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Santo M, Rigoldi L, Falcone C, Tuccillo M, Calabrese M, Martínez-Cerdeño V, Mallamaci A. Spatial control of astrogenesis progression by cortical arealization genes. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3107-3123. [PMID: 35818636 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sizes of neuronal, astroglial and oligodendroglial complements forming the neonatal cerebral cortex largely depend on rates at which pallial stem cells give rise to lineage-committed progenitors and the latter ones progress to mature cell types. Here, we investigated the spatial articulation of pallial stem cells' (SCs) commitment to astrogenesis as well as the progression of committed astroglial progenitors (APs) to differentiated astrocytes, by clonal and kinetic profiling of pallial precursors. We found that caudal-medial (CM) SCs are more prone to astrogenesis than rostro-lateral (RL) ones, while RL-committed APs are more keen to proliferate than CM ones. Next, we assessed the control of these phenomena by 2 key transcription factor genes mastering regionalization of the early cortical primordium, Emx2 and Foxg1, via lentiviral somatic transgenesis, epistasis assays, and ad hoc rescue assays. We demonstrated that preferential CM SCs progression to astrogenesis is promoted by Emx2, mainly via Couptf1, Nfia, and Sox9 upregulation, while Foxg1 antagonizes such progression to some extent, likely via repression of Zbtb20. Finally, we showed that Foxg1 and Emx2 may be implicated-asymmetrically and antithetically-in shaping distinctive proliferative/differentiative behaviors displayed by APs in hippocampus and neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Santo
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Laura Rigoldi
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Carmen Falcone
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, 4400 V St, CA-95817 Sacramento, USA
| | - Mariacarmine Tuccillo
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Michela Calabrese
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Verónica Martínez-Cerdeño
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine & MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, 4400 V St, CA-95817 Sacramento, USA
| | - Antonello Mallamaci
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
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2
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The tissue-specificity associated region and motif of an emx2 downstream enhancer CNE2.04 in zebrafish. Gene Expr Patterns 2022; 45:119269. [PMID: 35970322 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2022.119269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression level of EMX2 plays an important role in the development of nervous system and cancers. CNE2.04, a conserved enhancer downstream of emx2, drives fluorescent protein expression in the similar pattern of emx2. METHODS CNE2.04 truncated or motif-mutated transgenic reporter plasmids were constructed and injected into the zebrafish fertilized egg with Tol2 mRNA at the unicellular stage of zebrafish eggs. The green fluorescence expression patterns were observed at 24, 48, and 72 hpf, and the fluorescence rates of different tissues were counted at 48 hpf. RESULTS Compared to CNE2.04, CNE2.04-R400 had comparable enhancer activity, while the tissue specificity of CNE2.04-L400 was obviously changed. Motif CCCCTC mutation obviously changed the enhancer activity, while motif CCGCTC mutations also changed it. CONCLUSION Due to their correlation with tissue specificity, CNE2.04-R400 is associated with the tissue-specificity of CNE2.04, and motif CCCCTC plays an important role in the enhancer activity of CNE2.04.
