primate models on both physiological and pathological neurogenesis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Hongxin Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Fucheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
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Porseva VV, Preobrazhensky ND. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase and calbindin expression in sympathetic preganglionic neurons following capsaicin treatment. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2264-2275. [PMID: 35717590 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Along with well-known data on the neurochemical mechanisms of nociceptor activation, there are still no clear data regarding changes in the cellular composition and morphological characteristics of spinal preganglionic neurons (SPN) after capsaicin treatment. The mechanism of capsaicin toxicity differs in developing and mature nerve cells. This study aimed to determine the number of SPN in the autonomic nuclei on spinal cord (SC) sections and their cross-sectional area, the localization, percentage, and profile area of SPN containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and calbindin (CB) in the thoracic SC of rats of different ages (from birth to 1-year-old) after capsaicin treatment. Neonatal capsaicin treatment generally decreased the cross-sectional area of the SPN pericarya. However, the cross-sectional area of the CB-immunoreactive (IR) SPN increased in the central autonomic area in rats aged 10-30 days old after capsaicin treatment. The number of SPN decreased only in the central autonomic area of rats aged <20 days. The proportion of nNOS-IR neurons remained steady and did not change during development. The cross-sectional area of nNOS-IR SPN in capsaicin-treated rats was less than that in control rats. The results obtained will promote further studies on the mechanisms of sensory processing in the SC and the development of the sympathetic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina V Porseva
- Department of Pathophysiology, Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russia
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7
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Ni P, Zhou C, Liang S, Jiang Y, Liu D, Shao Z, Noh H, Zhao L, Tian Y, Zhang C, Wei J, Li X, Yu H, Ni R, Yu X, Qi X, Zhang Y, Ma X, Deng W, Guo W, Wang Q, Sham PC, Chung S, Li T. YBX1-Mediated DNA Methylation-Dependent SHANK3 Expression in PBMCs and Developing Cortical Interneurons in Schizophrenia. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300455. [PMID: 37211699 PMCID: PMC10369273 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. The pathological process of SCZ starts early during development, way before the first onset of psychotic symptoms. DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating gene expression and dysregulated DNA methylation is involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The methylated DNA immunoprecipitation-chip (MeDIP-chip) is performed to investigate genome-wide DNA methylation dysregulation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with first-episode SCZ (FES). Results show that the SHANK3 promoter is hypermethylated, and this hypermethylation (HyperM) is negatively correlated with the cortical surface area in the left inferior temporal cortex and positively correlated with the negative symptom subscores in FES. The transcription factor YBX1 is further found to bind to the HyperM region of SHANK3 promoter in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived cortical interneurons (cINs) but not glutamatergic neurons. Furthermore, a direct and positive regulatory effect of YBX1 on the expression of SHANK3 is confirmed in cINs using shRNAs. In summary, the dysregulated SHANK3 expression in cINs suggests the potential role of DNA methylation in the neuropathological mechanism underlying SCZ. The results also suggest that HyperM of SHANK3 in PBMCs can serve as a potential peripheral biomarker of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyan Ni
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
- Department of PsychiatryMcLean Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontMA02478USA
- Department of Cell Biology and AnatomyNew York Medical CollegeValhallaNY10595USA
| | - Chuqing Zhou
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Sugai Liang
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Youhui Jiang
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Dongxin Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and AnatomyNew York Medical CollegeValhallaNY10595USA
| | - Zhicheng Shao
- Department of PsychiatryMcLean Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontMA02478USA
| | - Haneul Noh
- Department of PsychiatryMcLean Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontMA02478USA
- Department of Cell Biology and AnatomyNew York Medical CollegeValhallaNY10595USA
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Yang Tian
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Chengcheng Zhang
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Jinxue Wei
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Hua Yu
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Rongjun Ni
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Xueli Yu
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyMOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Xueyu Qi
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyMOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Yamin Zhang
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Wei Deng
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyMOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyMOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Qiang Wang
- The Mental Health Center and Psychiatric LaboratoryState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Pak C. Sham
- Department of PsychiatryLi Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong Kong, SAR999077China
- Centre for PanorOmic SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong, SAR999077China
| | - Sangmi Chung
- Department of PsychiatryMcLean Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontMA02478USA
- Department of Cell Biology and AnatomyNew York Medical CollegeValhallaNY10595USA
| | - Tao Li
- Department of NeurobiologyAffiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyMOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
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Deriha K, Hashimoto E, Ukai W, Marchisella F, Nishimura E, Hashiguchi H, Tayama M, Ishii T, Riva MA, Kawanishi C. Reduced sociability in a prenatal immune activation model: Modulation by a chronic blonanserin treatment through the amygdala-hippocampal axis. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:209-220. [PMID: 37379611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The environmental disturbances in a critical neurodevelopmental period exert organizational effects on brain intrinsic plasticity including excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neurotransmission those can cause the onset of psychiatric illness. We previously reported that treatment of neural precursor cells with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 induced reduction of GABAergic interneuron differentiation, and these changes recovered by atypical antipsychotic blonanserin treatment in vitro. However, it remains unclear how this treatment affects neural circuit changes in hippocampus and amygdala, which might contribute to the prevention of onset process of schizophrenia. To elucidate the pathogenic/preventive mechanisms underlying prenatal environmental adversity-induced schizophrenia in more detail, we administered poly (I:C) followed by antipsychotics and examined alterations in social/cognitive behaviors, GABA/glutamate-related gene expressions with cell density and E/I ratio, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) transcript levels, particularly in limbic areas. Treatment with antipsychotic blonanserin ameliorated impaired social/cognitive behaviors and increased parvalbumin (PV)-positive (+) cell density and its mRNA levels as well as Bdnf with long 3'UTR mRNA levels, particularly in the dorsal hippocampus, in rats exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA). Low dose of blonanserin and haloperidol altered GABA and glutamate-related mRNA levels, the E/I ratio, and Bdnf long 3'UTR mRNA levels in the ventral hippocampus and amygdala, but did not attenuate behavioral impairments. These results strongly implicate changes in PV expression, PV(+) GABAergic interneuron density, and Bdnf long 3'UTR expression levels, particularly in the dorsal hippocampus, in the pathophysiology and treatment responses of MIA-induced schizophrenia and highlight the therapeutic potential of blonanserin for developmental stress-related schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Deriha
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Eri Hashimoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Wataru Ukai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan; Department of Institutional Research, Center for Medical Education, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Francesca Marchisella
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences University of Milan Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Emi Nishimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Hanako Hashiguchi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Masaya Tayama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
| | - Takao Ishii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan; Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608556, Japan
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences University of Milan Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Chiaki Kawanishi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 0608543, Japan.
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Keefe F, Monzón-Sandoval J, Rosser AE, Webber C, Li M. Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Conserved Regulatory Networks in Human and Mouse Interneuron Development. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8122. [PMID: 37175835 PMCID: PMC10179417 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory GABAergic interneurons originate in the embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and control network activity in the neocortex. Dysfunction of these cells is believed to lead to runaway excitation underlying seizure-based neurological disorders such as epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia. Despite their importance in heath and disease, our knowledge about the development of this diverse neuronal population remains incomplete. Here we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of human foetal MGE from 10 to 15 weeks post conception. These MGE tissues are composed of largely cycling progenitors and immature post-mitotic interneurons with characteristic regional marker expression. Analysis of integrated human and mouse MGE data revealed species-conserved transcriptomic profiles and regulatory programs. Moreover, we identified novel candidate transcription regulators for human interneuron differentiation. These findings provide a framework for in vitro modelling of interneuron development and a strategy for potentially enhancing interneuron production from human pluripotent stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Keefe
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | | | - Anne E. Rosser
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Caleb Webber
- UK Dementia Research Institute Cardiff, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Meng Li
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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De Kleijn KMA, Zuure WA, Straasheijm KR, Martens MB, Avramut MC, Koning RI, Martens GJM. Human cortical spheroids with a high diversity of innately developing brain cell types. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:50. [PMID: 36959625 PMCID: PMC10035191 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03261-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Three-dimensional (3D) human brain spheroids are instrumental to study central nervous system (CNS) development and (dys)function. Yet, in current brain spheroid models the limited variety of cell types hampers an integrated exploration of CNS (disease) mechanisms. METHODS Here we report a 5-month culture protocol that reproducibly generates H9 embryonic stem cell-derived human cortical spheroids (hCSs) with a large cell-type variety. RESULTS We established the presence of not only neuroectoderm-derived neural progenitor populations, mature excitatory and inhibitory neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocyte (precursor) cells, but also mesoderm-derived microglia and endothelial cell populations in the hCSs via RNA-sequencing, qPCR, immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Transcriptomic analysis revealed resemblance between the 5-months-old hCSs and dorsal frontal rather than inferior regions of human fetal brains of 19-26 weeks of gestational age. Pro-inflammatory stimulation of the generated hCSs induced a neuroinflammatory response, offering a proof-of-principle of the applicability of the spheroids. CONCLUSIONS Our protocol provides a 3D human brain cell model containing a wide variety of innately developing neuroectoderm- as well as mesoderm-derived cell types, furnishing a versatile platform for comprehensive examination of intercellular CNS communication and neurological disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M A De Kleijn
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wieteke A Zuure
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - M Cristina Avramut
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roman I Koning
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J M Martens
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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11
