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Piazza A, Carlone R, Spencer GE. Non-canonical retinoid signaling in neural development, regeneration and synaptic function. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1371135. [PMID: 38516042 PMCID: PMC10954794 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1371135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Canonical retinoid signaling via nuclear receptors and gene regulation is critical for the initiation of developmental processes such as cellular differentiation, patterning and neurite outgrowth, but also mediates nerve regeneration and synaptic functions in adult nervous systems. In addition to canonical transcriptional regulation, retinoids also exert rapid effects, and there are now multiple lines of evidence supporting non-canonical retinoid actions outside of the nucleus, including in dendrites and axons. Together, canonical and non-canonical retinoid signaling provide the precise temporal and spatial control necessary to achieve the fine cellular coordination required for proper nervous system function. Here, we examine and discuss the evidence supporting non-canonical actions of retinoids in neural development and regeneration as well as synaptic function, including a review of the proposed molecular mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gaynor E. Spencer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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Walker SE, Sabin KZ, Gearhart MD, Yamamoto K, Echeverri K. Regulation of stem cell identity by miR-200a during spinal cord regeneration. Development 2022; 149:274347. [PMID: 35156681 PMCID: PMC8918811 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Axolotls are an important model organism for multiple types of regeneration, including functional spinal cord regeneration. Remarkably, axolotls can repair their spinal cord after a small lesion injury and can also regenerate their entire tail following amputation. Several classical signaling pathways that are used during development are reactivated during regeneration, but how this is regulated remains a mystery. We have previously identified miR-200a as a key factor that promotes successful spinal cord regeneration. Here, using RNA-seq analysis, we discovered that the inhibition of miR-200a results in an upregulation of the classical mesodermal marker brachyury in spinal cord cells after injury. However, these cells still express the neural stem cell marker sox2. In vivo cell tracking allowed us to determine that these cells can give rise to cells of both the neural and mesoderm lineage. Additionally, we found that miR-200a can directly regulate brachyury via a seed sequence in the 3′UTR of the gene. Our data indicate that miR-200a represses mesodermal cell fate after a small lesion injury in the spinal cord when only glial cells and neurons need to be replaced. Summary: Axolotl spinal cord cells have the potential to form cells of the ectoderm and mesoderm depending on the extent of the injury they are responding to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Walker
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Keith Z Sabin
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | | | | | - Karen Echeverri
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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Abo-Al-Ela HG, Burgos-Aceves MA. Exploring the role of microRNAs in axolotl regeneration. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:839-850. [PMID: 32638401 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, is used extensively for research in developmental biology, particularly for its ability to regenerate and restore lost organs, including in the nervous system, to full functionality. Regeneration in mammals typically depends on the healing process and scar formation with limited replacement of lost tissue. Other organisms, such as spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus), salamanders, and zebrafish, are able to regenerate some damaged body components. Blastema is a tissue that is formed after tissue injury in such organisms and is composed of progenitor cells or dedifferentiated cells that differentiate into various cell types during regeneration. Thus, identifying the molecules responsible for initiation of blastema formation is an important aspect for understanding regeneration. Introns, a major source of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), have characteristic sizes in the axolotl, particularly in genes associated with development. These ncRNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), exhibit dynamic regulation during regeneration. These miRNAs play an essential role in timing and control of gene expression to order and organize processes necessary for blastema creation. Master keys or molecules that underlie the remarkable regenerative abilities of the axolotl remain to be fully explored and exploited. Further and ongoing research on regeneration promises new knowledge that may allow improved repair and renewal of human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitham G Abo-Al-Ela
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fish Resources, Suez University, Suez, Egypt
| | - Mario A Burgos-Aceves
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
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Su X, Gu X, Zhang Z, Li W, Wang X. Retinoic acid receptor gamma is targeted by microRNA-124 and inhibits neurite outgrowth. Neuropharmacology 2020; 163:107657. [PMID: 31170403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During brain development, neurite outgrowth is required for brain development and is regulated by many factors. All-trans retinoic acid (RA) is an important regulator of cell growth and differentiation. MicroRNA-124 (miR-124), a brain-specific microRNA, has been implicated in stimulating neurite growth. In this study, we found that retinoic acid receptor gamma (RARG) expression was decreased, whereas miR-124 expression was increased during neural differentiation in mouse Neuroblastoma (N2a) Cells, P19 embryonal carcinoma (P19) cells, and mouse brain, as detected by immunoblotting or RT-qPCR. And we proved that miR-124 inhibited RARG expression by binding to the 3' UTR of RARG with a luciferase reporter assay. Upregulation of miR-124 (using miR-124 overexpressing plasmid and miR-124 mimic) led to a significant decrease in RARG protein in N2a cells and primary neurons. Therefore, we asked whether and how the miR-124/RARG axis regulates neuronal outgrowth, which is poorly understood. Strikingly, RARG knockdown by shRNA stimulated neurite growth in N2a cells and primary neurons, whereas RARG overexpression (without 3' UTR) inhibited neurite growth in N2a cells, P19 cells, and primary neurons. Furthermore, RARG knockdown could partially eliminate neurite outgrowth defects caused by the inhibitor of miR-124, while RARG overexpression could reverse the neurite outgrowth enhancing effect of the upregulation of miR-124. Collectively, the data reveal that miR-124/RARG axis is critical for neurite outgrowth. RARG emerges as a new target regulated by miR-124 that modulates neurite outgrowth, providing a novel context in which these two molecules function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Su
