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Leung AM, Rao MB, Raju N, Chung M, Klinger A, Rowe DJ, Li X, Levine EM. A framework to identify functional interactors that contribute to disrupted early retinal development in Vsx2 ocular retardation J mice. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:1338-1362. [PMID: 37259952 PMCID: PMC10689574 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.629] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A goal of developmental genetics is to identify functional interactions that underlie phenotypes caused by mutations. We sought to identify functional interactors of Vsx2, which when mutated, disrupts early retinal development. We utilized the Vsx2 loss-of-function mouse, ocular retardation J (orJ), to assess interactions based on principles of positive and negative epistasis as applied to bulk transcriptome data. This was first tested in vivo with Mitf, a target of Vsx2 repression, and then to cultures of orJ retina treated with inhibitors of Retinoid-X Receptors (RXR) to target Rxrg, an up-regulated gene in the orJ retina, and gamma-Secretase, an enzyme required for Notch signaling, a key mediator of retinal proliferation and neurogenesis. RESULTS Whereas Mitf exhibited robust positive epistasis with Vsx2, it only partially accounts for the orJ phenotype, suggesting other functional interactors. RXR inhibition yielded minimal evidence for epistasis between Vsx2 and Rxrg. In contrast, gamma-Secretase inhibition caused hundreds of Vsx2-dependent genes associated with proliferation to deviate further from wild-type, providing evidence for convergent negative epistasis with Vsx2 in regulating tissue growth. CONCLUSIONS Combining in vivo and ex vivo testing with transcriptome analysis revealed quantitative and qualitative characteristics of functional interaction between Vsx2, Mitf, RXR, and gamma-Secretase activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Leung
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Mahesh B. Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Nathan Raju
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Minh Chung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Allison Klinger
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - DiAnna J. Rowe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
| | - Edward M. Levine
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville TN 37232
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232
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2
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The retinal pigmentation pathway in human albinism: Not so black and white. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 91:101091. [PMID: 35729001 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Albinism is a pigment disorder affecting eye, skin and/or hair. Patients usually have decreased melanin in affected tissues and suffer from severe visual abnormalities, including foveal hypoplasia and chiasmal misrouting. Combining our data with those of the literature, we propose a single functional genetic retinal signalling pathway that includes all 22 currently known human albinism disease genes. We hypothesise that defects affecting the genesis or function of different intra-cellular organelles, including melanosomes, cause syndromic forms of albinism (Hermansky-Pudlak (HPS) and Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS)). We put forward that specific melanosome impairments cause different forms of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA1-8). Further, we incorporate GPR143 that has been implicated in ocular albinism (OA1), characterised by a phenotype limited to the eye. Finally, we include the SLC38A8-associated disorder FHONDA that causes an even more restricted "albinism-related" ocular phenotype with foveal hypoplasia and chiasmal misrouting but without pigmentation defects. We propose the following retinal pigmentation pathway, with increasingly specific genetic and cellular defects causing an increasingly specific ocular phenotype: (HPS1-11/CHS: syndromic forms of albinism)-(OCA1-8: OCA)-(GPR143: OA1)-(SLC38A8: FHONDA). Beyond disease genes involvement, we also evaluate a range of (candidate) regulatory and signalling mechanisms affecting the activity of the pathway in retinal development, retinal pigmentation and albinism. We further suggest that the proposed pigmentation pathway is also involved in other retinal disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration. The hypotheses put forward in this report provide a framework for further systematic studies in albinism and melanin pigmentation disorders.