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Szegedi V, Bakos E, Furdan S, Kovács BH, Varga D, Erdélyi M, Barzó P, Szücs A, Tamás G, Lamsa K. HCN channels at the cell soma ensure the rapid electrical reactivity of fast-spiking interneurons in human neocortex. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002001. [PMID: 36745683 PMCID: PMC9934405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that there are substantial species differences in the properties of mammalian neurons, yet theories on circuit activity and information processing in the human brain are based heavily on results obtained from rodents and other experimental animals. This knowledge gap may be particularly important for understanding the neocortex, the brain area responsible for the most complex neuronal operations and showing the greatest evolutionary divergence. Here, we examined differences in the electrophysiological properties of human and mouse fast-spiking GABAergic basket cells, among the most abundant inhibitory interneurons in cortex. Analyses of membrane potential responses to current input, pharmacologically isolated somatic leak currents, isolated soma outside-out patch recordings, and immunohistochemical staining revealed that human neocortical basket cells abundantly express hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channel isoforms HCN1 and HCN2 at the cell soma membrane, whereas these channels are sparse at the rodent basket cell soma membrane. Antagonist experiments showed that HCN channels in human neurons contribute to the resting membrane potential and cell excitability at the cell soma, accelerate somatic membrane potential kinetics, and shorten the lag between excitatory postsynaptic potentials and action potential generation. These effects are important because the soma of human fast-spiking neurons without HCN channels exhibit low persistent ion leak and slow membrane potential kinetics, compared with mouse fast-spiking neurons. HCN channels speed up human cell membrane potential kinetics and help attain an input-output rate close to that of rodent cells. Computational modeling demonstrated that HCN channel activity at the human fast-spiking cell soma membrane is sufficient to accelerate the input-output function as observed in cell recordings. Thus, human and mouse fast-spiking neurons exhibit functionally significant differences in ion channel composition at the cell soma membrane to set the speed and fidelity of their input-output function. These HCN channels ensure fast electrical reactivity of fast-spiking cells in human neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Szegedi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine Research Group for Human neuron physiology and therapy, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Emőke Bakos
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine Research Group for Human neuron physiology and therapy, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Szabina Furdan
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine Research Group for Human neuron physiology and therapy, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Bálint H. Kovács
- Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Dániel Varga
- Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Miklós Erdélyi
- Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Pál Barzó
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Szücs
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine Research Group for Human neuron physiology and therapy, Szeged, Hungary
- Neuronal Cell Biology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Tamás
- MTA-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karri Lamsa
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine Research Group for Human neuron physiology and therapy, Szeged, Hungary
- * E-mail: ,
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12
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Fontes-Dutra M, Righes Marafiga J, Santos-Terra J, Deckmann I, Brum Schwingel G, Rabelo B, Kazmierzak de Moraes R, Rockenbach M, Vendramin Pasquetti M, Gottfried C, Calcagnotto ME. GABAergic synaptic transmission and cortical oscillation patterns in the primary somatosensory area of a valproic acid rat model of autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:527-546. [PMID: 36504470 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social communication and interaction associated with repetitive or stereotyped behaviour. Prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure in rodents is a commonly used model of ASD. Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to prevent interneuronal and behavioural impairments in the VPA model. We investigated the effects of prenatal VPA exposure and RSV on the GABAergic synaptic transmission, brain oscillations and on the genic expression of interneuron-associated transcription factor LHX6 in the primary somatosensory area (PSSA). Prenatal VPA exposure decreased the sIPSC and mIPSC frequencies and the sIPSC decay kinetics onto layers 4/5 pyramidal cells of PSSA. About 40% of VPA animals exhibited absence-like spike-wave discharge (SWD) events associated with behaviour arrest and increased power spectrum density of delta, beta and gamma cortical oscillations. VPA animals had reduced LHX6 expression in PSSA, but VPA animals treated with RSV had no changes on synaptic inhibition or LHX6 expression in the PSSA. SWD events associated with behaviour arrest and the abnormal increment of cortical oscillations were also absent in VPA animals treated with RSV. These findings provide new venues to investigate the role of both RSV and VPA in the pathophysiology of ASD and highlight the VPA animal model as an interesting tool to investigate pathways related to the aetiology and possible future therapies to this neuropsychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellanie Fontes-Dutra
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joseane Righes Marafiga
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biological Science: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Neuronal Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Júlio Santos-Terra
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Iohanna Deckmann
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Brum Schwingel
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruna Rabelo
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Kazmierzak de Moraes
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marília Rockenbach
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mayara Vendramin Pasquetti
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biological Science: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Neuronal Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carmem Gottfried
- Translational Research Group in Autism Spectrum Disorders (GETTEA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisa Calcagnotto
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biological Science: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Neuronal Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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13
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Cumberland A, Hale N, Azhan A, Gilchrist CP, Chincarini G, Tolcos M. Excitatory and inhibitory neuron imbalance in the intrauterine growth restricted fetal guinea pig brain: Relevance to the developmental origins of schizophrenia and autism. Dev Neurobiol 2023; 83:40-53. [PMID: 36373424 PMCID: PMC10953391 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are thought to involve an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a risk factor for these disorders, with IUGR onset occurring during critical periods of neurodevelopment. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of IUGR on excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the fetal neocortex and hippocampus. Fetal brains (n = 2) were first collected from an unoperated pregnant guinea pig at mid-gestation (32 days of gestation [dg]; term ∼67 dg) to visualize excitatory (Ctip2) and inhibitory (calretinin [CR] and somatostatin [SST]) neurons via immunohistochemistry. Chronic placental insufficiency (CPI) was then induced via radial artery ablation at 30 dg in another cohort of pregnant guinea pigs (n = 8) to generate IUGR fetuses (52 dg; n = 8); control fetuses (52 dg; n = 7) were from sham surgeries with no radial artery ablation. At 32 dg, Ctip2- and CR-immunoreactive (IR) cells had populated the cerebral cortex, whereas SST-IR cells had not, suggesting these neurons were yet to complete migration. At 52 dg, in IUGR versus control fetuses, there was a reduction in SST-IR cell density in the cerebral cortex (p = .0175) and hilus of the dentate gyrus (p = .0035) but not the striatum (p > .05). There was no difference between groups in the density of Ctip2-IR (cortex) or CR-IR (cortex, hippocampus) neurons (p > 0.05). Thus, we propose that an imbalance in inhibitory (SST-IR) and excitatory (Ctip2-IR) neurons in the IUGR fetal guinea pig brain could lead to excitatory/inhibitory dysfunction commonly seen in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cumberland
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Nadia Hale
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Aminath Azhan
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Courtney P. Gilchrist
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
- Victorian Infant Brain StudiesMurdoch Children's Research InstituteParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Ginevra Chincarini
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Mary Tolcos
- School of Health and Biomedical SciencesRMIT UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
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14
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Kołosowska KA, Schratt G, Winterer J. microRNA-dependent regulation of gene expression in GABAergic interneurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1188574. [PMID: 37213213 PMCID: PMC10196030 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1188574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Information processing within neuronal circuits relies on their proper development and a balanced interplay between principal and local inhibitory interneurons within those circuits. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory interneurons are a remarkably heterogeneous population, comprising subclasses based on their morphological, electrophysiological, and molecular features, with differential connectivity and activity patterns. microRNA (miRNA)-dependent post-transcriptional control of gene expression represents an important regulatory mechanism for neuronal development and plasticity. miRNAs are a large group of small non-coding RNAs (21-24 nucleotides) acting as negative regulators of mRNA translation and stability. However, while miRNA-dependent gene regulation in principal neurons has been described heretofore in several studies, an understanding of the role of miRNAs in inhibitory interneurons is only beginning to emerge. Recent research demonstrated that miRNAs are differentially expressed in interneuron subclasses, are vitally important for migration, maturation, and survival of interneurons during embryonic development and are crucial for cognitive function and memory formation. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding miRNA-dependent regulation of gene expression in interneuron development and function. We aim to shed light onto mechanisms by which miRNAs in GABAergic interneurons contribute to sculpting neuronal circuits, and how their dysregulation may underlie the emergence of numerous neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Winterer
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Jochen Winterer,
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15
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Ramos SI, Mussa ZM, Falk EN, Pai B, Giotti B, Allette K, Cai P, Dekio F, Sebra R, Beaumont KG, Tsankov AM, Tsankova NM. An atlas of late prenatal human neurodevelopment resolved by single-nucleus transcriptomics. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7671. [PMID: 36509746 PMCID: PMC9744747 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34975-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Late prenatal development of the human neocortex encompasses a critical period of gliogenesis and cortical expansion. However, systematic single-cell analyses to resolve cellular diversity and gliogenic lineages of the third trimester are lacking. Here, we present a comprehensive single-nucleus RNA sequencing atlas of over 200,000 nuclei derived from the proliferative germinal matrix and laminating cortical plate of 15 prenatal, non-pathological postmortem samples from 17 to 41 gestational weeks, and 3 adult controls. This dataset captures prenatal gliogenesis with high temporal resolution and is provided as a resource for further interrogation. Our computational analysis resolves greater complexity of glial progenitors, including transient glial intermediate progenitor cell (gIPC) and nascent astrocyte populations in the third trimester of human gestation. We use lineage trajectory and RNA velocity inference to further characterize specific gIPC subpopulations preceding both oligodendrocyte (gIPC-O) and astrocyte (gIPC-A) lineage differentiation. We infer unique transcriptional drivers and biological pathways associated with each developmental state, validate gIPC-A and gIPC-O presence within the human germinal matrix and cortical plate in situ, and demonstrate gIPC states being recapitulated across adult and pediatric glioblastoma tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana I Ramos
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Zarmeen M Mussa
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Elisa N Falk
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Balagopal Pai
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Bruno Giotti
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kimaada Allette
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Peiwen Cai
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Fumiko Dekio
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kristin G Beaumont
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alexander M Tsankov
