Astrocyte-produced leukemia inhibitory factor expands the neural stem/progenitor pool following perinatal hypoxia-ischemia

The Notch pathway regulates autophagy after hypoxic-ischemic injury and affects synaptic plasticity

Following neonatal hypoxic-ischemia (HI) injury, it is crucial factor to reconstruct neural circuit and maintain neural network homeostasis for neurological recovery. A dynamic balance between the synthesis and degradation of synaptic protein is required for maintaining synaptic plasticity. Protein degradation is facilitated by autophagy. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of synaptic structural plasticity by the Notch pathway, by assessing changes in Notch pathway activation and their effects on synaptic proteins and autophagy after HI injury. The study involved 48 male newborn Yorkshire piglets, each weighing 1.0-1.5 kg and 3 days old. They were randomly assigned to two groups: the HI group and the Notch pathway inhibitor + HI group (n = 24 per group). Each group was further divided into six subgroups according to HI duration (n = 4 per group): a control subgroup, and 0-6, 6-12, 12-24, 24-48, and 48-72 h subgroups. The expression of Notch pathway-related proteins, including Notch1, Hes1, and Notch intracellular domains, increased following HI injury. The expression of autophagy proteins increased at 0-6 h and 6-12 h post-HI. The expression of synaptic proteins, such as postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin, increased 6-12 h and 12-24 h after HI, respectively. Notably, the increased expression of these proteins was reversed by a Notch pathway inhibitor. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of autophagosome structures in synapses. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of neurological recovery after HI injury and may provide insights into potential therapeutic targets for promoting neural circuit reconstruction and maintaining neural network homeostasis.

Leukemia inhibitory factor, a double-edged sword with therapeutic implications in human diseases

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) superfamily. LIF was initially discovered as a factor to induce the differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells and thus inhibit their proliferation. Subsequent studies have highlighted the multi-functions of LIF under a wide variety of physiological and pathological conditions in a highly cell-, tissue-, and context-dependent manner. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that LIF plays an essential role in the stem cell niche, where it maintains the homeostasis and regeneration of multiple somatic tissues, including intestine, neuron, and muscle. Further, LIF exerts a crucial regulatory role in immunity and functions as a protective factor against many immunopathological diseases, such as infection, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and graft-verse-host disease (GVHD). It is worth noting that while LIF displays a tumor-suppressive function in leukemia, recent studies have highlighted the oncogenic role of LIF in many types of solid tumors, further demonstrating the complexities and context-dependent effects of LIF. In this review, we summarize the recent insights into the roles and mechanisms of LIF in stem cell homeostasis and regeneration, immunity, and cancer, and discuss the potential therapeutic options for human diseases by modulating LIF levels and functions.

Oligodendrocyte progenitor proliferation is disinhibited following traumatic brain injury in leukemia inhibitory factor heterozygous mice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant problem that affects over 800,000 children each year. As cell proliferation is disturbed by injury and required for normal brain development, we investigated how a pediatric closed head injury (CHI) would affect the progenitors of the subventricular zone (SVZ). Additionally, we evaluated the contribution of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) using germline LIF heterozygous mice (LIF Het), as LIF is an injury-induced cytokine, known to influence neurogenesis and gliogenesis. CHIs were performed on P20 LIF Het and wild-type (WT) mice. Ki-67 immunostaining and stereology revealed that cell proliferation increased ~250% in injured LIF Het mice compared to the 30% increase observed in injured WT mice at 48-hr post-CHI. OLIG2+ cell proliferation increased in the SVZ and white matter of LIF Het injured mice at 48-hr recovery. Using an 8-color flow cytometry panel, the proliferation of three distinct multipotential progenitors and early oligodendrocyte progenitor cell proliferation was significantly increased in LIF Het injured mice compared to WT injured mice. Supporting its cytostatic function, LIF decreased neurosphere progenitor and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell proliferation compared to controls. In highly enriched mouse oligodendrocyte progenitor cell cultures, LIF increased phospho-protein kinase B after 20 min and increased phospho-S6 ribosomal protein at 20 and 40 min of exposure, which are downstream targets of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. Altogether, our data provide new insights into the regulatory role of LIF in suppressing neural progenitor cell proliferation and, in particular, oligodendrocyte progenitor cell proliferation after a mild TBI.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Is Required for Subventricular Zone Astrocyte Progenitor Proliferation and for Prokineticin-2 Production after a Closed Head Injury in Mice