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Brodie-Kommit J, Clark BS, Shi Q, Shiau F, Kim DW, Langel J, Sheely C, Ruzycki PA, Fries M, Javed A, Cayouette M, Schmidt T, Badea T, Glaser T, Zhao H, Singer J, Blackshaw S, Hattar S. Atoh7-independent specification of retinal ganglion cell identity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/11/eabe4983. [PMID: 33712461 PMCID: PMC7954457 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) relay visual information from the eye to the brain. RGCs are the first cell type generated during retinal neurogenesis. Loss of function of the transcription factor Atoh7, expressed in multipotent early neurogenic retinal progenitors leads to a selective and essentially complete loss of RGCs. Therefore, Atoh7 is considered essential for conferring competence on progenitors to generate RGCs. Despite the importance of Atoh7 in RGC specification, we find that inhibiting apoptosis in Atoh7-deficient mice by loss of function of Bax only modestly reduces RGC numbers. Single-cell RNA sequencing of Atoh7;Bax-deficient retinas shows that RGC differentiation is delayed but that the gene expression profile of RGC precursors is grossly normal. Atoh7;Bax-deficient RGCs eventually mature, fire action potentials, and incorporate into retinal circuitry but exhibit severe axonal guidance defects. This study reveals an essential role for Atoh7 in RGC survival and demonstrates Atoh7-dependent and Atoh7-independent mechanisms for RGC specification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian S Clark
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Qing Shi
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Fion Shiau
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Langel
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Catherine Sheely
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Philip A Ruzycki
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michel Fries
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Molecular Biology Programs, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Awais Javed
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Molecular Biology Programs, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Michel Cayouette
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Molecular Biology Programs, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Tiffany Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tudor Badea
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Research and Development Institute, Transylvania University of Brasov, School of Medicine, Brasov, Romania
| | - Tom Glaser
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Haiqing Zhao
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua Singer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Samer Hattar
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Loosemore RG, Matthaei SD, Stanger TC. An enigmatic translocation of the vertebrate primordial eye field. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:129. [PMID: 33008334 PMCID: PMC7531155 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01693-6] [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: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The primordial eye field of the vertebrate embryo is a single entity of retinal progenitor cells spanning the anterior neural plate before bifurcating to form bilateral optic vesicles. Here we review fate mapping data from zebrafish suggesting that prior to evagination of the optic vesicles the eye field may undergo a Maypole-plait migration of progenitor cells through the midline influenced by the anteriorly subducting diencephalon. Such an enigmatic translocation of scaffolding progenitors could have evolutionary significance if pointing, by way of homology, to an ancient mechanism for transition of the single eye field in chordates to contralateral eye fields in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Loosemore
- Maclean District Hospital, Union St, Maclean, NSW, 2463, Australia.
| | | | - T C Stanger
- Maclean District Hospital, Maclean, Australia
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Lee JS, Jeoung JW, Oh S, Kim DM, Ahn JH, Kim MJ, Seong MW, Park SS, Kim JY. No association between POU4F1, POU4F2, ISL1 polymorphisms and normal-tension glaucoma. Ophthalmic Genet 2020; 41:427-431. [PMID: 32597291 DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2020.1783690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) that occurs despite normal intraocular pressure has genetic predisposition. Since retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are a key node in pathogenesis of glaucoma, neurodegeneration of RGCs is thought to be the main cause increasing the risk of NTG development. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of polymorphisms in RGC development genes with NTG development. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a case-control association study of 435 patients with NTG and 419 normal controls. We genotyped four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes responsible for RGC development, namely POU4F2 (rs13152799 and rs1504360), POU4F1 (rs9601092), and ISL1 (rs2288468), by either real-time PCR or PCR-RFLP, and evaluated its association with the risk of NTG development. RESULTS No significant association was observed between the candidate SNPs and NTG development. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report exploring the association between genes regulating RGC development and NTG susceptibility. Our data could provide a reference for further researches that focus on finding additional potential SNPs of POU4F2, POU4F1, ISL1 or other RGC development genes for NTG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee-Soo Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Wook Jeoung
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sohee Oh
- Department of Biostatistics, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Myung Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Hyun Ahn
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Man Jin Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon-Woo Seong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Sup Park
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeon Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital , Seoul, Republic of Korea
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6
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Laboissonniere LA, Goetz JJ, Martin GM, Bi R, Lund TJS, Ellson L, Lynch MR, Mooney B, Wickham H, Liu P, Schwartz GW, Trimarchi JM. Molecular signatures of retinal ganglion cells revealed through single cell profiling. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15778. [PMID: 31673015 PMCID: PMC6823391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52215-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells can be classified into more than 40 distinct subtypes, whether by functional classification or transcriptomics. The examination of these subtypes in relation to their physiology, projection patterns, and circuitry would be greatly facilitated through the identification of specific molecular identifiers for the generation of transgenic mice. Advances in single cell transcriptomic profiling have enabled the identification of molecular signatures for cellular subtypes that are only rarely found. Therefore, we used single cell profiling combined with hierarchical clustering and correlate analyses to identify genes expressed in distinct populations of Parvalbumin-expressing cells and functionally classified RGCs. RGCs were manually isolated based either upon fluorescence or physiological distinction through cell-attached recordings. Microarray hybridization and RNA-Sequencing were employed for the characterization of transcriptomes and in situ hybridization was utilized to further characterize gene candidate expression. Gene candidates were identified based upon cluster correlation, as well as expression specificity within physiologically distinct classes of RGCs. Further, we identified Prph, Ctxn3, and Prkcq as potential candidates for ipRGC classification in the murine retina. The use of these genes, or one of the other newly identified subset markers, for the generation of a transgenic mouse would enable future studies of RGC-subtype specific function, wiring, and projection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Laboissonniere
