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Hu L, Liu XY, Zhao L, Hu ZB, Li ZX, Liu WT, Song NN, Hu YQ, Jiang LP, Zhang L, Tao YC, Zhang Q, Chen JY, Lang B, Wang YB, Yue L, Ding YQ. Ventricular Netrin-1 deficiency leads to defective pyramidal decussation and mirror movement in mice. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:343. [PMID: 38760361 PMCID: PMC11101614 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06719-1] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The corticospinal tract (CST) is the principal neural pathway responsible for conducting voluntary movement in the vertebrate nervous system. Netrin-1 is a well-known guidance molecule for midline crossing of commissural axons during embryonic development. Families with inherited Netrin-1 mutations display congenital mirror movements (CMM), which are associated with malformations of pyramidal decussation in most cases. Here, we investigated the role of Netrin-1 in CST formation by generating conditional knockout (CKO) mice using a Gfap-driven Cre line. A large proportion of CST axons spread laterally in the ventral medulla oblongata, failed to decussate and descended in the ipsilateral spinal white matter of Ntn1Gfap CKO mice. Netrin-1 mRNA was expressed in the ventral ventricular zone (VZ) and midline, while Netrin-1 protein was transported by radial glial cells to the ventral medulla, through which CST axons pass. The level of transported Netrin-1 protein was significantly reduced in Ntn1Gfap CKO mice. In addition, Ntn1Gfap CKO mice displayed increased symmetric movements. Our findings indicate that VZ-derived Netrin-1 deletion leads to an abnormal trajectory of the CST in the spinal cord due to the failure of CST midline crossing and provides novel evidence supporting the idea that the Netrin-1 signalling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of CMM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Hu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xi-Yue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ze-Xuan Li
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei-Tang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ning-Ning Song
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yun-Qing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Luo-Peng Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yun-Chao Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jia-Yin Chen
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Bing Lang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China
| | - Yu-Bing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lei Yue
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Tsytsarev V, Plachez C, Zhao S, O'Connor DH, Erzurumlu RS. Bilateral Whisker Representations in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex in Robo3cKO Mice Are Reflected in the Primary Motor Cortex. Neuroscience 2024; 544:128-137. [PMID: 38447690 PMCID: PMC11146016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.031] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
In Robo3cKO mice, midline crossing defects of the trigeminothalamic projections from the trigeminal principal sensory nucleus result in bilateral whisker maps in the somatosensory thalamus and consequently in the face representation area of the primary somatosensory (S1) cortex (Renier et al., 2017; Tsytsarev et al., 2017). We investigated whether this bilateral sensory representation in the whisker-barrel cortex is also reflected in the downstream projections from the S1 to the primary motor (M1) cortex. To label these projections, we injected anterograde viral axonal tracer in S1 cortex. Corticocortical projections from the S1 distribute to similar areas across the ipsilateral hemisphere in control and Robo3cKO mice. Namely, in both genotypes they extend to the M1, premotor/prefrontal cortex (PMPF), secondary somatosensory (S2) cortex. Next, we performed voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDi) in the left hemisphere following ipsilateral and contralateral single whisker stimulation. While controls showed only activation in the contralateral whisker barrel cortex and M1 cortex, the Robo3cKO mouse left hemisphere was activated bilaterally in both the barrel cortex and the M1 cortex. We conclude that the midline crossing defect of the trigeminothalamic projections leads to bilateral whisker representations not only in the thalamus and the S1 cortex but also downstream from the S1, in the M1 cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassiliy Tsytsarev
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St, HSF-2, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Céline Plachez
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St, HSF-2, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Shuxin Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St, HSF-2, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Daniel H O'Connor
- The Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, 338 Krieger Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Reha S Erzurumlu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St, HSF-2, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Schlienger S, Yam PT, Balekoglu N, Ducuing H, Michaud JF, Makihara S, Kramer DK, Chen B, Fasano A, Berardelli A, Hamdan FF, Rouleau GA, Srour M, Charron F. Genetics of mirror movements identifies a multifunctional complex required for Netrin-1 guidance and lateralization of motor control. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd5501. [PMID: 37172092 PMCID: PMC10181192 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add5501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Mirror movements (MM) disorder is characterized by involuntary movements on one side of the body that mirror intentional movements on the opposite side. We performed genetic characterization of a family with autosomal dominant MM and identified ARHGEF7, a RhoGEF, as a candidate MM gene. We found that Arhgef7 and its partner Git1 bind directly to Dcc. Dcc is the receptor for Netrin-1, an axon guidance cue that attracts commissural axons to the midline, promoting the midline crossing of axon tracts. We show that Arhgef7 and Git1 are required for Netrin-1-mediated axon guidance and act as a multifunctional effector complex. Arhgef7/Git1 activates Rac1 and Cdc42 and inhibits Arf1 downstream of Netrin-1. Furthermore, Arhgef7/Git1, via Arf1, mediates the Netrin-1-induced increase in cell surface Dcc. Mice heterozygous for Arhgef7 have defects in commissural axon trajectories and increased symmetrical paw placements during skilled walking, a MM-like phenotype. Thus, we have delineated how ARHGEF7 mutation causes MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Schlienger
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Patricia T. Yam
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Nursen Balekoglu
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Hugo Ducuing
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Michaud
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Shirin Makihara
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Daniel K. Kramer
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Baoyu Chen
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Alfonso Fasano
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alfredo Berardelli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fadi F. Hamdan
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine and University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T1C5, Canada
| | - Guy A. Rouleau
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine and University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T1C5, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Myriam Srour
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Frederic Charron
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
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Heterozygous Dcc Mutant Mice Have a Subtle Locomotor Phenotype. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0216-18.2021. [PMID: 35115383 PMCID: PMC8906791 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0216-18.2021] [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: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Axon guidance receptors such as deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) contribute to the normal formation of neural circuits, and their mutations can be associated with neural defects. In humans, heterozygous mutations in DCC have been linked to congenital mirror movements, which are involuntary movements on one side of the body that mirror voluntary movements of the opposite side. In mice, obvious hopping phenotypes have been reported for bi-allelic Dcc mutations, while heterozygous mutants have not been closely examined. We hypothesized that a detailed characterization of Dcc heterozygous mice may reveal impaired corticospinal and spinal functions. Anterograde tracing of the Dcc+/− motor cortex revealed a normally projecting corticospinal tract, intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) evoked normal contralateral motor responses, and behavioral tests showed normal skilled forelimb coordination. Gait analyses also showed a normal locomotor pattern and rhythm in adult Dcc+/− mice during treadmill locomotion, except for a decreased occurrence of out-of-phase walk and an increased duty cycle of the stance phase at slow walking speed. Neonatal isolated Dcc+/− spinal cords had normal left-right and flexor-extensor coupling, along with normal locomotor pattern and rhythm, except for an increase in the flexor-related motoneuronal output. Although Dcc+/− mice do not exhibit any obvious bilateral impairments like those in humans, they exhibit subtle motor deficits during neonatal and adult locomotion.