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Nadejda M Tsankova
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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16
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Herring CA, Simmons RK, Freytag S, Poppe D, Moffet JJD, Pflueger J, Buckberry S, Vargas-Landin DB, Clément O, Echeverría EG, Sutton GJ, Alvarez-Franco A, Hou R, Pflueger C, McDonald K, Polo JM, Forrest ARR, Nowak AK, Voineagu I, Martelotto L, Lister R. Human prefrontal cortex gene regulatory dynamics from gestation to adulthood at single-cell resolution. Cell 2022; 185:4428-4447.e28. [PMID: 36318921 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human brain development is underpinned by cellular and molecular reconfigurations continuing into the third decade of life. To reveal cell dynamics orchestrating neural maturation, we profiled human prefrontal cortex gene expression and chromatin accessibility at single-cell resolution from gestation to adulthood. Integrative analyses define the dynamic trajectories of each cell type, revealing major gene expression reconfiguration at the prenatal-to-postnatal transition in all cell types followed by continuous reconfiguration into adulthood and identifying regulatory networks guiding cellular developmental programs, states, and functions. We uncover links between expression dynamics and developmental milestones, characterize the diverse timing of when cells acquire adult-like states, and identify molecular convergence from distinct developmental origins. We further reveal cellular dynamics and their regulators implicated in neurological disorders. Finally, using this reference, we benchmark cell identities and maturation states in organoid models. Together, this captures the dynamic regulatory landscape of human cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Herring
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rebecca K Simmons
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Saskia Freytag
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel Poppe
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Joel J D Moffet
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jahnvi Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sam Buckberry
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dulce B Vargas-Landin
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Olivier Clément
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Enrique Goñi Echeverría
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Gavin J Sutton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, and the RNA Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Alba Alvarez-Franco
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Rui Hou
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Christian Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kerrie McDonald
- Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jose M Polo
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics and the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Alistair R R Forrest
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K Nowak
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Irina Voineagu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, and the RNA Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Luciano Martelotto
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics and the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victoria Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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17
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Liu D, Zinski A, Mishra A, Noh H, Park GH, Qin Y, Olorife O, Park JM, Abani CP, Park JS, Fung J, Sawaqed F, Coyle JT, Stahl E, Bendl J, Fullard JF, Roussos P, Zhang X, Stanton PK, Yin C, Huang W, Kim HY, Won H, Cho JH, Chung S. Impact of schizophrenia GWAS loci converge onto distinct pathways in cortical interneurons vs glutamatergic neurons during development. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4218-4233. [PMID: 35701597 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01654-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Remarkable advances have been made in schizophrenia (SCZ) GWAS, but gleaning biological insight from these loci is challenging. Genetic influences on gene expression (e.g., eQTLs) are cell type-specific, but most studies that attempt to clarify GWAS loci's influence on gene expression have employed tissues with mixed cell compositions that can obscure cell-specific effects. Furthermore, enriched SCZ heritability in the fetal brain underscores the need to study the impact of SCZ risk loci in specific developing neurons. MGE-derived cortical interneurons (cINs) are consistently affected in SCZ brains and show enriched SCZ heritability in human fetal brains. We identified SCZ GWAS risk genes that are dysregulated in iPSC-derived homogeneous populations of developing SCZ cINs. These SCZ GWAS loci differential expression (DE) genes converge on the PKC pathway. Their disruption results in PKC hyperactivity in developing cINs, leading to arborization deficits. We show that the fine-mapped GWAS locus in the ATP2A2 gene of the PKC pathway harbors enhancer marks by ATACseq and ChIPseq, and regulates ATP2A2 expression. We also generated developing glutamatergic neurons (GNs), another population with enriched SCZ heritability, and confirmed their functionality after transplantation into the mouse brain. Then, we identified SCZ GWAS risk genes that are dysregulated in developing SCZ GNs. GN-specific SCZ GWAS loci DE genes converge on the ion transporter pathway, distinct from those for cINs. Disruption of the pathway gene CACNA1D resulted in deficits of Ca2+ currents in developing GNs, suggesting compromised neuronal function by GWAS loci pathway deficits during development. This study allows us to identify cell type-specific and developmental stage-specific mechanisms of SCZ risk gene function, and may aid in identifying mechanism-based novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxin Liu
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA.
- Department of Developmental Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Amy Zinski
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Akanksha Mishra
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Haneul Noh
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Gun-Hoo Park
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Yiren Qin
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Oshoname Olorife
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - James M Park
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Chiderah P Abani
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Joy S Park
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Janice Fung
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Farah Sawaqed
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Joseph T Coyle
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Eli Stahl
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Jaroslav Bendl
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - John F Fullard
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Panos Roussos
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (VISN 2 South), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Patric K Stanton
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Changhong Yin
- Department of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Weihua Huang
- Department of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Hae-Young Kim
- Department of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Hyejung Won
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jun-Hyeong Cho
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Sangmi Chung
- Department of Cell biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
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18
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Park SHE, Ortiz AK, Konopka G. Corticogenesis across species at single-cell resolution. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:517-532. [PMID: 35932776 PMCID: PMC9481703 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The neocortex (or pallium) consists of diverse cell types that are organized in a highly species-specific manner under strict spatiotemporal control during development. Many of the cell types are present transiently throughout development but contribute to permanent species-specific cortical features that are acquired through evolution. Therefore, capturing cell type-specific biological information has always been an important quest in the field of neurodevelopment. The progress in achieving fine cellular resolution has been slow due to technical challenges. However, with recent advancements in single-cell and multi-omics technologies, many laboratories have begun to successfully interrogate cellular and molecular mechanisms driving corticogenesis at single-cell resolution. In this review, we provide summarized results from many primary publications and several in-depth review articles that utilize or address single-cell genomics techniques to understand important topics, such as cellular and molecular mechanisms governing cortical progenitor proliferation, cell lineage progression, neuronal specification, and arealization, across multiple gyrencephalic (i.e., human and non-human primates) and lissencephalic species (i.e., mouse, reptiles, and songbirds). We also examine findings from recent studies involving epigenomic and posttranscriptional regulation of corticogenesis. In the discussion section, we provide our insights on the challenges the field currently faces as well as promising future applications of single cell technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon Hye E Park
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ana K Ortiz
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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19
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Leopold DA, Averbeck BB. Self-tuition as an essential design feature of the brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200530. [PMID: 34957855 PMCID: PMC8710880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We are curious by nature, particularly when young. Evolution has endowed our brain with an inbuilt obligation to educate itself. In this perspectives article, we posit that self-tuition is an evolved principle of vertebrate brain design that is reflected in its basic architecture and critical for its normal development. Self-tuition involves coordination between functionally distinct components of the brain, with one set of areas motivating exploration that leads to the experiences that train another set. We review key hypothalamic and telencephalic structures involved in this interplay, including their anatomical connections and placement within the segmental architecture of conserved forebrain circuits. We discuss the nature of educative behaviours motivated by the hypothalamus, innate stimulus biases, the relationship to survival in early life, and mechanisms by which telencephalic areas gradually accumulate knowledge. We argue that this aspect of brain function is of paramount importance for systems neuroscience, as it confers neural specialization and allows animals to attain far more sophisticated behaviours than would be possible through genetic mechanisms alone. Self-tuition is of particular importance in humans and other primates, whose large brains and complex social cognition rely critically on experience-based learning during a protracted childhood period. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory’.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Leopold
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Section on Learning and Decision Making, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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20
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Räsänen N, Tiihonen J, Koskuvi M, Lehtonen Š, Koistinaho J. The iPSC perspective on schizophrenia. Trends Neurosci 2021; 45:8-26. [PMID: 34876311 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Over a decade of schizophrenia research using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural models has provided substantial data describing neurobiological characteristics of the disorder in vitro. Simultaneously, translation of the results into general mechanistic concepts underlying schizophrenia pathophysiology has been trailing behind. Given that modeling brain function using cell cultures is challenging, the gap between the in vitro models and schizophrenia as a clinical disorder has remained wide. In this review, we highlight reproducible findings and emerging trends in recent schizophrenia-related iPSC studies. We illuminate the relevance of the results in the context of human brain development, with a focus on processes coinciding with critical developmental periods for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noora Räsänen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; Center for Psychiatric Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Marja Koskuvi
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
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21
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Bajaj S, Bagley JA, Sommer C, Vertesy A, Nagumo Wong S, Krenn V, Lévi-Strauss J, Knoblich JA. Neurotransmitter signaling regulates distinct phases of multimodal human interneuron migration. EMBO J 2021; 40:e108714. [PMID: 34661293 PMCID: PMC8634123 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021108714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory GABAergic interneurons migrate over long distances from their extracortical origin into the developing cortex. In humans, this process is uniquely slow and prolonged, and it is unclear whether guidance cues unique to humans govern the various phases of this complex developmental process. Here, we use fused cerebral organoids to identify key roles of neurotransmitter signaling pathways in guiding the migratory behavior of human cortical interneurons. We use scRNAseq to reveal expression of GABA, glutamate, glycine, and serotonin receptors along distinct maturation trajectories across interneuron migration. We develop an image analysis software package, TrackPal, to simultaneously assess 48 parameters for entire migration tracks of individual cells. By chemical screening, we show that different modes of interneuron migration depend on distinct neurotransmitter signaling pathways, linking transcriptional maturation of interneurons with their migratory behavior. Altogether, our study provides a comprehensive quantitative analysis of human interneuron migration and its functional modulation by neurotransmitter signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunanjay Bajaj
