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Galazo MJ, Sweetser DA, Macklis JD. Tle4 controls both developmental acquisition and early post-natal maturation of corticothalamic projection neuron identity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112957. [PMID: 37561632 PMCID: PMC10542749 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Identities of distinct neuron subtypes are specified during embryonic development, then maintained during post-natal maturation. In cerebral cortex, mechanisms controlling early acquisition of neuron-subtype identities have become increasingly understood. However, mechanisms controlling neuron-subtype identity stability during post-natal maturation are largely unexplored. We identify that Tle4 is required for both early acquisition and post-natal stability of corticothalamic neuron-subtype identity. Embryonically, Tle4 promotes acquisition of corticothalamic identity and blocks emergence of core characteristics of subcerebral/corticospinal projection neuron identity, including gene expression and connectivity. During the first post-natal week, when corticothalamic innervation is ongoing, Tle4 is required to stabilize corticothalamic neuron identity, limiting interference from differentiation programs of developmentally related neuron classes. We identify a deacetylation-based epigenetic mechanism by which TLE4 controls Fezf2 expression level by corticothalamic neurons. This contributes to distinction of cortical output subtypes and ensures identity stability for appropriate maturation of corticothalamic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Galazo
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David A Sweetser
- Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Medical Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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2
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Liu J, Yang M, Su M, Liu B, Zhou K, Sun C, Ba R, Yu B, Zhang B, Zhang Z, Fan W, Wang K, Zhong M, Han J, Zhao C. FOXG1 sequentially orchestrates subtype specification of postmitotic cortical projection neurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabh3568. [PMID: 35613274 PMCID: PMC9132448 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh3568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex is a highly organized six-layered structure with four major cortical neuron subtypes: corticothalamic projection neurons (CThPNs), subcerebral projection neurons (SCPNs), deep callosal projection neurons (CPNs), and superficial CPNs. Here, careful examination of multiple conditional knockout model mouse lines showed that the transcription factor FOXG1 functions as a master regulator of postmitotic cortical neuron specification and found that mice lacking functional FOXG1 exhibited projection deficits. Before embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5), FOXG1 enforces deep CPN identity in postmitotic neurons by activating Satb2 but repressing Bcl11b and Tbr1. After E14.5, FOXG1 exerts specification functions in distinct layers via differential regulation of Bcl11b and Tbr1, including specification of superficial versus deep CPNs and enforcement of CThPN identity. FOXG1 controls CThPN versus SCPN fate by fine-tuning Fezf2 levels through diverse interactions with multiple SOX family proteins. Thus, our study supports a developmental model to explain the postmitotic specification of four cortical projection neuron subtypes and sheds light on neuropathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Mengjie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Mingzhao Su
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kaixing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Congli Sun
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ru Ba
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Baocong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Baoshen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Wenxin Fan
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology,
Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Min Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Junhai Han
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology,
Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Chunjie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human
Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
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3
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Stricker SH, Berninger B, Götz M. Editorial overview: Fluidity of cell fates - from reprogramming to repair. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 70:iii-v. [PMID: 34446349 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan H Stricker
- Epigenetic Engineering, Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; BioMedizinisches Centrum, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Benedikt Berninger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Magdalena Götz