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Gu
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiduo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weipeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuemin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Walker SE, Spencer GE, Necakov A, Carlone RL. Identification and Characterization of microRNAs during Retinoic Acid-Induced Regeneration of a Molluscan Central Nervous System. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E2741. [PMID: 30217012 PMCID: PMC6163488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is the biologically active metabolite of vitamin A and has become a well-established factor that induces neurite outgrowth and regeneration in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms that may mediate RA-induced neurite sprouting remain unclear. In the past decade, microRNAs have emerged as important regulators of nervous system development and regeneration, and have been shown to contribute to processes such as neurite sprouting. However, few studies have demonstrated the role of miRNAs in RA-induced neurite sprouting. By miRNA sequencing analysis, we identify 482 miRNAs in the regenerating central nervous system (CNS) of the mollusc Lymnaeastagnalis, 219 of which represent potentially novel miRNAs. Of the remaining conserved miRNAs, 38 show a statistically significant up- or downregulation in regenerating CNS as a result of RA treatment. We further characterized the expression of one neuronally-enriched miRNA upregulated by RA, miR-124. We demonstrate, for the first time, that miR-124 is expressed within the cell bodies and neurites of regenerating motorneurons. Moreover, we identify miR-124 expression within the growth cones of cultured ciliary motorneurons (pedal A), whereas expression in the growth cones of another class of respiratory motorneurons (right parietal A) was absent in vitro. These findings support our hypothesis that miRNAs are important regulators of retinoic acid-induced neuronal outgrowth and regeneration in regeneration-competent species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Walker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Gaynor E Spencer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Aleksandar Necakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Robert L Carlone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
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Li H, Lin L, Li L, Zhou L, Zhang Y, Hao S, Ding Z. Exosomal small RNA sequencing uncovers the microRNA dose markers for power frequency electromagnetic field exposure. Biomarkers 2018; 23:315-327. [PMID: 29297241 DOI: 10.1080/1354750x.2018.1423707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The potential health risks caused by power frequency electromagnetic field (PFEMF) have led to increase public health concerns. However, the diagnosis and prognosis remain challenging in determination of exact dose of PFEMF exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice were exposed to different magnetic doses of PFEMF for the following isolation of serum exosomes, microRNAs (miRNAs) extraction and small RNA sequencing. After small RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validation and serum exosomal miRNA biomarkers were determined. RESULTS Significantly changed serum exosomal miRNA as biomarkers of 0.1, 0.5, 2.5 mT and common PFEMF exposure were confirmed. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the downstream target genes of the above-identified exosomal miRNA markers indicated that, exosomal miRNA markers were predicted to be involved in critical pathophysiological processes of neural system and cancer- or other disease-related signalling pathways. CONCLUSIONS Aberrantly-expressed serum exosomal miRNAs, including miR-128-3p for 0.1 mT, miR-133a-3p for 0.5 mT, miR-142a-5p for 2.5 mT, miR-218-5p and miR-199a-3p for common PFEMF exposure, suggested a series of informative markers for not only identifying the exact dose of PFEMF exposure, also consolidating the base for future clinical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualiang Li
- a Electric Power Research Institute of Guangdong Power Grid , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Lin Lin
- b Department of Obstetrics , The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Li Li
- a Electric Power Research Institute of Guangdong Power Grid , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Liang Zhou
- c Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research , Southern Medical University , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- c Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research , Southern Medical University , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Shuai Hao
- c Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research , Southern Medical University , Guangzhou , PR China
| | - Zhenhua Ding
- c Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research , Southern Medical University , Guangzhou , PR China
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Lepp AC, Carlone RL. MicroRNA dysregulation in response to RARβ2 inhibition reveals a negative feedback loop between MicroRNAs 1, 133a, and RARβ2 during tail and spinal cord regeneration in the adult newt. Dev Dyn 2015; 244:1519-37. [PMID: 26332998 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The molecular events underlying epimorphic regeneration of the adult urodele amphibian tail and caudal spinal cord are undetermined. Given the dynamic nature of gene expression control by retinoic acid (RA) signaling and the pleiotropic effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) on multiple mRNA targets in this complex system, we examined whether RA signaling through a specific receptor, RARβ2, alters expression of select miRNAs during spinal cord regeneration. RESULTS An initial screen identified 18 highly conserved miRNAs dysregulated in regenerating tail and spinal cord tissues after inhibition of RARβ2 signaling with a selective antagonist, LE135. miRNAs let-7c, miR-1, and miR-223 were expressed within the ependymoglial cells, coincident spatially with the expression of RARβ2. Altering the expression pattern of these three miRNAs led to a significant inhibition of caudal ependymal tube outgrowth by 21 days post tail amputation. We demonstrated that miR-1 targets the 3'-untranslated region of RARβ2 mRNA in vitro; and in vivo, up-regulation of miR-1 led to a significant decrease in RARβ2 protein. CONCLUSIONS These and previous data suggest that miR-1 and miR-133a, both members of the same miRNA gene cluster, may participate with RARβ2 in a negative feedback loop contributing to the regulation of the ependymal response after tail amputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Lepp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert L Carlone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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