Astrogliosis is one of the hallmarks of brain injury, and after a mild injury activated astrocytes subserve neuroprotective and pro-regenerative functions. We previously found that the astroglial response to closed head injury (CHI) was blunted in mice that were haplodeficient in leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF); therefore, the goal of these studies was to determine if the delayed astrogliosis was due to decreased recruitment of subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors. CHI's were performed on post-natal day 20 on LIF heterozygous (Het) and wild-type (WT) mice. At 48 h post-CHI, astrocyte progenitor proliferation within the SVZ increased ∼250% in WT mice but was reduced by ∼200% in LIF Het mice compared with sham controls. Using neurospheres to model the SVZ, LIF increased the percentage of proliferating astrocyte progenitors by 2-fold compared with controls but had no effect on neural stem cell proliferation. To rule out the involvement of other cytokines, 105 cytokines were analyzed using a multi-plex array and with targeted validation on injured LIF Het versus WT neocortex. Of the cytokines analyzed, only prokineticin-2 (ProK2) required LIF signaling. Correspondingly, LIF-treated neurospheres expressed higher levels of ProK2, the ProK1 and ProK2 receptors (ProKR1 and ProKR2). Using in situ hybridization, ProK2 messenger RNA (mRNA) was most abundant in neocortical neurons and highly expressed within the SVZ. However, in contrast to LIF, ProK2 decreased astrocyte progenitor proliferation 2-fold. Altogether, these data demonstrate that LIF is necessary for astrocyte progenitor proliferation after injury and reveal a new role for LIF as an essential regulator of the neurotrophic factor ProK2.

The emerging role of leukemia inhibitory factor in cancer and therapy

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a multi-functional cytokine of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) superfamily. Initially identified as a factor that inhibits the proliferation of murine myeloid leukemia cells, LIF displays a wide variety of important functions in a cell-, tissue- and context-dependent manner in many physiological and pathological processes, including regulating cell proliferation, pluripotent stem cell self-renewal, tissue/organ development and regeneration, neurogenesis and neural regeneration, maternal reproduction, inflammation, infection, immune response, and metabolism. Emerging evidence has shown that LIF plays an important but complex role in human cancers; while LIF displays a tumor suppressive function in some types of cancers, including leukemia, LIF is overexpressed and exerts an oncogenic function in many more types of cancers. Further, targeting LIF has been actively investigated as a novel strategy for cancer therapy. This review summarizes the recent advances in the studies on LIF in human cancers and its potential application in cancer therapy. A better understanding of the role of LIF in different types of cancers and its underlying mechanisms will help to develop more effective strategies for cancer therapy.

Fluorescence In Situ Imaging of Dendritic RNAs at Single-Molecule Resolution

RNA localization is an important step in gene regulation. Imaging RNAs in fixed and live cells provides contextual information about RNA distribution in the cells. Here, we provide detailed protocols for performing single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH). smFISH detects mRNA molecules at single-molecule resolution in fixed neuronal cells using ∼50 small oligonucleotide probes for each mRNA. The technique has been successfully applied to understand RNA localization and distribution in various biological systems, ranging from Drosophila to the mammalian nervous system. The probes are small enough to bind to structured RNAs or RNAs that are part of RNA-protein complexes, thereby accounting for ∼85% of the total RNA; this enables a level of sensitivity equivalent to that of quantitative real-time PCR, but with anatomical resolution. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Methods for spatial and temporal imaging of the different steps involved in RNA processing at single-molecule resolution