- Neural Stem Cells, Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; BioMedizinisches Centrum, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; SyNergy, Excellence Cluster Systems Neurology, Biomedizinisches Zentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Großhadernerstr.9, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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Bragg-Gonzalo L, De León Reyes NS, Nieto M. Genetic and activity dependent-mechanisms wiring the cortex: Two sides of the same coin. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:24-34. [PMID: 34030948 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is responsible for the higher-order functions of the brain such as planning, cognition, or social behaviour. It provides us with the capacity to interact with and transform our world. The substrates of cortical functions are complex neural circuits that arise during development from the dynamic remodelling and progressive specialization of immature undefined networks. Here, we review the genetic and activity-dependent mechanisms of cortical wiring focussing on the importance of their interaction. Cortical circuits emerge from an initial set of neuronal types that engage in sequential forms of embryonic and postnatal activity. Such activities further complement the cells' genetic programs, increasing neuronal diversity and modifying the electrical properties while promoting selective connectivity. After a temporal window of enhanced plasticity, the main features of mature circuits are established. Failures in these processes can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders whose treatment remains elusive. However, a deeper dissection of cortical wiring will pave the way for innovative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bragg-Gonzalo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - N S De León Reyes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - M Nieto
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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De León Reyes NS, Bragg-Gonzalo L, Nieto M. Development and plasticity of the corpus callosum. Development 2020; 147:147/18/dev189738. [PMID: 32988974 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The corpus callosum (CC) connects the cerebral hemispheres and is the major mammalian commissural tract. It facilitates bilateral sensory integration and higher cognitive functions, and is often affected in neurodevelopmental diseases. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to the development of CC circuits in animal models and humans. These species comparisons reveal several commonalities. First, there is an early period of massive axonal projection. Second, there is a postnatal temporal window, varying between species, in which early callosal projections are selectively refined. Third, sensory-derived activity influences axonal refinement. We also discuss how defects in CC formation can lead to mild or severe CC congenital malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia S De León Reyes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena Bragg-Gonzalo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Nieto
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (CNB-CSIC) Campus de Cantoblanco, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Ma K, Deng X, Xia X, Fan Z, Qi X, Wang Y, Li Y, Ma Y, Chen Q, Peng H, Ding J, Li C, Huang Y, Tian C, Zheng JC. Direct conversion of mouse astrocytes into neural progenitor cells and specific lineages of neurons. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:29. [PMID: 30410751 PMCID: PMC6217767 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0132-x] [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] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cell replacement therapy has been envisioned as a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the ethical concerns of ESCs-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and tumorigenic potential of iPSCs, reprogramming of somatic cells directly into multipotent NPCs has emerged as a preferred approach for cell transplantation. Methods Mouse astrocytes were reprogrammed into NPCs by the overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) Foxg1, Sox2, and Brn2. The generation of subtypes of neurons was directed by the force expression of cell-type specific TFs Lhx8 or Foxa2/Lmx1a. Results Astrocyte-derived induced NPCs (AiNPCs) share high similarities, including the expression of NPC-specific genes, DNA methylation patterns, the ability to proliferate and differentiate, with the wild type NPCs. The AiNPCs are committed to the forebrain identity and predominantly differentiated into glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal subtypes. Interestingly, additional overexpression of TFs Lhx8 and Foxa2/Lmx1a in AiNPCs promoted cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal differentiation, respectively. Conclusions Our studies suggest that astrocytes can be converted into AiNPCs and lineage-committed AiNPCs can acquire differentiation potential of other lineages through forced expression of specific TFs. Understanding the impact of the TF sets on the reprogramming and differentiation into specific lineages of neurons will provide valuable strategies for astrocyte-based cell therapy in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangmu Ma
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Xiaobei Deng
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Xiaohuan Xia
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Zhaohuan Fan
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Xinrui Qi
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Yongxiang Wang
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Yuju Li
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Yizhao Ma
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Qiang Chen
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Hui Peng
- 3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Jianqing Ding
- 4Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Chunhong Li
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Yunlong Huang
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Changhai Tian
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Jialin C Zheng