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.,University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joshua A Bagley
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Sommer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Abel Vertesy
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Sakurako Nagumo Wong
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronica Krenn
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Julie Lévi-Strauss
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Juergen A Knoblich
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.,Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Diez D, Morte B, Bernal J. Single-Cell Transcriptome Profiling of Thyroid Hormone Effectors in the Human Fetal Neocortex: Expression of SLCO1C1, DIO2, and THRB in Specific Cell Types. Thyroid 2021; 31:1577-1588. [PMID: 34114484 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2021.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Thyroid hormones are crucial for brain development, acting through the thyroid hormone nuclear receptors (TR)α1 and β to control gene expression. Triiodothyronine (T3), the receptor-ligand, is transported into the brain from the blood by the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8). Another source of brain T3 is from the local deiodination of thyroxine (T4) by type 2 deiodinase (DIO2). While these mechanisms are very similar in mice and humans, important species-specific differences confound our understanding of disease using mouse models. To fill this knowledge gap on thyroid hormone action in the human fetal brain, we analyzed the expression of transporters, DIO2, and TRs, which we call thyroid hormone effectors, at single-cell resolution. Methods: We analyzed publicly available single-cell transcriptome data sets of isolated cerebral cortex neural cells from three different studies, with expression data from 393 to almost 40,000 cells. We generated Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection scatterplots and cell clusters to identify differentially expressed genes between clusters, and correlated their gene signatures with the expression of thyroid effectors. Results: The radial glia, mainly the outer radial glia, and astrocytes coexpress SLCO1C1 and DIO2, indicating close cooperation between the T4 transporter OATP1C1 and DIO2 in local T3 formation. Strikingly, THRB was mainly present in two classes of interneurons: a majority expressing CALB2/calretinin, from the caudal ganglionic eminence, and in somatostatin-expressing interneurons from the medial ganglionic eminence. By contrast, many cell types express SLC16A2 and THRA. Conclusions:SLCO1C1 and DIO2 coexpression in the outer radial glia, the universal stem cell of the cerebral cortex, highlights the likely importance of brain-generated T3 in neurogenesis. The unique expression of THRB in discrete subsets of interneurons is a novel finding whose pathophysiological meaning deserves further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Diez
- Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Beatriz Morte
- Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Bernal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Hunter SK, Hoffman MC, D'Alessandro A, Walker VK, Balser M, Noonan K, Law AJ, Freedman R. Maternal prenatal choline and inflammation effects on 4-year-olds' performance on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 141:50-56. [PMID: 34174557 PMCID: PMC8364874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal gestational inflammation from infection, obesity, depression, and adverse childhood experiences negatively affects offspring cognitive development. Choline is a key nutrient in fetal brain development. We investigated whether higher maternal plasma choline concentrations have a positive association with offspring cognition, specifically processing speed, in the presence of inflammation. Forty-eight children were evaluated at 4 years of age. Processing Speed Composite Score on the Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scales of Intelligence was the principal outcome. Maternal C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, and choline plasma concentration had been measured at 16 weeks' gestation. Choline concentrations >7.07μM were compared to lower levels. Mothers with lower choline levels reported more depression and stress. Head circumference was larger for neonates of mothers with higher choline levels. In analyses with maternal CRP, higher maternal choline was associated with higher offspring Processing Speed Composite Scores for both sexes. For males, higher maternal choline competed with the negative association of maternal CRP on Processing Speed. Higher Processing Speed was related to the child's behavioral ratings, with fewer Withdrawn Problems on the Child Behavior Checklist 1 ½-5 years at 4 years and higher Infant Behavior Questionnaire Orienting/Regulation at 3 months of age, consistent with persistent developmental effects. Higher processing speed and decreased problems in social withdrawal are positively associated with prenatal maternal choline. Both lower processing speed and social withdrawal problems are precursors to later mental difficulties. Choline supplementation in pregnancy may mitigate effects of maternal inflammation that contribute to problems in offspring's' cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Departments of Psychiatry, USA; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Amanda J Law
- Departments of Psychiatry, USA; Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, USA; Departments of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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24
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Miller DS, Wright KM. Neuronal Dystroglycan regulates postnatal development of CCK/cannabinoid receptor-1 interneurons. Neural Dev 2021; 16:4. [PMID: 34362433 PMCID: PMC8349015 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-021-00153-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of functional neural circuits requires the precise formation of synaptic connections between diverse neuronal populations. The molecular pathways that allow GABAergic interneuron subtypes in the mammalian brain to initially recognize their postsynaptic partners remain largely unknown. The transmembrane glycoprotein Dystroglycan is localized to inhibitory synapses in pyramidal neurons, where it is required for the proper function of CCK+ interneurons. However, the precise temporal requirement for Dystroglycan during inhibitory synapse development has not been examined. Methods In this study, we use NEXCre or Camk2aCreERT2 to conditionally delete Dystroglycan from newly-born or adult pyramidal neurons, respectively. We then analyze forebrain development from postnatal day 3 through adulthood, with a particular focus on CCK+ interneurons. Results In the absence of postsynaptic Dystroglycan in developing pyramidal neurons, presynaptic CCK+ interneurons fail to elaborate their axons and largely disappear from the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and olfactory bulb during the first two postnatal weeks. Other interneuron subtypes are unaffected, indicating that CCK+ interneurons are unique in their requirement for postsynaptic Dystroglycan. Dystroglycan does not appear to be required in adult pyramidal neurons to maintain CCK+ interneurons. Bax deletion did not rescue CCK+ interneurons in Dystroglycan mutants during development, suggesting that they are not eliminated by canonical apoptosis. Rather, we observed increased innervation of the striatum, suggesting that the few remaining CCK+ interneurons re-directed their axons to neighboring areas where Dystroglycan expression remained intact. Conclusion Together these findings show that Dystroglycan functions as part of a synaptic partner recognition complex that is required early for CCK+ interneuron development in the forebrain. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13064-021-00153-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Kevin M Wright
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, VIB 3435A, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L474, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA.
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25
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The Importance of Studying Human Brain. SERBIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/sjecr-2020-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Due to its numerous distinctive functions and unique pathology, the human brain, or rather forebrain has been difficult to study in common animal models. Although many basic molecular and cellular events are conserved across species, human brain connectivity, pertinent especially to the cerebral cortex circuitry, is unique and demands extensive research. Despite a great advancement in functional imaging methods accomplished over the last two decades, many basic features of healthy and diseased human forebrain remain elusive. Here we address difficulties in anatomical studies of developing and adult human brain and indicate the new directions and challenges to be addressed in the future. We pay special attention to possibilities of translating animal brain research to human cases. We consider that, although animal experiments play a vital role in understanding fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms behind brain function, understanding of higher brain functions (language, intelligence, memory) has to be based on understanding uniqueness of human circuitries. Furthermore, brain is the site of many human-specific diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease, for which only partial animal models exist. To study human brain, thus, remains irreplaceable in the quest for new therapeutic tools, as well as in understanding the essence of our being.
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26
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Esumi S, Nasu M, Kawauchi T, Miike K, Morooka K, Yanagawa Y, Seki T, Sakimura K, Fukuda T, Tamamaki N. Characterization and Stage-Dependent Lineage Analysis of Intermediate Progenitors of Cortical GABAergic Interneurons. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:607908. [PMID: 34305510 PMCID: PMC8297055 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.607908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intermediate progenitors of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, which can replenish neurons in the adult brain, were recently identified. However, the generation of intermediate progenitors of GABAergic inhibitory neurons (IPGNs) has not been studied in detail. Here, we characterized the spatiotemporal distribution of IPGNs in mouse cerebral cortex. IPGNs generated neurons during both embryonic and postnatal stages, but the embryonic IPGNs were more proliferative. Our lineage tracing analyses showed that the embryonically proliferating IPGNs tended to localize to the superficial layers rather than the deep cortical layers at 3 weeks after birth. We also found that embryonic IPGNs derived from the medial and caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) but more than half of the embryonic IPGNs were derived from the CGE and broadly distributed in the cerebral cortex. Taken together, our data indicate that the broadly located IPGNs during embryonic and postnatal stages exhibit a different proliferative property and layer distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Esumi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Makoto Nasu
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawauchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Life Science, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (FBRI), Kobe, Japan
| | - Koichiro Miike
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | | | - Yuchio Yanagawa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Seki
- Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takaichi Fukuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Tamamaki
- Department of Morphological Neural Science, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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27
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Wiring of higher-order cortical areas: Spatiotemporal development of cortical hierarchy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:35-49. [PMID: 34034988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A hierarchical development of cortical areas was suggested over a century ago, but the diversity and complexity of cortical hierarchy properties have so far prevented a formal demonstration. The aim of this review is to clarify the similarities and differences in the developmental processes underlying cortical development of primary and higher-order areas. We start by recapitulating the historical and recent advances underlying the biological principle of cortical hierarchy in adults. We then revisit the arguments for a hierarchical maturation of cortical areas, and further integrate the principles of cortical areas specification during embryonic and postnatal development. We highlight how the dramatic expansion in cortical size might have contributed to the increased number of association areas sustaining cognitive complexification in evolution. Finally, we summarize the recent observations of an alteration of cortical hierarchy in neuropsychiatric disorders and discuss their potential developmental origins.