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Frisari S, Santo M, Hosseini A, Manzati M, Giugliano M, Mallamaci A. Multidimensional Functional Profiling of Human Neuropathogenic FOXG1 Alleles in Primary Cultures of Murine Pallial Precursors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031343. [PMID: 35163265 PMCID: PMC8835715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
FOXG1 is an ancient transcription factor gene mastering telencephalic development. A number of distinct structural FOXG1 mutations lead to the “FOXG1 syndrome”, a complex and heterogeneous neuropathological entity, for which no cure is presently available. Reconstruction of primary neurodevelopmental/physiological anomalies evoked by these mutations is an obvious pre-requisite for future, precision therapy of such syndrome. Here, as a proof-of-principle, we functionally scored three FOXG1 neuropathogenic alleles, FOXG1G224S, FOXG1W308X, and FOXG1N232S, against their healthy counterpart. Specifically, we delivered transgenes encoding for them to dedicated preparations of murine pallial precursors and quantified their impact on selected neurodevelopmental and physiological processes mastered by Foxg1: pallial stem cell fate choice, proliferation of neural committed progenitors, neuronal architecture, neuronal activity, and their molecular correlates. Briefly, we found that FOXG1G224S and FOXG1W308X generally performed as a gain- and a loss-of-function-allele, respectively, while FOXG1N232S acted as a mild loss-of-function-allele or phenocopied FOXG1WT. These results provide valuable hints about processes misregulated in patients heterozygous for these mutations, to be re-addressed more stringently in patient iPSC-derivative neuro-organoids. Moreover, they suggest that murine pallial cultures may be employed for fast multidimensional profiling of novel, human neuropathogenic FOXG1 alleles, namely a step propedeutic to timely delivery of therapeutic precision treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Frisari
- Cerebral Cortex Development Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (S.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Manuela Santo
- Cerebral Cortex Development Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (S.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Ali Hosseini
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (A.H.); (M.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Matteo Manzati
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (A.H.); (M.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Michele Giugliano
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (A.H.); (M.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Antonello Mallamaci
- Cerebral Cortex Development Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy; (S.F.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence:
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4
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Li XL, Yu Y, Hu Y, Wu HT, Li XS, Chen GY, Cheng Y. Fibroblast Growth Factor 9 as a Potential Biomarker for Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:788677. [PMID: 35546939 PMCID: PMC9082542 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.788677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) system contributed to the onset and development of schizophrenia (SCZ). However, there was no strong clinical evidence to link an individual FGF with SCZ. In this study, we aim to measure blood FGF9 levels in the patients with SCZ with and/or without medication, and test whether FGF9 has a potential to be a biomarker for SCZ. We recruited 130 patients with SCZ and 111 healthy individuals, and the ELISA and qRT-PCR assays were used to measure serum FGF9 levels in the participants. ELISA assay demonstrated that serum FGF9 protein levels were dramatically reduced in first-episode, drug-free patients, but not in chronically medicated patients when compared to healthy control subjects. Further analysis showed that treatment of the first-episode, drug-free SCZ patients with antipsychotics for 8 weeks significantly increased the serum FGF9 levels. In addition, we found that blood FGF9 mRNA levels were significantly lower in first-onset SCZ patients than controls. Under the receiver operating characteristic curve, the optimal cutoff values for FGF9 protein level as an indicator for diagnosis of drug-free SCZ patients was projected to be 166.4 pg/ml, which yielded a sensitivity of 0.955 and specificity of 0.86, and the area under the curve was 0.973 (95% CI, 0.954-0.993). Furthermore, FGF9 had good performance to discriminate between drug-free SCZ patients and chronically medicated patients, the optimal cutoff value for FGF9 concentration was projected to be 165.035 pg/ml with a sensitivity of 0.86 and specificity of 0.919, and the AUC was 0.968 (95% CI, 0.944, 0.991). Taken together, our results for the first time demonstrated the dysregulation of FGF9 in SCZ, and FGF9 has the potential to be served as a biomarker for SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ling Li
- The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China.,Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Yu
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Huan-Tong Wu
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Song Li
- The Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Guang-Yang Chen
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Cheng
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