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology 2033 Mowry Road, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jillian J Goetz
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | | | - Ran Bi
- Department of Statistics, 2117 Snedecor Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Terry J S Lund
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology 2437 Pammel Drive, 2114 Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Laura Ellson
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology 2437 Pammel Drive, 2114 Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Madison R Lynch
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology 2437 Pammel Drive, 2114 Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Bailey Mooney
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology 2437 Pammel Drive, 2114 Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Hannah Wickham
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology 2437 Pammel Drive, 2114 Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Statistics, 2117 Snedecor Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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7
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Murcia-Belmonte V, Erskine L. Wiring the Binocular Visual Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133282. [PMID: 31277365 PMCID: PMC6651880 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) extend axons out of the retina to transmit visual information to the brain. These connections are established during development through the navigation of RGC axons along a relatively long, stereotypical pathway. RGC axons exit the eye at the optic disc and extend along the optic nerves to the ventral midline of the brain, where the two nerves meet to form the optic chiasm. In animals with binocular vision, the axons face a choice at the optic chiasm—to cross the midline and project to targets on the contralateral side of the brain, or avoid crossing the midline and project to ipsilateral brain targets. Ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting RGCs originate in disparate regions of the retina that relate to the extent of binocular overlap in the visual field. In humans virtually all RGC axons originating in temporal retina project ipsilaterally, whereas in mice, ipsilaterally projecting RGCs are confined to the peripheral ventrotemporal retina. This review will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms regulating specification of ipsilateral versus contralateral RGCs, and the differential guidance of their axons at the optic chiasm. Recent insights into the establishment of congruent topographic maps in both brain hemispheres also will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lynda Erskine
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, Scotland AB25 2ZD, UK
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8
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Miltner AM, Mercado-Ayon Y, Cheema SK, Zhang P, Zawadzki RJ, La Torre A. A Novel Reporter Mouse Uncovers Endogenous Brn3b Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2903. [PMID: 31197108 PMCID: PMC6627301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20122903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Brn3b (Pou4f2) is a class-4 POU domain transcription factor known to play central roles in the development of different neuronal populations of the Central Nervous System, including retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the neurons that connect the retina with the visual centers of the brain. Here, we have used CRISPR-based genetic engineering to generate a Brn3b-mCherry reporter mouse without altering the endogenous expression of Brn3b. In our mouse line, mCherry faithfully recapitulates normal Brn3b expression in the retina, the optic tracts, the midbrain tectum, and the trigeminal ganglia. The high sensitivity of mCherry also revealed novel expression of Brn3b in the neuroectodermal cells of the optic stalk during early stages of eye development. Importantly, the fluorescent intensity of Brn3b-mCherry in our reporter mice allows for noninvasive live imaging of RGCs using Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (SLO), providing a novel tool for longitudinal monitoring of RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Miltner
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Yesica Mercado-Ayon
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Simranjeet K Cheema
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
- UC Davis EyePod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Robert J Zawadzki
- UC Davis EyePod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
| | - Anna La Torre
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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9
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Quintero-Ronderos P, Laissue P. The multisystemic functions of FOXD1 in development and disease. J Mol Med (Berl) 2018; 96:725-739. [PMID: 29959475 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-018-1665-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) participate in a wide range of cellular processes due to their inherent function as essential regulatory proteins. Their dysfunction has been linked to numerous human diseases. The forkhead box (FOX) family of TFs belongs to the "winged helix" superfamily, consisting of proteins sharing a related winged helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif. FOX genes have been extensively present during vertebrates and invertebrates' evolution, participating in numerous molecular cascades and biological functions, such as embryonic development and organogenesis, cell cycle regulation, metabolism control, stem cell niche maintenance, signal transduction, and many others. FOXD1, a forkhead TF, has been related to different key biological processes such as kidney and retina development and embryo implantation. FOXD1 dysfunction has been linked to different pathologies, thereby constituting a diagnostic biomarker and a promising target for future therapies. This paper aims to present, for the first time, a comprehensive review of FOXD1's role in mouse development and human disease. Molecular, structural, and functional aspects of FOXD1 are presented in light of physiological and pathogenic conditions, including its role in human disease aetiology, such as cancer and recurrent pregnancy loss. Taken together, the information given here should enable a better understanding of FOXD1 function for basic science researchers and clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Quintero-Ronderos
- Center For Research in Genetics and Genomics-CIGGUR, GENIUROS Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paul Laissue
- Center For Research in Genetics and Genomics-CIGGUR, GENIUROS Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia.