RNA plays a quintessential role as a messenger of information from genotype (DNA) to phenotype (proteins), as well as acts as a regulatory molecule (noncoding RNAs). All steps in the journey of RNA from synthesis (transcription), splicing, transport, localization, translation, to its eventual degradation, comprise important steps in gene expression, thereby controlling the fate of the cell. This lifecycle refers to the majority of RNAs (primarily mRNAs), but not other RNAs such as tRNAs. Imaging these processes in fixed cells and in live cells has been an important tool in developing an understanding of the regulatory steps in RNAs journey. Single-cell and single-molecule imaging techniques enable a much deeper understanding of cellular biology, which is not possible with bulk studies involving RNA isolated from a large pool of cells. Classic techniques, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), as well as more recent aptamer-based approaches, have provided detailed insights into RNA localization, and have helped to predict the functions carried out by many RNA species. However, there are still certain processing steps that await high-resolution imaging, which is an exciting and upcoming area of research. In this review, we will discuss the methods that have revolutionized single-molecule resolution imaging in general, the steps of RNA processing in which these methods have been used, and new emerging technologies. This article is categorized under: RNA Export and Localization > RNA Localization RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Small Molecule-RNA Interactions.

Neuroregenerative and protective functions of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor in perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy remains the most important neurological problem of the newborn. Delays in diagnosing perinatal brain injuries are common, preventing access to acute therapies. Therefore, there is a critical need for therapeutic strategies that are beneficial when delivered beyond 24 h after birth. Here we show that Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) functions as an essential injury-induced neurotrophic cytokine in the CNS and that non-invasively administering LIF as late as 3 days after a hypoxic-ischemic insult improves neurological function. Using a mouse model of late preterm brain injury we show that astroglial and microglial/macrophage reactivity to hypoxia-ischemia was diminished at 3 days of recovery, but then exacerbated at 2 weeks of recovery in LIF haplodeficient mice. There also were significantly more CD68+/Iba-1+ cells in the ipsilateral striatum in LIF-Het mice compared to WT mice at 2 weeks of recovery. This desynchronized glial response was accompanied by increased neuronal cell death in the striatum and neocortex (Fluorojade C), hypomyelination (reduced MBP staining and thinner external capsule), increased extent of brain damage (Nissl) and diminished neurological function on sensorimotor tests. To our surprise, injured LIF-Het mice had ~7-fold higher IGF-1 levels than injured WT mice at 3 days after HI injury. Intranasally administered LIF activated the Jak-Stat-3 pathway both within the subventricular zone and the neocortex at 30 min after administration. When delivered with a delay of 3 days after the insult, intranasal LIF reduced the extent of brain injury by ~60%, attenuated astrogliosis and microgliosis in striatum, improved subcortical white matter thickness, increased numbers of Olig2+ cells in corpus callosum and improved performance on sensorimotor tests at 2 weeks of recovery. These studies provide key pre-clinical data recommending LIF administration as a neuroprotectant and regenerative cytokine and they highlight the feasibility of pursuing new therapeutics targeting the tertiary phase of neurodegeneration for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathies.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate but not Fingolimod protects neurons against excitotoxic cell death by inducing neurotrophic gene expression in astrocytes

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is an essential lipid metabolite that signals through a family of five G protein-coupled receptors, S1PR1-S1PR5, to regulate cell physiology. The multiple sclerosis drug Fingolimod (FTY720) is a potent S1P receptor agonist that causes peripheral lymphopenia. Recent research has demonstrated direct neuroprotective properties of FTY720 in several neurodegenerative paradigms; however, neuroprotective properties of the native ligand S1P have not been established. We aimed to establish the significance of neurotrophic factor up-regulation by S1P for neuroprotection, comparing S1P with FTY720. S1P induced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB), and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HBEGF) gene expression in primary human and murine astrocytes, but not in neurons, and to a much greater extent than FTY720. Accordingly, S1P but not FTY720 protected cultured neurons against excitotoxic cell death in a primary murine neuron-glia coculture model, and a neutralizing antibody to LIF blocked this S1P-mediated neuroprotection. Antagonists of S1PR1 and S1PR2 both inhibited S1P-mediated neurotrophic gene induction in human astrocytes, indicating that simultaneous activation of both receptors is required. S1PR2 signaling was transduced through Gα₁₃ and the small GTPase Rho, and was necessary for the up-regulation and activation of the transcription factors FOS and JUN, which regulate LIF, BDNF, and HBEGF transcription. In summary, we show that S1P protects hippocampal neurons against excitotoxic cell death through up-regulation of neurotrophic gene expression, particularly LIF, in astrocytes. This up-regulation requires both S1PR1 and S1PR2 signaling. FTY720 does not activate S1PR2, explaining its relative inefficacy compared to S1P.