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,2Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA.,5Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
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Imamura T, Uesaka M, Nakashima K. Epigenetic setting and reprogramming for neural cell fate determination and differentiation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0511. [PMID: 25135972 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, epigenetic mechanisms are clearly involved in the regulation of self-renewal of neural stem cells and the derivation of their descendants, i.e. neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, according to the developmental timing and the microenvironment, the 'niche'. Interestingly, local epigenetic changes occur, concomitantly with genome-wide level changes, at a set of gene promoter regions for either down- or upregulation of the gene. In addition, intergenic regions also sensitize the availability of epigenetic modifiers, which affects gene expression through a relatively long-range chromatinic interaction with the transcription regulatory machineries including non-coding RNA (ncRNA) such as promoter-associated ncRNA and enhancer ncRNA. We show that such an epigenetic landscape in a neural cell is statically but flexibly formed together with a variable combination of generally and locally acting nuclear molecules including master transcription factors and cell-cycle regulators. We also discuss the possibility that revealing the epigenetic regulation by the local DNA-RNA-protein assemblies would promote methodological innovations, e.g. neural cell reprogramming, engineering and transplantation, to manipulate neuronal and glial cell fates for the purpose of medical use of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Imamura
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masahiro Uesaka
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan Department of Biophysics, Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kinichi Nakashima
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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8
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Bazarek S, Peterson DA. Prospects for engineering neurons from local neocortical cell populations as cell-mediated therapy for neurological disorders. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:2857-76. [PMID: 24756774 PMCID: PMC4729289 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is little cell replacement following neurological injury, limiting the regenerative response of the CNS. Progress in understanding the biology of neural stem cells has raised interest in using stem cells for replacing neurons lost to injury or to disease. Stem cell therapy may also have a role in rebuilding deficient neural circuitry underlying mood disorders, epilepsy, and pain modulation among other roles. In vitro expansion of stem cells with directed differentiation prior to transplantation is one approach to stem cell therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that it may be possible to convert in vivo endogenous neural cells to a neuronal fate directly, providing an alternative strategy for stem cell therapy to the CNS. This review assesses the evidence for engineering a subtype-specific neuronal fate of endogenous neural cells in the cerebral cortex as a function of initial cell lineage, reactive response to injury, conversion factors, and environmental context. We conclude with a discussion of some of the challenges that must be overcome to move this alternative in vivo engineered conversion process toward becoming a viable therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Bazarek
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064
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9
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The transcription factor Fezf2 directs the differentiation of neural stem cells in the subventricular zone toward a cortical phenotype. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:10726-31. [PMID: 25002477 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1320290111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Postnatal neurogenesis in mammals is confined to restricted brain regions, including the subventricular zone (SVZ). In rodents, the SVZ is a lifelong source of new neurons fated to migrate to the olfactory bulb (OB), where the majority become GABAergic interneurons. The plastic capacity of neonatal and adult SVZ stem/progenitor cells is still largely unknown. By overexpressing the transcription factor Fezf2, a powerful master gene specifying the phenotype of glutamatergic subcerebral projecting neurons, we investigated whether the fate of postnatally generated SVZ neurons can be altered. Following lentiviral delivery of Fezf2 in the neonatal and adult SVZ niche, we showed that ectopic Fezf2 expression is sufficient to redirect the fate of SVZ stem cells. Thus, based on in vivo and in vitro experiments, we provide evidence that numerous Fezf2-positive OB neurons expressed glutamatergic pyramidal cell molecular markers instead of developing a GABAergic identity. Overexpression of Fezf2 had no effect on transit-amplifying progenitors or neuroblasts but was restricted to neural stem cells. Fezf2-respecified neurons bore features of pyramidal cells, exhibiting a larger cell body and a more elaborate dendritic tree, compared with OB granule cells. Patch-clamp recordings further indicated that Fezf2-respecified neurons had synaptic properties and a firing pattern reminiscent of a pyramidal cell-like phenotype. Together, the results demonstrate that neonatal and adult SVZ stem cells retain neuronal fate plasticity.