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Illarionova NB, Borisova MA, Bazhenova EY, Zabelina DS, Fursenko DV, Kulikov AV. Zbtb33 Gene Knockout Changes Transcription of the Fgf9, Fgfr3, c-Myc and FoxG1 Genes in the Developing Mouse Brain. Mol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893321020230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Falcone C, Santo M, Liuzzi G, Cannizzaro N, Grudina C, Valencic E, Peruzzotti-Jametti L, Pluchino S, Mallamaci A. Foxg1 Antagonizes Neocortical Stem Cell Progression to Astrogenesis. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4903-4918. [PMID: 30821834 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical astrogenesis follows neuronogenesis and precedes oligogenesis. Among key factors dictating its temporal articulation, there are progression rates of pallial stem cells (SCs) towards astroglial lineages as well as activation rates of astrocyte differentiation programs in response to extrinsic gliogenic cues. In this study, we showed that high Foxg1 SC expression antagonizes astrocyte generation, while stimulating SC self-renewal and committing SCs to neuronogenesis. We found that mechanisms underlying this activity are mainly cell autonomous and highly pleiotropic. They include a concerted downregulation of 4 key effectors channeling neural SCs to astroglial fates, as well as defective activation of core molecular machineries implementing astroglial differentiation programs. Next, we found that SC Foxg1 levels specifically decline during the neuronogenic-to-gliogenic transition, pointing to a pivotal Foxg1 role in temporal modulation of astrogenesis. Finally, we showed that Foxg1 inhibits astrogenesis from human neocortical precursors, suggesting that this is an evolutionarily ancient trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Falcone
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - Manuela Santo
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gabriele Liuzzi
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - Noemi Cannizzaro
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - Clara Grudina
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
| | - Erica Valencic
- Department of Diagnostics, Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti
- Dept of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Clifford Allbutt Building -- Cambridge Biosciences Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stefano Pluchino
- Dept of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Clifford Allbutt Building -- Cambridge Biosciences Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Antonello Mallamaci
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
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7
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Flitsch LJ, Laupman KE, Brüstle O. Transcription Factor-Based Fate Specification and Forward Programming for Neural Regeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:121. [PMID: 32508594 PMCID: PMC7251072 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, in vitro generation of donor cells for brain repair has been dominated by the application of extrinsic growth factors and morphogens. Recent advances in cell engineering strategies such as reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells and direct cell fate conversion have impressively demonstrated the feasibility to manipulate cell identities by the overexpression of cell fate-determining transcription factors. These strategies are now increasingly implemented for transcription factor-guided differentiation of neural precursors and forward programming of pluripotent stem cells toward specific neural subtypes. This review covers major achievements, pros and cons, as well as future prospects of transcription factor-based cell fate specification and the applicability of these approaches for the generation of donor cells for brain repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea J Flitsch
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Karen E Laupman
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Oliver Brüstle
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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8
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Huang CW, Lu SY, Huang TC, Huang BM, Sun HS, Yang SH, Chuang JI, Hsueh YY, Wu YT, Wu CC. FGF9 induces functional differentiation to Schwann cells from human adipose derived stem cells. Theranostics 2020; 10:2817-2831. [PMID: 32194837 PMCID: PMC7052907 DOI: 10.7150/thno.38553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The formation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into spheres on a chitosan-coated microenvironment promoted ASCs differentiation into a mixed population of neural lineage-like cells (NLCs), but the underline mechanism is still unknown. Since the fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) play as key regulators of neural cell fate during embryo development and stem cell differentiation, the current study aims to reveal the interplay of FGF9 and FGFRs for promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. Methods: Different concentration of FGF9 peptide (10, 25, 50, 100 ng/mL) were added during NLCs induction (FGF9-NLCs). The FGFR expressions and potential signaling were studied by gene and protein expressions as well as knocking down by specific FGFR siRNA or commercial inhibitors. FGF9-NLCs were fluorescent labeled and applied into a nerve conduit upon the injured sciatic nerves of experimental rats. Results: The FGFR2 and FGFR4 were significantly increased during NLCs induction. The FGF9 treated FGF9-NLCs spheres became smaller and changed into Schwann cells (SCs) which expressed S100β and GFAP. The specific silencing of FGFR2 diminished FGF9-induced Akt phosphorylation and inhibited the differentiation of SCs. Transplanted FGF9-NLCs participated in myelin sheath formation, enhanced axonal regrowth and promoted innervated muscle regeneration. The knockdown of FGFR2 in FGF9-NLCs led to the abolishment of nerve regeneration. Conclusions: Our data therefore demonstrate the importance of FGF9 in the determination of SC fate via the FGF9-FGFR2-Akt pathway and reveal the therapeutic benefit of FGF9-NLCs.