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Tanaka Y, Cakir B, Xiang Y, Sullivan GJ, Park IH. Synthetic Analyses of Single-Cell Transcriptomes from Multiple Brain Organoids and Fetal Brain. Cell Rep 2021; 30:1682-1689.e3. [PMID: 32049002 PMCID: PMC7043376 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Human brain organoid systems offer unprecedented opportunities to investigate both neurodevelopmental and neurological disease. Single-cell-based transcriptomics or epigenomics have dissected the cellular and molecular heterogeneity in the brain organoids, revealing a complex organization. Similar but distinct protocols from different labs have been applied to generate brain organoids, providing a large resource to perform a comparative analysis of brain developmental processes. Here, we take a systematic approach to compare the single-cell transcriptomes of various human cortical brain organoids together with fetal brain to define the identity of specific cell types and differentiation routes in each method. Importantly, we identify unique developmental programs in each protocol compared to fetal brain, which will be a critical benchmark for the utility of human brain organoids in the future. Tanaka et al. report integrative analyses of single-cell RNA-seq for human brain organoids derived from different protocols. They find a unique preference of cell differentiation routes across protocols and provide a benchmark for the use and the improvement of human brain organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Tanaka
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Bilal Cakir
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Gareth J Sullivan
- Hybrid Technology Hub-Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Pediatric Research, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, PO Box 1112 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - In-Hyun Park
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Hoftman GD, Bazmi HH, Ciesielski AJ, Dinka LA, Chen K, Lewis DA. Postnatal Development of Glutamate and GABA Transcript Expression in Monkey Visual, Parietal, and Prefrontal Cortices. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2026-2037. [PMID: 33279960 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Visuospatial working memory (vsWM) requires information transfer among multiple cortical regions, from primary visual (V1) to prefrontal (PFC) cortices. This information is conveyed via layer 3 glutamatergic neurons whose activity is regulated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons. In layer 3 of adult human neocortex, molecular markers of glutamate neurotransmission were lowest in V1 and highest in PFC, whereas GABA markers had the reverse pattern. Here, we asked if these opposite V1-visual association cortex (V2)-posterior parietal cortex (PPC)-PFC gradients across the vsWM network are present in layer 3 of monkey neocortex, when they are established during postnatal development, and if they are specific to this layer. We quantified transcript levels of glutamate and GABA markers in layers 3 and 6 of four vsWM cortical regions in a postnatal developmental series of 30 macaque monkeys. In adult monkeys, glutamate transcript levels in layer 3 increased across V1-V2-PPC-PFC regions, whereas GABA transcripts showed the opposite V1-V2-PPC-PFC gradient. Glutamate transcripts established adult-like expression patterns earlier during postnatal development than GABA transcripts. These V1-V2-PPC-PFC gradients and developmental patterns were less evident in layer 6. These findings demonstrate that expression of glutamate and GABA transcripts differs across cortical regions and layers during postnatal development, revealing potential molecular substrates for vsWM functional maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil D Hoftman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - H Holly Bazmi
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Andrew J Ciesielski
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Liban A Dinka
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kehui Chen
- Department of Statistics, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Foglio B, Rossini L, Garbelli R, Regondi MC, Mercurio S, Bertacchi M, Avagliano L, Bulfamante G, Coras R, Maiorana A, Nicolis S, Studer M, Frassoni C. Dynamic expression of NR2F1 and SOX2 in developing and adult human cortex: comparison with cortical malformations. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1303-1322. [PMID: 33661352 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The neocortex, the most recently evolved brain region in mammals, is characterized by its unique areal and laminar organization. Distinct cortical layers and areas can be identified by the presence of graded expression of transcription factors and molecular determinants defining neuronal identity. However, little is known about the expression of key master genes orchestrating human cortical development. In this study, we explored the expression dynamics of NR2F1 and SOX2, key cortical genes whose mutations in human patients cause severe neurodevelopmental syndromes. We focused on physiological conditions, spanning from mid-late gestational ages to adulthood in unaffected specimens, but also investigated gene expression in a pathological context, a developmental cortical malformation termed focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). We found that NR2F1 follows an antero-dorsallow to postero-ventralhigh gradient as in the murine cortex, suggesting high evolutionary conservation. While SOX2 is mainly expressed in neural progenitors next to the ventricular surface, NR2F1 is found in both mitotic progenitors and post-mitotic neurons at GW18. Interestingly, both proteins are highly co-expressed in basal radial glia progenitors of the outer sub-ventricular zone (OSVZ), a proliferative region known to contribute to cortical expansion and complexity in humans. Later on, SOX2 becomes largely restricted to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes although it is also detected in scattered mature interneurons. Differently, NR2F1 maintains its distinct neuronal expression during the whole process of cortical development. Notably, we report here high levels of NR2F1 in dysmorphic neurons and NR2F1 and SOX2 in balloon cells of surgical samples from patients with FCD, suggesting their potential use in the histopathological characterization of this dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Foglio
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Rossini
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Rita Garbelli
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Regondi
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Mercurio
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Bertacchi
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
| | - Laura Avagliano
- Departement of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital Medical School University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaetano Bulfamante
- Departement of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital Medical School University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roland Coras
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Antonino Maiorana
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Institute of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Carolina Frassoni
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, C/O AmadeoLab, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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Hunter SK, Hoffman MC, D'Alessandro A, Noonan K, Wyrwa A, Freedman R, Law AJ. Male fetus susceptibility to maternal inflammation: C-reactive protein and brain development. Psychol Med 2021; 51:450-459. [PMID: 31787129 PMCID: PMC7263978 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719003313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal inflammation in early pregnancy has been identified epidemiologically as a prenatal pathogenic factor for the offspring's later mental illness. Early newborn manifestations of the effects of maternal inflammation on human fetal brain development are largely unknown. METHODS Maternal infection, depression, obesity, and other factors associated with inflammation were assessed at 16 weeks gestation, along with maternal C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and serum choline. Cerebral inhibition was assessed by inhibitory P50 sensory gating at 1 month of age, and infant behavior was assessed by maternal ratings at 3 months of age. RESULTS Maternal CRP diminished the development of cerebral inhibition in newborn males but paradoxically increased inhibition in females. Similar sex-dependent effects were seen in mothers' assessment of their infant's self-regulatory behaviors at 3 months of age. Higher maternal choline levels partly mitigated the effect of CRP in male offspring. CONCLUSIONS The male fetal-placental unit appears to be more sensitive to maternal inflammation than females. Effects are particularly marked on cerebral inhibition. Deficits in cerebral inhibition 1 month after birth, similar to those observed in several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, indicate fetal developmental pathways that may lead to later mental illness. Deficits in early infant behavior follow. Early intervention before birth, including prenatal vitamins, folate, and choline supplements, may help prevent fetal development of pathophysiological deficits that can have life-long consequences for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon K Hunter
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - Angelo D'Alessandro
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - Kathleen Noonan
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - Anna Wyrwa
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - Robert Freedman
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
| | - Amanda J Law
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado80045, USA
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Nath M, Wong TP, Srivastava LK. Neurodevelopmental insights into circuit dysconnectivity in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 104:110047. [PMID: 32721441 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is increasingly being recognized as a disorder of brain circuits of developmental origin. Animal models, however, have been technically limited in exploring the effects of early developmental circuit abnormalities on the maturation of the brain and associated behavioural outputs. This review discusses evidence of the developmental emergence of circuit abnormalities in schizophrenia, followed by a critical assessment on how animal models need to be adapted through optimized tools in order to spatially and temporally manipulate early developmental events, thereby providing insight into the causal contribution of developmental perturbations to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moushumi Nath
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada.
| | - Tak Pan Wong
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
| | - Lalit K Srivastava
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
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Marguet F, Friocourt G, Brosolo M, Sauvestre F, Marcorelles P, Lesueur C, Marret S, Gonzalez BJ, Laquerrière A. Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading cause of interneuronopathy in humans. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:208. [PMID: 33256853 PMCID: PMC7706035 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01089-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol affects multiple neurotransmitter systems, notably the GABAergic system and has been recognised for a long time as particularly damaging during critical stages of brain development. Nevertheless, data from the literature are most often derived from animal or in vitro models. In order to study the production, migration and cortical density disturbances of GABAergic interneurons upon prenatal alcohol exposure, we performed immunohistochemical studies by means of the proliferation marker Ki67, GABA and calretinin antibodies in the frontal cortical plate of 17 foetal and infant brains antenatally exposed to alcohol, aged 15 weeks’ gestation to 22 postnatal months and in the ganglionic eminences and the subventricular zone of the dorsal telencephalon until their regression, i.e., 34 weeks’ gestation. Results were compared with those obtained in 17 control brains aged 14 weeks of gestation to 35 postnatal months. We also focused on interneuron vascular migration along the cortical microvessels by confocal microscopy with double immunolabellings using Glut1, GABA and calretinin. Semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses of GABAergic and calretininergic interneuron density allowed us to identify an insufficient and delayed production of GABAergic interneurons in the ganglionic eminences during the two first trimesters of the pregnancy and a delayed incorporation into the laminar structures of the frontal cortex. Moreover, a mispositioning of GABAergic and calretininergic interneurons persisted throughout the foetal life, these cells being located in the deep layers instead of the superficial layers II and III. Moreover, vascular migration of calretininergic interneurons within the cortical plate was impaired, as reflected by low numbers of interneurons observed close to the cortical perforating vessel walls that may in part explain their abnormal intracortical distribution. Our results are globally concordant with those previously obtained in mouse models, in which alcohol has been shown to induce an interneuronopathy by affecting interneuron density and positioning within the cortical plate, and which could account for the neurological disabilities observed in children with foetal alcohol disorder spectrum.