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10
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Aparicio JG, Hopp H, Choi A, Mandayam Comar J, Liao VC, Harutyunyan N, Lee TC. Temporal expression of CD184(CXCR4) and CD171(L1CAM) identifies distinct early developmental stages of human retinal ganglion cells in embryonic stem cell derived retina. Exp Eye Res 2017; 154:177-189. [PMID: 27867005 PMCID: PMC5359064 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Human retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have anticipated value for human disease study, drug screening, and therapeutic applications; however, their full potential remains underdeveloped. To characterize RGCs in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived retinal organoids we examined RGC markers and surface antigen expression and made comparisons to human fetal retina. RGCs in both tissues exhibited CD184 and CD171 expression and distinct expression patterns of the RGC markers BRN3 and RBPMS. The retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) of retinal organoids expressed CD184, consistent with its expression in the neuroblastic layer in fetal retina. In retinal organoids CD184 expression was enhanced in RGC competent RPCs and high CD184 expression was retained on post-mitotic RGC precursors; CD171 was detected on maturing RGCs. The differential expression timing of CD184 and CD171 permits identification and enrichment of RGCs from retinal organoids at differing maturation states from committed progenitors to differentiating neurons. These observations will facilitate molecular characterization of PSC-derived RGCs during differentiation, critical knowledge for establishing the veracity of these in vitro produced cells. Furthermore, observations made in the retinal organoid model closely parallel those in human fetal retina further validating use of retinal organoid to model early retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Aparicio
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - H Hopp
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - A Choi
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - V C Liao
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - N Harutyunyan
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T C Lee
- The Vision Center, Division of Ophthalmology, and Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, USA
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11
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Miles A, Tropepe V. Coordinating progenitor cell cycle exit and differentiation in the developing vertebrate retina. NEUROGENESIS 2016; 3:e1161697. [PMID: 27604453 PMCID: PMC4974023 DOI: 10.1080/23262133.2016.1161697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The proper development of the vertebrate retina relies heavily on producing the correct number and type of differentiated retinal cell types. To achieve this, proliferating retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) must exit the cell cycle at an appropriate time and correctly express a subset of differentiation markers that help specify retinal cell fate. Homeobox genes, which encode a family of transcription factors, have been accredited to both these processes, implicated in the transcriptional regulation of important cell cycle components, such as cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, and proneural genes. This dual regulation of homeobox genes allows these factors to help co-ordinate the transition from the proliferating RPC to postmitotic, differentiated cell. However, understanding the exact molecular targets of these factors remains a challenging task. This commentary highlights the current knowledge we have about how these factors regulate cell cycle progression and differentiation, with particular emphasis on a recent discovery from our lab demonstrating an antagonistic relationship between Vsx2 and Dmbx1 to control RPC proliferation. Future studies should aim to further understand the direct transcriptional targets of these genes, additional co-factors/interacting proteins and the possible recruitment of epigenetic machinery by these homeobox genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Miles
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Tropepe
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences; Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Takács-Vellai K, Vellai T, Farkas Z, Mehta A. Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDPKs) in animal development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:1447-62. [PMID: 25537302 PMCID: PMC11113130 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In textbooks of biochemistry, nucleoside diphosphate conversion to a triphosphate by nucleoside diphosphate 'kinases' (NDPKs, also named NME or NM23 proteins) merits a few lines of text. Yet this essential metabolic function, mediated by a multimeric phosphotransferase protein, has effects that lie beyond a simple housekeeping role. NDPKs attracted more attention when NM23-H1 was identified as the first metastasis suppressor gene. In this review, we examine these NDPK enzymes from a developmental perspective because of the tractable phenotypes found in simple animal models that point to common themes. The data suggest that NDPK enzymes control the availability of surface receptors to regulate cell-sensing cues during cell migration. NDPKs regulate different forms of membrane enclosure that engulf dying cells during development. We suggest that NDPK enzymes have been essential for the regulated uptake of objects such as bacteria or micronutrients, and this evolutionarily conserved endocytic function contributes to their activity towards the regulation of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Takács-Vellai