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9
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Kittel-Schneider S, Hilscher M, Scholz CJ, Weber H, Grünewald L, Schwarz R, Chiocchetti AG, Reif A. Lithium-induced gene expression alterations in two peripheral cell models of bipolar disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry 2019; 20:462-475. [PMID: 29067888 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1396357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate molecular mechanisms of lithium action by studying the gene expression profile of peripheral cell models generated from bipolar patients (BD) and healthy controls (HC). Methods: EBV-immortalised lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) and fibroblast cells from BD and HC were incubated with either lithium chloride or plain medium for 3 weeks. We first conducted a microarray gene expression study. The most promising differentially regulated genes in terms of lithium-associated or disorder-associated pathways were then replicated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: The pooled microarray analysis showed 459 genes to be differentially regulated in BD compared to HC and 58 due to lithium treatment in LCLs, and 295 genes to be differentially regulated in BD compared to HC and five due to lithium treatment in fibroblasts. After correction for multiple comparison, EPHB1 disorder × treatment interactions remained significant in LCLs validated by qRT-PCR. In the control group, lithium influenced the expression of ANP32E, PLEKHA2, KCNK1, PRKCH, ST3GAL6 and AIF1. In bipolar and control fibroblast cells lithium treatment decreased FGF9 expression. Conclusions: The differentially regulated genes in our study add evidence for the relevance of inflammation, neuronal/glial development, phosphatidylinositol second-messenger pathway and ion channels in the mode of action of lithium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Max Hilscher
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Claus-Jürgen Scholz
- Microarray Core Unit, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,LIMES, Life and Medical Science Institute, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Heike Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany.,Microarray Core Unit, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Lena Grünewald
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Ricarda Schwarz
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Andreas G Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Autism Research Centre of Excellence Frankfurt, University Hospital of Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
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10
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Monnier A, Boniface R, Bouvet R, Etcheverry A, Aubry M, Avril T, Quillien V, Chevet E, Mosser J. The expression of EMX2 lead to cell cycle arrest in glioblastoma cell line. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:1213. [PMID: 30514244 PMCID: PMC6280364 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-5094-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Glioblastoma (GB) is a highly invasive primary brain tumor that nearly always systematically recurs at the site of resection despite aggressive radio-chemotherapy. Previously, we reported a gene expression signature related to tumor infiltration. Within this signature, the EMX2 gene encodes a homeodomain transcription factor that we found was down regulated in glioblastoma. As EMX2 is reported to play a role in carcinogenesis, we investigated the impact of EMX2 overexpression in glioma-related cell lines. Methods For that purpose, we constructed tetracycline-inducible EMX2 expression lines. Transfected cell phenotypes (proliferation, cell death and cell cycle) were assessed in time-course experiments. Results Restoration of EMX2 expression in U87 glioblastoma cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation. This inhibition was reversible after EMX2 removal from cells. EMX2-induced proliferative inhibition was very likely due to cell cycle arrest in G1/S transition and was not accompanied by signs of cell death. Conclusion Our results suggest that EMX2 may constitute a putative therapeutic target for GB treatment. Further studies are required to decipher the gene networks and transduction signals involved in EMX2’s effect on cell proliferation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-5094-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Monnier
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR [(Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes)]-UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Rachel Boniface
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR [(Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes)]-UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Régis Bouvet
- CHU Rennes, Service de Génétique Moléculaire et Génomique Médicale, Rennes, France
| | - Amandine Etcheverry
- CHU Rennes, Service de Génétique Moléculaire et Génomique Médicale, Rennes, France
| | - Marc Aubry
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR [(Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes)]-UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, Plateforme GEH, CNRS, Inserm, BIOSIT - UMS 3480, US_S 018, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Tony Avril
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, CLCC Eugène Marquis, COSS [(Chemistry Oncogenesis Stress Signaling)]-UMR_S 1242, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Véronique Quillien
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, CLCC Eugène Marquis, COSS [(Chemistry Oncogenesis Stress Signaling)]-UMR_S 1242, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Eric Chevet
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, CLCC Eugène Marquis, COSS [(Chemistry Oncogenesis Stress Signaling)]-UMR_S 1242, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Jean Mosser
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR [(Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes)]-UMR 6290, F-35000, Rennes, France.,CHU Rennes, Service de Génétique Moléculaire et Génomique Médicale, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, Plateforme GEH, CNRS, Inserm, BIOSIT - UMS 3480, US_S 018, F-35000, Rennes, France