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Hunter SK, Hoffman MC, McCarthy L, D’Alessandro A, Wyrwa A, Noonan K, Christians U, Nakimuli-Mpungu E, Zeisel SH, Law AJ, Freedman R. Black American Maternal Prenatal Choline, Offspring Gestational Age at Birth, and Developmental Predisposition to Mental Illness. Schizophr Bull 2020; 47:896-905. [PMID: 33184653 PMCID: PMC8266582 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Black Americans have increased risk for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses with prenatal origins. Prenatal choline promotes infant brain development and behavioral outcomes, but choline has not been specifically assessed in Black Americans. Pregnant women (N = 183, N = 25 Black Americans) enrolled in a study of prenatal stressors and interactions with prenatal choline. Black American women had lower 16-week gestation plasma choline than Whites. Lower choline was not related to obesity, income, or metabolic genotypes. Pregnant women in rural Uganda have higher choline levels than Black American women. Black Americans' lower choline was associated with higher hair cortisol, indicative of higher stress. Lower maternal choline was associated with offsprings' lower gestational age at birth and with decreased auditory P50 inhibition, a marker of inhibitory neuron development. Behavioral development was assessed on the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-R-SF (IBQ-R) at 3 months. Lower Black American maternal gestational choline was associated with lower infant IBQ-R Orienting/Regulation, indicating decreased attention and relation to caregivers. Additional evidence for developmental effects of choline in Black Americans comes from a randomized clinical trial of gestational phosphatidylcholine supplementation versus placebo that included 15 Black Americans. Phosphatidylcholine increased gestational age at birth and newborn P50 inhibition and decreased Social Withdrawn and Attention problems at 40 months of age in Black Americans' offspring compared to placebo. Inhibitory and behavioral deficits associated with lower prenatal choline in offspring of Black American women indicate potential developmental predispositions to later mental illnesses that might be ameliorated by prenatal choline or phosphatidylcholine supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon K Hunter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal
Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Lizbeth McCarthy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal
Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Denver Health Medical
Center, Denver, CO
| | - Angelo D’Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado
School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Anna Wyrwa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Kathleen Noonan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Uwe Christians
- Department of Anesthesiology, iC42 Clinical Research and Development,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of
Health Sciences. Kampala, Uganda
| | - Steven H Zeisel
- Departments of Nutrition and Pediatrics, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Amanda J Law
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Robert Freedman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry F-546,
University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO
80045, US; tel: 720-224-4638, fax: 303-724-4960, e-mail:
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Gelot AB, Represa A. Progression of Fetal Brain Lesions in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:899. [PMID: 32973442 PMCID: PMC7472962 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is a multisystem autosomal dominant genetic disorder due to loss of function of TSC1/TSC2 resulting in increased mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling. In the brain, TSC is characterized by the formation of specific lesions that include subependymal and white matter nodules and cortical tubers. Cells that constitute TSC lesions are mainly Giant cells and dysmorphic neurons and astrocytes, but normal cells also populate the tubers. Although considered as a developmental disorder, the histopathological features of brain lesions have been described in only a limited number of fetal cases, providing little information on how these lesions develop. In this report we characterized the development of TSC lesions in 14 fetal brains ranging from 19 gestational weeks (GW) to term and 2 postnatal cases. The study focused on the telencephalon at the level of the caudothalamic notch. Our data indicate that subcortical lesions, forming within and at the vicinity of germinative zones, are the first alterations (already detected in 19GW brains), characterized by the presence of numerous dysmorphic astrocytes and Giant, balloon-like, cells. Our data show that cortical tuber formation is a long process that initiates with the presence of dysmorphic astrocytes (by 19–21GW), progress with the apparition of Giant cells (by 24GW) and mature with the appearance of dysmorphic neurons by the end of gestation (by 36GW). Furthermore, the typical tuberal aspect of cortical lesions is only reached when bundles of neurofilament positive extensions delineate the bottom of the cortical lesion (by 36GW). In addition, our study reveals the presence of Giant cells and dysmorphic neurons immunopositive for interneuron markers such as calbindin and parvalbumin, suggesting that TSC lesions would be mosaic lesions generated from different classes of progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette Bernabe Gelot
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INMED, Marseille, France.,APHP, Hôpital Trousseau, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
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36
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Freedman R, Hunter SK, Noonan K, Wyrwa A, Christians U, Law AJ, Hoffman MC. Maternal Prenatal Depression in Pregnancies With Female and Male Fetuses and Developmental Associations With C-reactive Protein and Cortisol. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:310-320. [PMID: 33060035 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal depression has lasting effects on development in offspring, including later mental illness risk. Maternal responses to depression include inflammation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stimulation. Effects on development of cerebral inhibitory neurocircuits may differ for female and male fetuses. METHODS Mothers (N = 181) were assessed periodically, beginning at 16 weeks' gestation, using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. Maternal prenatal C-reactive protein and hair cortisol and cortisone levels were determined. Cortisone was determined in neonatal hair. Development of cerebral inhibitory neurocircuits was assessed in 162 1-month-old newborns by inhibition of P50 electrophysiological responses to repeated sounds. RESULTS Maternal depression was associated with decreased newborn P50 inhibition in both sexes. Maternal C-reactive protein levels were significantly associated with depression only in pregnancies with male fetuses and with decreased newborn P50 inhibition only in male newborns. Maternal cortisol levels were significantly associated with depression only in pregnancies with female fetuses and with decreased newborn P50 inhibition only in female newborns. In pregnancies with male fetuses compared with pregnancies with female fetuses, cortisol was more robustly metabolized to cortisone, which does not activate cortisol receptors. CONCLUSIONS This study finds sex-specific associations of C-reactive protein and cortisol levels with prenatal depression in women and with decreased development of newborn P50 inhibition. Sex-based differences in maternal response to depression with inflammation or cortisol and their developmental effects may reflect evolutionary influences to promote survival in adversity. Decreased newborn P50 inhibition is associated with later childhood behavioral problems, and decreased P50 inhibition is a pathophysiological feature of several mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Freedman
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado.
| | - Sharon K Hunter
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Kathleen Noonan
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Anna Wyrwa
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Uwe Christians
- Department of Psychiatry, iC42 Clinical Research and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Amanda J Law
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
| | - M Camille Hoffman
- Institute for Children's Mental Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado; Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center F-546, Aurora, Colorado
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37
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Kostović I. The enigmatic fetal subplate compartment forms an early tangential cortical nexus and provides the framework for construction of cortical connectivity. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 194:101883. [PMID: 32659318 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The most prominent transient compartment of the primate fetal cortex is the deep, cell-sparse, synapse-containing subplate compartment (SPC). The developmental role of the SPC and its extraordinary size in humans remain enigmatic. This paper evaluates evidence on the development and connectivity of the SPC and discusses its role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. A synthesis of data shows that the subplate becomes a prominent compartment by its expansion from the deep cortical plate (CP), appearing well-delineated on MR scans and forming a tangential nexus across the hemisphere, consisting of an extracellular matrix, randomly distributed postmigratory neurons, multiple branches of thalamic and long corticocortical axons. The SPC generates early spontaneous non-synaptic and synaptic activity and mediates cortical response upon thalamic stimulation. The subplate nexus provides large-scale interareal connectivity possibly underlying fMR resting-state activity, before corticocortical pathways are established. In late fetal phase, when synapses appear within the CP, transient the SPC coexists with permanent circuitry. The histogenetic role of the SPC is to provide interactive milieu and capacity for guidance, sorting, "waiting" and target selection of thalamocortical and corticocortical pathways. The new evolutionary role of the SPC and its remnant white matter neurons is linked to the increasing number of associative pathways in the human neocortex. These roles attributed to the SPC are regulated using a spatiotemporal gene expression during critical periods, when pathogenic factors may disturb vulnerable circuitry of the SPC, causing neurodevelopmental cognitive circuitry disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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38
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Hoffman MC, Hunter SK, D’Alessandro A, Noonan K, Wyrwa A, Freedman R. Interaction of maternal choline levels and prenatal Marijuana's effects on the offspring. Psychol Med 2020; 50:1716-1726. [PMID: 31364525 PMCID: PMC7055467 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171900179x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated whether higher maternal choline levels mitigate effects of marijuana on fetal brain development. Choline transported into the amniotic fluid from the mother activates α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on fetal cerebro-cortical inhibitory neurons, whose development is impeded by cannabis blockade of their cannabinoid-1(CB1) receptors. METHODS Marijuana use was assessed during pregnancy from women who later brought their newborns for study. Mothers were informed about choline and other nutrients, but not specifically for marijuana use. Maternal serum choline was measured at 16 weeks gestation. RESULTS Marijuana use for the first 10 weeks gestation or more by 15% of mothers decreased newborns' inhibition of evoked potentials to repeated sounds (d' = 0.55, p < 0.05). This effect was ameliorated if women had higher gestational choline (rs = -0.50, p = 0.011). At 3 months of age, children whose mothers continued marijuana use through their 10th gestational week or more had poorer self-regulation (d' = -0.79, p < 0.05). This effect was also ameliorated if mothers had higher gestational choline (rs = 0.54, p = 0.013). Maternal choline levels correlated with the children's improved duration of attention, cuddliness, and bonding with parents. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal marijuana use adversely affects fetal brain development and subsequent behavioral self-regulation, a precursor to later, more serious problems in childhood. Stopping marijuana use before 10 weeks gestational age prevented these effects. Many mothers refuse to cease use because of familiarity with marijuana and belief in its safety. Higher maternal choline mitigates some of marijuana's adverse effects on the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Camille Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Sharon K. Hunter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Angelo D’Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Kathleen Noonan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Anna Wyrwa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Robert Freedman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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Li Y, Freedman R. Prospects for improving future mental health of children through prenatal maternal micronutrient supplementation in China. Pediatr Investig 2020; 4:118-126. [PMID: 32851355 PMCID: PMC7331361 DOI: 10.1002/ped4.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal micronutrients in pregnant women's diets, including supplements, have an essential role in fetal brain development and may reduce the risk of mental disorders in offspring. Folic acid, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and choline have been investigated for this purpose. Folic acid supplementation throughout pregnancy has well-established positive effects. Vitamin D, administered to the mother before birth or to the newborn, has also been shown to reduce the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy have a more uncertain role, with recent trials questioning a beneficial effect on cognition and attention deficit disorder, despite positive effects on prematurity and neonatal wheezing prevention. Choline supplementation is associated with positive effects on cognition and behavior, including early behaviors associated with the development of autism and schizophrenia. There is no experience yet with COVID-19, but adverse effects on fetal brain development of most common coronaviruses are mitigated by higher choline levels. Maternal dietary supplementation of nutrients is a benign and inexpensive intervention in pregnancy to prevent life-long disability from mental illness. Use of dietary supplements in poorer, rural areas of China is below recommendations. Physicians, midwives, and public health officials in China can promote prenatal nutrient supplementation to reduce the future burden of mental illnesses that might be prevented before birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of PsychiatryBeijing Children’s HospitalCapital Medical UniversityNational Center for Children’s HealthBeijingChina
| | - Robert Freedman
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraCOUSA
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Maternal inflammation has a profound effect on cortical interneuron development in a stage and subtype-specific manner. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2313-2329. [PMID: 31595033 PMCID: PMC7515848 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0539-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Severe infections during pregnancy are one of the major risk factors for cognitive impairment in the offspring. It has been suggested that maternal inflammation leads to dysfunction of cortical GABAergic interneurons that in turn underlies cognitive impairment of the affected offspring. However, the evidence comes largely from studies of adult or mature brains and how the impairment of inhibitory circuits arises upon maternal inflammation is unknown. Here we show that maternal inflammation affects multiple steps of cortical GABAergic interneuron development, i.e., proliferation of precursor cells, migration and positioning of neuroblasts, as well as neuronal maturation. Importantly, the development of distinct subtypes of cortical GABAergic interneurons was discretely impaired as a result of maternal inflammation. This translated into a reduction in cell numbers, redistribution across cortical regions and layers, and changes in morphology and cellular properties. Furthermore, selective vulnerability of GABAergic interneuron subtypes was associated with the stage of brain development. Thus, we propose that maternally derived insults have developmental stage-dependent effects, which contribute to the complex etiology of cognitive impairment in the affected offspring.
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41
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Alzu'bi A, Clowry GJ. Expression of ventral telencephalon transcription factors ASCL1 and DLX2 in the early fetal human cerebral cortex. J Anat 2019; 235:555-568. [PMID: 30861584 PMCID: PMC6704271 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In rodent ventral telencephalon, diffusible morphogens induce expression of the proneural transcription factor ASCL1, which in turn induces expression of the transcription factor DLX2 that controls differentiation of cortical interneuron precursors and their tangential migration to the cerebral cortex. RNAseq analysis of human fetal samples of dorsal telencephalon revealed consistently high cortical expression of ASCL1 and increasing expression of DLX2 between 7.5 and 17 post-conceptional weeks (PCW). We explored whether cortical expression of these genes represented a population of intracortically derived interneuron precursors. Immunohistochemistry revealed an ASCL1+ /DLX2+ population of progenitor cells in the human ganglionic eminences between 6.5 and 12 PCW, but in the cortex there also existed a population of ASCL1+ /DLX2- progenitors in the subventricular zone (SVZ) that largely co-expressed cortical markers PAX6 or TBR2, although a few ASCL1+ /PAX6- progenitors were observed in the ventricular zone (VZ) and ASCL1+ cells expressing the interneuron marker GAD67 were present in the SVZ. Although rare in the VZ, DLX2+ cells progressively increased in number between 8 and 12 PCW across the cortical wall and the majority co-expressed LHX6 and originated either in the MGE, migrating to the lateral cortex, or from the septum, populating the medial wall. A minority co-expressed COUP-TFII, which identifies cells from the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE). By 19 PCW, a significant increase in expression of DLX2 and ASCL1 was observed in the cortical VZ with a small proportion expressing both proteins. The DLX2+ cells did not co-express a cell division marker, so were not progenitors. The majority of DLX2+ cells throughout the cortical plate expressed COUP-TFII rather than LHX6+ . As the VZ declined as a proliferative zone it appeared to be re-defined as a migration pathway for COUP-TFII+ /DLX2+ interneurons from CGE to cortex. Therefore, in developing human cortex, ASCL1 expression predominantly marks a population of intermediate progenitors giving rise to glutamatergic neurons. DLX2 expression predominantly defines post-mitotic interneuron precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu'bi
- The institute of NeuroscienceNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
- The Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
- The Department of Basic Medical SciencesYarmouk UniversityIrbidJordan
| | - Gavin J. Clowry
- The institute of NeuroscienceNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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42
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Noakes Z, Keefe F, Tamburini C, Kelly CM, Cruz Santos M, Dunnett SB, Errington AC, Li M. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Striatal Interneurons: Differentiation and Maturation In Vitro and in the Rat Brain. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 12:191-200. [PMID: 30661995 PMCID: PMC6373547 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Striatal interneurons are born in the medial and caudal ganglionic eminences (MGE and CGE) and play an important role in human striatal function and dysfunction in Huntington's disease and dystonia. MGE/CGE-like neural progenitors have been generated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for studying cortical interneuron development and cell therapy for epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we report the capacity of hPSC-derived MGE/CGE-like progenitors to differentiate into functional striatal interneurons. In vitro, these hPSC neuronal derivatives expressed cortical and striatal interneuron markers at the mRNA and protein level and displayed maturing electrophysiological properties. Following transplantation into neonatal rat striatum, progenitors differentiated into striatal interneuron subtypes and were consistently found in the nearby septum and hippocampus. These findings highlight the potential for hPSC-derived striatal interneurons as an invaluable tool in modeling striatal development and function in vitro or as a source of cells for regenerative medicine. hPSCs differentiate into cortical and striatal interneuron-like cells in vitro They present mature electrophysiological and morphological properties in vitro They express striatal interneuron subtype markers upon transplantation in rat brain hPSC-interneuron-like cells adopt region-specific morphologies in vivo
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Noakes
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Francesca Keefe
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Claudia Tamburini
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Claire M Kelly
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Maria Cruz Santos
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | | | - Adam C Errington
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Meng Li
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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43
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Kostović I, Išasegi IŽ, Krsnik Ž. Sublaminar organization of the human subplate: developmental changes in the distribution of neurons, glia, growing axons and extracellular matrix. J Anat 2018; 235:481-506. [PMID: 30549027 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this paper was to collect normative data essential for analyzing the subplate (SP) role in pathogenesis of developmental disorders, characterized by abnormal circuitry, such as hypoxic-ischemic lesions, autism and schizophrenia. The main cytological features of the SP, such as low cell density, early differentiation of neurons and glia, plexiform arrangement of axons and dendrites, presence of synapses and a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) distinguish this compartment from the cell-dense cortical plate (CP; towards pia) and large fiber bundles of external axonal strata of fetal white matter (towards ventricle). For SP delineation from these adjacent layers based on combined cytological criteria, we analyzed the sublaminar distribution of different microstructural elements and the associated maturational gradients throughout development, using immunocytochemical and histological techniques on postmortem brain material (Zagreb Neuroembryological Collection). The analysis revealed that the SP compartment of the lateral neocortex shows changes in laminar organization throughout fetal development: the monolayer in the early fetal period (presubplate) undergoes dramatic bilaminar transformation between 13 and 15 postconceptional weeks (PCW), followed by subtle sublamination in three 'floors' (deep, intermediate, superficial) of midgestation (15-21 PCW). During the stationary phase (22-28 PCW), SP persists as a trilaminar compartment, gradually losing its sublaminar organization towards the end of gestation and remains as a single layer of SP remnant in the newborn brain. Based on these sublaminar transformations, we have documented developmental changes in the distribution, maturational gradients and expression of molecular markers in SP synapses, transitional forms of astroglia, neurons and ECM, which occur concomitantly with the ingrowth of thalamo-cortical, basal forebrain and cortico-cortical axons in a deep to superficial fashion. The deep SP is the zone of ingrowing axons - 'entrance (ingrowth) zone'. The process of axonal ingrowth begins with thalamo-cortical fibers and basal forebrain afferents, indicating an oblique geometry. During the later fetal period, deep SP receives long cortico-cortical axons exhibiting a tangential geometry. Intermediate SP ('proper') is the navigation and 'nexus' sublamina consisting of a plexiform arrangement of cellular elements providing guidance and substrate for axonal growth, and also containing transient connectivity of dendrites and axons in a tangential plane without radial boundaries immersed in an ECM-rich continuum. Superficial SP is the axonal accumulation ('waiting compartment') and target selection zone, indicating a dense distribution of synaptic markers, accumulation of thalamo-cortical axons (around 20 PCW), overlapping with dendrites from layer VI neurons. In the late preterm brain period, superficial SP contains a chondroitin sulfate non-immunoreactive band. The developmental dynamics for the distribution of neuronal, glial and ECM markers comply with sequential ingrowth of afferents in three levels of SP: ECM and synaptic markers shift from deep to superficial SP, with transient forms of glia following this arrangement, and calretinin neurons are concentrated in the SP during the formation phase. These results indicate developmental and morphogenetic roles in the SP cellular (transient glia, neurons and synapses) and ECM framework, enabling the spatial accommodation, navigation and establishment of numerous connections of cortical pathways in the expanded human brain. The original findings of early developmental dynamics of transitional subtypes of astroglia, calretinin neurons, ECM and synaptic markers presented in the SP are interesting in the light of recent concepts concerning its functional and morphogenetic role and an increasing interest in SP as a prospective substrate of abnormalities in cortical circuitry, leading to a cognitive deficit in different neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iris Žunić Išasegi