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Loss of floor plate Netrin-1 impairs midline crossing of corticospinal axons and leads to mirror movements. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108654. [PMID: 33472083 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, execution of unimanual movements requires lateralized activation of the primary motor cortex, which then transmits the motor command to the contralateral hand through the crossed corticospinal tract (CST). Mutations in NTN1 alter motor control lateralization, leading to congenital mirror movements. To address the role of midline Netrin-1 on CST development and subsequent motor control, we analyze the morphological and functional consequences of floor plate Netrin-1 depletion in conditional knockout mice. We show that depletion of floor plate Netrin-1 in the brainstem critically disrupts CST midline crossing, whereas the other commissural systems are preserved. The only associated defect is an abnormal entry of CST axons within the inferior olive. Alteration of CST midline crossing results in functional ipsilateral projections and is associated with abnormal symmetric movements. Our study reveals the role of Netrin-1 in CST development and describes a mouse model recapitulating the characteristics of human congenital mirror movements.
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Bourojeni FB, Zeilhofer HU, Kania A. Netrin-1 receptor DCC is required for the contralateral topography of lamina I anterolateral system neurons. Pain 2021; 162:161-175. [PMID: 32701653 PMCID: PMC7737868 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Anterolateral system (AS) neurons relay nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain, protecting the body from harm by evoking a variety of behaviours and autonomic responses. The developmental programs that guide the connectivity of AS neurons remain poorly understood. Spinofugal axons cross the spinal midline in response to Netrin-1 signalling through its receptor deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC); however, the relevance of this canonical pathway to AS neuron development has only been demonstrated recently. Here, we disrupted Netrin-1:DCC signalling developmentally in AS neurons and assessed the consequences on the path finding of the different classes of spinofugal neurons. Many lamina I AS neurons normally innervate the lateral parabrachial nucleus and periaqueductal gray on the contralateral side. The loss of DCC in the developing spinal cord resulted in increased frequency of ipsilateral projection of spinoparabrachial and spinoperiaqueductal gray neurons. Given that contralateral spinofugal projections are largely associated with somatotopic representation of the body, changes in the laterality of AS spinofugal projections may contribute to reduced precision in pain localization observed in mice and humans carrying Dcc mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farin B. Bourojeni
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Artur Kania
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Abstract
The spinal cord receives, relays and processes sensory information from the periphery and integrates this information with descending inputs from supraspinal centres to elicit precise and appropriate behavioural responses and orchestrate body movements. Understanding how the spinal cord circuits that achieve this integration are wired during development is the focus of much research interest. Several families of proteins have well-established roles in guiding developing spinal cord axons, and recent findings have identified new axon guidance molecules. Nevertheless, an integrated view of spinal cord network development is lacking, and many current models have neglected the cellular and functional diversity of spinal cord circuits. Recent advances challenge the existing spinal cord axon guidance dogmas and have provided a more complex, but more faithful, picture of the ontogenesis of vertebrate spinal cord circuits.
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Vigouroux RJ, Cesar Q, Chédotal A, Nguyen-Ba-Charvet KT. Revisiting the role of Dcc in visual system development with a novel eye clearing method. eLife 2020; 9:51275. [PMID: 32096760 PMCID: PMC7062470 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Deleted in Colorectal Carcinoma (Dcc) receptor plays a critical role in optic nerve development. Whilst Dcc is expressed postnatally in the eye, its function remains unknown as Dcc knockouts die at birth. To circumvent this drawback, we generated an eye-specific Dcc mutant. To study the organization of the retina and visual projections in these mice, we also established EyeDISCO, a novel tissue clearing protocol that removes melanin allowing 3D imaging of whole eyes and visual pathways. We show that in the absence of Dcc, some ganglion cell axons stalled at the optic disc, whereas others perforated the retina, separating photoreceptors from the retinal pigment epithelium. A subset of visual axons entered the CNS, but these projections are perturbed. Moreover, Dcc-deficient retinas displayed a massive postnatal loss of retinal ganglion cells and a large fraction of photoreceptors. Thus, Dcc is essential for the development and maintenance of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Vigouroux
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Quénol Cesar
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Alain Chédotal
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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