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11
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Falcone C, Daga A, Leanza G, Mallamaci A. Emx2 as a novel tool to suppress glioblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:41005-41016. [PMID: 27191499 PMCID: PMC5173038 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is a devastating CNS tumour for which no cure is presently available. We wondered if manipulation of Emx2, which normally antagonizes cortico-cerebral astrogenesis by inhibiting proliferation of astrocyte progenitors, may be employed to counteract it. We found that Emx2 overexpression induced the collapse of seven out of seven in vitro tested glioblastoma cell lines. Moreover, it suppressed four out of four of these lines in vivo. As proven by dedicated rescue assays, the antioncogenic activity of Emx2 originated from its impact on at least six metabolic nodes, which accounts for the robustness of its effect. Finally, in two out of two tested lines, the tumor culture collapse was also achieved when Emx2 was driven by a neural stem cell-specific promoter, likely active within tumor-initiating cells. All that points to Emx2 as a novel, promising tool for therapy of glioblastoma and prevention of its recurrencies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Daga
- DIPOE, IRCCS AOU San Martino IST, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giampiero Leanza
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
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12
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RNA activation of haploinsufficient Foxg1 gene in murine neocortex. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39311. [PMID: 27995975 PMCID: PMC5172352 DOI: 10.1038/srep39311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
More than one hundred distinct gene hemizygosities are specifically linked to epilepsy, mental retardation, autism, schizophrenia and neuro-degeneration. Radical repair of these gene deficits via genome engineering is hardly feasible. The same applies to therapeutic stimulation of the spared allele by artificial transactivators. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) offer an alternative, appealing approach. As a proof-of-principle, here we tested this approach on the Rett syndrome-linked, haploinsufficient, Foxg1 brain patterning gene. We selected a set of artificial small activating RNAs (saRNAs) upregulating it in neocortical precursors and their derivatives. Expression of these effectors achieved a robust biological outcome. saRNA-driven activation (RNAa) was limited to neural cells which normally express Foxg1 and did not hide endogenous gene tuning. saRNAs recognized target chromatin through a ncRNA stemming from it. Gene upregulation required Ago1 and was associated to RNApolII enrichment throughout the Foxg1 locus. Finally, saRNA delivery to murine neonatal brain replicated Foxg1-RNAa in vivo.
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13
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Crowe EP, Tuzer F, Gregory BD, Donahue G, Gosai SJ, Cohen J, Leung YY, Yetkin E, Nativio R, Wang LS, Sell C, Bonini NM, Berger SL, Johnson FB, Torres C. Changes in the Transcriptome of Human Astrocytes Accompanying Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:208. [PMID: 27630559 PMCID: PMC5005348 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor for many neurodegenerative disorders. A key feature of aging biology that may underlie these diseases is cellular senescence. Senescent cells accumulate in tissues with age, undergo widespread changes in gene expression, and typically demonstrate altered, pro-inflammatory profiles. Astrocyte senescence has been implicated in neurodegenerative disease, and to better understand senescence-associated changes in astrocytes, we investigated changes in their transcriptome using RNA sequencing. Senescence was induced in human fetal astrocytes by transient oxidative stress. Brain-expressed genes, including those involved in neuronal development and differentiation, were downregulated in senescent astrocytes. Remarkably, several genes indicative of astrocytic responses to injury were also downregulated, including glial fibrillary acidic protein and genes involved in the processing and presentation of antigens by major histocompatibility complex class II proteins, while pro-inflammatory genes were upregulated. Overall, our findings suggest that senescence-related changes in the function of astrocytes may impact the pathogenesis of age-related brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Crowe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Ferit Tuzer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Brian D Gregory
- Department of Biology, Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Greg Donahue
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Sager J Gosai
- Department of Biology, Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Justin Cohen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Yuk Y Leung
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Emre Yetkin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Raffaella Nativio
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Li-San Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Christian Sell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - F Brad Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Claudio Torres
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA, USA
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14