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
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44
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Stagni F, Giacomini A, Emili M, Uguagliati B, Bonasoni MP, Bartesaghi R, Guidi S. Subicular hypotrophy in fetuses with Down syndrome and in the Ts65Dn model of Down syndrome. Brain Pathol 2018; 29:366-379. [PMID: 30325080 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disability in Down syndrome (DS) has been attributed to neurogenesis impairment during fetal brain development. Consistently with explicit memory alterations observed in children with DS, fetuses with DS exhibit neurogenesis impairment in the hippocampus, a key region involved in memory formation and consolidation. Recent evidence suggests that the subiculum plays a unique role in memory retrieval, a process that is also altered in DS. While much attention has been devoted to the hippocampus, there is a striking lack of information regarding the subiculum of individuals with DS and DS models. In order to fill this gap, in the current study, we examined the subiculum of fetuses with DS and of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. We found that in fetuses with DS (gestational week: 17-21), the subiculum had a reduced thickness, a reduced cell density, a reduced density of progenitor cells in the ventricular zone, a reduced percentage of neurons, and an increased percentage of astrocytes and of cells immunopositive for calretinin-a protein expressed by inhibitory interneurons. Similarly to fetuses with DS, the subiculum of neonate Ts65Dn mice was reduced in size, had a reduced number of neurons and a reduced number of proliferating cells. Results suggest that the developmental defects in the subiculum of fetuses with DS may underlie impairment in recall memory and possibly other functions played by the subiculum. The finding that the subiculum of the Ts65Dn mouse exhibits neuroanatomical defects resembling those seen in fetuses with DS further validates the use of this model for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorenza Stagni
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Giacomini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Emili
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Uguagliati
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Renata Bartesaghi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sandra Guidi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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45
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Barbas H, Wang J, Joyce MKP, García-Cabezas MÁ. Pathway mechanism for excitatory and inhibitory control in working memory. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2659-2678. [PMID: 30256740 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00936.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans engage in many daily activities that rely on working memory, the ability to hold and sequence information temporarily to accomplish a task. We focus on the process of working memory, based on circuit mechanisms for attending to relevant signals and suppressing irrelevant stimuli. We discuss that connections critically depend on the systematic variation in laminar structure across all cortical systems. Laminar structure is used to group areas into types regardless of their placement in the cortex, ranging from low-type agranular areas that lack layer IV to high-type areas that have six well-delineated layers. Connections vary in laminar distribution and strength based on the difference in type between linked areas, according to the "structural model" (Barbas H, Rempel-Clower N. Cereb Cortex 7: 635-646, 1997). The many possible pathways thus vary systematically by laminar distribution and strength, and they interface with excitatory neurons to select relevant stimuli and with functionally distinct inhibitory neurons that suppress activity at the site of termination. Using prefrontal pathways, we discuss how systematic architectonic variation gives rise to diverse pathways that can be recruited, along with amygdalar and hippocampal pathways that provide sensory, affective, and contextual information. The prefrontal cortex is also connected with thalamic nuclei that receive the output of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, which may facilitate fast sequencing of information. The complement of connections and their interface with distinct inhibitory neurons allows dynamic recruitment of areas and shifts in cortical rhythms to meet rapidly changing demands of sequential components of working memory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
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46
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Yuan F, Chen X, Fang KH, Wang Y, Lin M, Xu SB, Huo HQ, Xu M, Ma L, Chen Y, He S, Liu Y. Induction of human somatostatin and parvalbumin neurons by expressing a single transcription factor LIM homeobox 6. eLife 2018; 7:37382. [PMID: 30251953 PMCID: PMC6181563 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human GABAergic interneurons (GIN) are implicated in normal brain function and in numerous mental disorders. However, the generation of functional human GIN subtypes from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has not been established. By expressing LHX6, a transcriptional factor that is critical for GIN development, we induced hPSCs to form GINs, including somatostatin (SST, 29%) and parvalbumin (PV, 21%) neurons. Our RNAseq results also confirmed the alteration of GIN identity with the overexpression of LHX6. Five months after transplantation into the mouse brain, the human GABA precursors generated increased population of SST and PV neurons by overexpressing LHX6. Importantly, the grafted human GINs exhibited functional electrophysiological properties and even fast-spiking-like action potentials. Thus, expression of the single transcription factor LHX6 under our GIN differentiation condition is sufficient to robustly induce human PV and SST subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical Unveristy, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai-Heng Fang
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingyan Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shi-Bo Xu
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hai-Qin Huo
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lixiang Ma
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Institute of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Medical School, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuejun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuijin He
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Institute for Stem Cell and Neural Regeneration, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical Unveristy, Nanjing, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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47
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Yabut OR, Pleasure SJ. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Rises to the Surface: Emerging Roles in Neocortical Development. Brain Plast 2018; 3:119-128. [PMID: 30151337 PMCID: PMC6091060 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-180064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex is composed of a diverse population of neuronal and glial cells that are crucial for cognition and consciousness. Orchestration of molecular events that lead to the production of distinct cell lineages is now a major research focus. Recent studies in mammalian animal models reveal that Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays crucial roles in this process. In this review, we will evaluate these studies and provide insights on how Shh signaling specifically influence cortical development, beyond its established roles in telencephalic patterning, by specifically focusing on its impact on cells derived from the cortical radial glial (RG) cells. We will also assess how these findings further advance our knowledge of neurological diseases and discuss potential roles of targeting Shh signaling in therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odessa R Yabut
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samuel J Pleasure
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Programs in Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
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48
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Estrogen Treatment Reverses Prematurity-Induced Disruption in Cortical Interneuron Population. J Neurosci 2018; 38:7378-7391. [PMID: 30037831 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0478-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of cortical interneurons continues until the end of human pregnancy. Premature birth deprives the newborns from the supply of maternal estrogen and a secure intrauterine environment. Indeed, preterm infants suffer from neurobehavioral disorders. This can result from both preterm birth and associated postnatal complications, which might disrupt recruitment and maturation of cortical interneurons. We hypothesized that interneuron subtypes, including parvalbumin-positive (PV+), somatostatin-positive (SST+), calretinin-positive (CalR+), and neuropeptide Y-positive (NPY+) interneurons, were recruited in the upper and lower cortical layers in a distinct manner with advancing gestational age. In addition, preterm birth would disrupt the heterogeneity of cortical interneurons, which might be reversed by estrogen treatment. These hypotheses were tested by analyzing autopsy samples from premature infants and evaluating the effect of estrogen supplementation in prematurely delivered rabbits. The PV+ and CalR+ neurons were abundant, whereas SST+ and NPY+ neurons were few in cortical layers of preterm human infants. Premature birth of infants reduced the density of PV+ or GAD67+ neurons and increased SST+ interneurons in the upper cortical layers. Importantly, 17 β-estradiol treatment in preterm rabbits increased the number of PV+ neurons in the upper cortical layers relative to controls at postnatal day 14 (P14) and P21 and transiently reduced SST population at P14. Moreover, protein and mRNA levels of Arx, a key regulator of cortical interneuron maturation and migration, were higher in estrogen-treated rabbits relative to controls. Therefore, deficits in PV+ and excess of SST+ neurons in premature newborns are ameliorated by estrogen replacement, which can be attributed to elevated Arx levels. Estrogen replacement might enhance neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm infants.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Premature birth often leads to neurodevelopmental delays and behavioral disorders, which may be ascribed to disturbances in the development and maturation of cortical interneurons. Here, we show that preterm birth in humans is associated with reduced population of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons and an excess of somatostatin-expressing interneurons in the cerebral cortex. More importantly, 17 β-estradiol treatment increased the number of PV+ neurons in preterm-born rabbits, which appears to be mediated by an elevation in the expression of Arx transcription factor. Hence the present study highlights prematurity-induced reduction in PV+ neurons in human infants and reversal in their population by estrogen replacement in preterm rabbits. Because preterm birth drops plasma estrogen level 100-fold, estrogen replacement in extremely preterm infants might improve their developmental outcome and minimize neurobehavioral disorders.
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49
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Genetics and mechanisms leading to human cortical malformations. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 76:33-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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50
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The logistics of afferent cortical specification in mice and men. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 76:112-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.08.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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