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary,
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Two transcription factors, Pou4f2 and Isl1, are sufficient to specify the retinal ganglion cell fate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E1559-68. [PMID: 25775587 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1421535112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As with other retinal cell types, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) arise from multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), and their formation is regulated by a hierarchical gene-regulatory network (GRN). Within this GRN, three transcription factors--atonal homolog 7 (Atoh7), POU domain, class 4, transcription factor 2 (Pou4f2), and insulin gene enhancer protein 1 (Isl1)--occupy key node positions at two different stages of RGC development. Atoh7 is upstream and is required for RPCs to gain competence for an RGC fate, whereas Pou4f2 and Isl1 are downstream and regulate RGC differentiation. However, the genetic and molecular basis for the specification of the RGC fate, a key step in RGC development, remains unclear. Here we report that ectopic expression of Pou4f2 and Isl1 in the Atoh7-null retina using a binary knockin-transgenic system is sufficient for the specification of the RGC fate. The RGCs thus formed are largely normal in gene expression, survive to postnatal stages, and are physiologically functional. Our results indicate that Pou4f2 and Isl1 compose a minimally sufficient regulatory core for the RGC fate. We further conclude that during development a core group of limited transcription factors, including Pou4f2 and Isl1, function downstream of Atoh7 to determine the RGC fate and initiate RGC differentiation.
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Generation of retinal ganglion cells with functional axons from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8344. [PMID: 25666360 PMCID: PMC4322369 DOI: 10.1038/srep08344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated self-induced retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with functional axons from human induced pluripotent stem cells. After development of the optic vesicle from the induced stem cell embryoid body in three-dimensional culture, conversion to two-dimensional culture, achieved by supplementation with BDNF, resulted in differentiation of RGCs at a rate of nearly 90% as indicated by a marginal subregion of an extruded clump of cells, suggesting the formation of an optic vesicle. Axons extended radially from the margin of the clump. Induced RGCs expressed specific markers, such as Brn3b and Math5, as assessed using by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. The long, prominent axons contained neurofilaments and tau and exhibited anterograde axonal transport and sodium-dependent action potentials. The ability to generate RGCs with functional axons uniformly and at a high rate may contribute to both basic and clinical science, including embryology, neurology, pathognomy, and treatment of various optic nerve diseases that threaten vision.
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Abstract
The visual system is beautifully crafted to transmit information of the external world to visual processing and cognitive centers in the brain. For visual information to be relayed to the brain, a series of axon pathfinding events must take place to ensure that the axons of retinal ganglion cells, the only neuronal cell type in the retina that sends axons out of the retina, find their way out of the eye to connect with targets in the brain. In the past few decades, the power of molecular and genetic tools, including the generation of genetically manipulated mouse lines, have multiplied our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms involved in the sculpting of the visual system. Here, we review major advances in our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the differentiation of RGCs, guidance of their axons from the retina to the primary visual centers, and the refinement processes essential for the establishment of topographic maps and eye-specific axon segregation. Human disorders, such as albinism and achiasmia, that impair RGC axon growth and guidance and, thus, the establishment of a fully functioning visual system will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda Erskine
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Eloisa Herrera
- Instituto de Neurosciencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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