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Zhang L, Han X, Cheng X, Tan XF, Zhao HY, Zhang XH. Denervated hippocampus provides a favorable microenvironment for neuronal differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells. Neural Regen Res 2016; 11:597-603. [PMID: 27212920 PMCID: PMC4870916 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.180744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Fimbria-fornix transection induces both exogenous and endogenous neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons in the hippocampus. This indicates that the denervated hippocampus provides an environment for neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells. However, the pathways and mechanisms in this process are still unclear. Seven days after fimbria fornix transection, our reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot assay, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay results show a significant increase in ciliary neurotrophic factor mRNA and protein expression in the denervated hippocampus. Moreover, neural stem cells derived from hippocampi of fetal (embryonic day 17) Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with ciliary neurotrophic factor for 7 days, with an increased number of microtubule associated protein-2-positive cells and decreased number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells detected. Our results show that ciliary neurotrophic factor expression is up-regulated in the denervated hippocampus, which may promote neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells in the denervated hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xue-Feng Tan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - He-Yan Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xin-Hua Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
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15
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García-Moreno F, Molnár Z. Subset of early radial glial progenitors that contribute to the development of callosal neurons is absent from avian brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E5058-67. [PMID: 26305942 PMCID: PMC4568669 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1506377112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical view of mammalian cortical development suggests that pyramidal neurons are generated in a temporal sequence, with all radial glial cells (RGCs) contributing to both lower and upper neocortical layers. A recent opposing proposal suggests there is a subgroup of fate-restricted RGCs in the early neocortex, which generates only upper-layer neurons. Little is known about the existence of fate restriction of homologous progenitors in other vertebrate species. We investigated the lineage of selected Emx2+ [vertebrate homeobox gene related to Drosophila empty spiracles (ems)] RGCs in mouse neocortex and chick forebrain and found evidence for both sequential and fate-restricted programs only in mouse, indicating that these complementary populations coexist in the developing mammalian but not avian brain. Among a large population of sequentially programmed RGCs in the mouse brain, a subset of self-renewing progenitors lack neurogenic potential during the earliest phase of corticogenesis. After a considerable delay, these progenitors generate callosal upper-layer neurons and glia. On the other hand, we found no homologous delayed population in any sectors of the chick forebrain. This finding suggests that neurogenic delay of selected RGCs may be unique to mammals and possibly associated with the evolution of the corpus callosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando García-Moreno
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QX, United Kingdom
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QX, United Kingdom
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16
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Falcone C, Mallamaci A. Tuning of neocortical astrogenesis rates by Emx2 in neural stem cells. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:550-1. [PMID: 26170809 PMCID: PMC4424741 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.155418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Falcone
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development, SISSA, Triest I-36134, Italy
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17
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Bestman JE, Huang LC, Lee-Osbourne J, Cheung P, Cline HT. An in vivo screen to identify candidate neurogenic genes in the developing Xenopus visual system. Dev Biol 2015; 408:269-91. [PMID: 25818835 PMCID: PMC4584193 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis in the brain of Xenopus laevis continues throughout larval stages of development. We developed a 2-tier screen to identify candidate genes controlling neurogenesis in Xenopus optic tectum in vivo. First, microarray and NanoString analyses were used to identify candidate genes that were differentially expressed in Sox2-expressing neural progenitor cells or their neuronal progeny. Then an in vivo, time-lapse imaging-based screen was used to test whether morpholinos against 34 candidate genes altered neural progenitor cell proliferation or neuronal differentiation over 3 days in the optic tectum of intact Xenopus tadpoles. We co-electroporated antisense morpholino oligonucleotides against each of the candidate genes with a plasmid that drives GFP expression in Sox2-expressing neural progenitor cells and quantified the effects of morpholinos on neurogenesis. Of the 34 morpholinos tested, 24 altered neural progenitor cell proliferation or neuronal differentiation. The candidates which were tagged as differentially expressed and validated by the in vivo imaging screen include: actn1, arl9, eif3a, elk4, ephb1, fmr1-a, fxr1-1, fbxw7, fgf2, gstp1, hat1, hspa5, lsm6, mecp2, mmp9, and prkaca. Several of these candidates, including fgf2 and elk4, have known or proposed neurogenic functions, thereby validating our strategy to identify candidates. Genes with no previously demonstrated neurogenic functions, gstp1, hspa5 and lsm6, were identified from the morpholino experiments, suggesting that our screen successfully revealed unknown candidates. Genes that are associated with human disease, such as such as mecp2 and fmr1-a, were identified by our screen, providing the groundwork for using Xenopus as an experimental system to probe conserved disease mechanisms. Together the data identify candidate neurogenic regulatory genes and demonstrate that Xenopus is an effective experimental animal to identify and characterize genes that regulate neural progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Bestman
- Drug Discovery & Biomedical Sciences, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Lin-Chien Huang
- The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Jane Lee-Osbourne
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Phillip Cheung
- Dart Neuroscience, LLC, San Diego, CA 92064, United States
| | - Hollis T Cline
- The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
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