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10
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Roles of chromatin remodeling BAF complex in neural differentiation and reprogramming. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 356:575-84. [PMID: 24496512 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
ATP-dependent BAF chromatin remodeling complexes play an essential role in the maintenance of the gene expression program by regulating the structure of chromatin. There is increasing evidence that BAF complexes based on the alternative ATPase subunits, Brg1 and Brm, control the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) to generate distinct neural cell types and modulate trans-differentiation between cell types. The BAF complexes have dedicated functions at different stages of neural differentiation that appear to arise by combinatorial assembly of their subunits. Furthermore, the differentiation of NSCs is regulated by the tight interactions between the BAF chromatin remodeling complex and the transcriptional machinery. Here, we review recent insights into the functional interaction between BAF complexes and various transcription factors (TFs) in neural differentiation and cellular reprogramming.
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11
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Leyva-Díaz E, López-Bendito G. In and out from the cortex: development of major forebrain connections. Neuroscience 2013; 254:26-44. [PMID: 24042037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.08.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In this review we discuss recent advances in the understanding of the development of forebrain projections attending to their origin, fate determination, and axon guidance. Major forebrain connections include callosal, corticospinal, corticothalamic and thalamocortical projections. Although distinct transcriptional programs specify these subpopulations of projecting neurons, the mechanisms involved in their axonal development are similar. Guidance by short- and long-range molecular cues, interaction with intermediate target populations and activity-dependent mechanisms contribute to their development. Moreover, some of these connections interact with each other showing that the development of these axonal tracts is a well-orchestrated event. Finally, we will recapitulate recent discoveries that challenge the field of neural wiring that show that these forebrain connections can be changed once formed. The field of reprogramming has arrived to postmitotic cortical neurons and has showed us that forebrain connectivity is not immutable and might be changed by manipulations in the transcriptional program of matured cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Leyva-Díaz
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC & Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain.
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12
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Regalo G, Leutz A. Hacking cell differentiation: transcriptional rerouting in reprogramming, lineage infidelity and metaplasia. EMBO Mol Med 2013; 5:1154-64. [PMID: 23828660 PMCID: PMC3944458 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201302834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Initiating neoplastic cell transformation events are of paramount importance for the comprehension of regeneration and vanguard oncogenic processes but are difficult to characterize and frequently clinically overlooked. In epithelia, pre-neoplastic transformation stages are often distinguished by the appearance of phenotypic features of another differentiated tissue, termed metaplasia. In haemato/lymphopoietic malignancies, cell lineage ambiguity is increasingly recorded. Both, metaplasia and biphenotypic leukaemia/lymphoma represent examples of dysregulated cell differentiation that reflect a history of trans-differentiation and/or epigenetic reprogramming. Here we compare the similarity between molecular events of experimental cell trans-differentiation as an emerging therapeutic concept, with lineage confusion, as in metaplasia and dysplasia forecasting tumour development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Regalo
- Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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13
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Direct lineage reprogramming of post-mitotic callosal neurons into corticofugal neurons in vivo. Nat Cell Biol 2013; 15:214-21. [PMID: 23334497 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Once programmed to acquire a specific identity and function, cells rarely change in vivo. Neurons of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) in particular are a classic example of a stable, terminally differentiated cell type. With the exception of the adult neurogenic niches, where a limited set of neuronal subtypes continue to be generated throughout life, CNS neurons are born only during embryonic and early postnatal development. Once generated, neurons become permanently post-mitotic and do not change their identity for the lifespan of the organism. Here, we have investigated whether excitatory neurons of the neocortex can be instructed to directly reprogram their identity post-mitotically from one subtype into another, in vivo. We show that embryonic and early postnatal callosal projection neurons of layer II/III can be post-mitotically lineage reprogrammed into layer-V/VI corticofugal projection neurons following expression of the transcription factor encoded by Fezf2. Reprogrammed callosal neurons acquire molecular properties of corticofugal projection neurons and change their axonal connectivity from interhemispheric, intracortical projections to corticofugal projections directed below the cortex. The data indicate that during a window of post-mitotic development neurons can change their identity, acquiring critical features of alternative neuronal lineages.
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14
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Bartlett PF, Berninger B. Introduction to the special issue on neural stem cells: regulation and function. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:953-4. [PMID: 22611029 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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