Neural stem cell therapies and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the adult as well as in the neonate. Extensive pre-clinical studies have shown promising therapeutic effects of neural stem cell-based treatments for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. There are two major strategies of neural stem cell-based therapies: transplanting exogenous neural stem cells and boosting self-repair of endogenous neural stem cells. Neural stem cell transplantation has been proved to improve functional recovery after brain injury through multiple by-stander mechanisms (e.g., neuroprotection, immunomodulation), rather than simple cell-replacement. Endogenous neural stem cells reside in certain neurogenic niches of the brain and response to brain injury. Many molecules (e.g., neurotrophic factors) can stimulate or enhance proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells after injury. In this review, we first present an overview of neural stem cells during normal brain development and the effect of hypoxic-ischemic injury on the activation and function of endogenous neural stem cells in the brain. We then summarize and discuss the current knowledge of strategies and mechanisms for neural stem cell-based therapies on brain hypoxic-ischemic injury, including neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and adult ischemic stroke.

Pediatric brain repair from endogenous neural stem cells of the subventricular zone

There is great interest in the regenerative potential of the neural stem cells and progenitors that populate the germinal zones of the immature brain. Studies using animal models of pediatric brain injuries have provided a clearer understanding of the responses of these progenitors to injury. In this review, we have compared and contrasted the responses of the endogenous neural stem cells and progenitors of the subventricular zone in animal models of neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia, neonatal stroke, congenital cardiac disease, and pediatric traumatic brain injury. We have reviewed the dynamic shifts that occur within this germinal zone with injury as well as changes in known signaling molecules that affect these progenitors. Importantly, we have summarized data on the extent to which cell replacement occurs in response to each of these injuries, opportunities available, and obstacles that will need to be overcome to improve neurological outcomes in survivors.

Application of bio-orthogonal proteome labeling to cell transplantation and heterochronic parabiosis

Studies of heterochronic parabiosis demonstrated that with age, the composition of the circulatory milieu changes in ways that broadly inhibit tissue regenerative capacity. In addition, local tissue niches have age-specific influences on their resident stem cells. Here we use bio-orthogonal proteome labeling for detecting in vivo proteins present only in transplanted myoblasts, but not in host tissue, and proteins exclusive to one young mouse and transferred during parabiosis to its old partner. We use a transgenic mouse strain that ubiquitously expresses a modified tRNA methionine synthase, metRS, which preferentially incorporates the methionine surrogate azido-nor-leucine (ANL) into newly generated proteins. Using click chemistry and a modified antibody array to detect ANL-labeled proteins, we identify several ‘young’ systemic factors in old regenerating muscle of the heterochronic parabiotic partners. Our approach enables the selective profiling of mammalian proteomes in mixed biological environments such as cell and tissue transplantation, apheresis or parabiosis.

Clarifying the source of proteins in mixed biological environments, such as after transplantation or parabiosis, remains a challenge. Here, the authors address this need with a mouse strain that incorporates a methionine derivate into proteins, allowing for their detection using click chemistry and antibody arrays.

The role of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor in neuroprotective signaling

Several neurotropic cytokines relay their signaling through the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor. This 190kDa subunit couples with the 130kDa gp130 subunit to transduce intracellular signaling in neurons and oligodendrocytes that leads to expression of genes associated with neurosurvival. Moreover, activation of this receptor alters the phenotype of immune cells to an anti-inflammatory one. Although cytokines that activate the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor have been studied in the context of neurodegenerative disease, therapeutic targeting of the specific receptor subunit has been understudied in by comparison. This review examines the role of this receptor in the CNS and immune system, and its application in the treatment in stroke and other brain pathologies.

Home sweet home: the neural stem cell niche throughout development and after injury

Neural stem cells and their progeny reside in two distinct neurogenic niches within the mammalian brain: the subventricular zone and the dentate gyrus. The interplay between the neural stem cells and the niche in which they reside can have significant effects on cell kinetics and neurogenesis. A comprehensive understanding of the changes to the niche that occur through postnatal development and aging, as well as following injury, is relevant for developing therapeutics and interventions to promote neural repair. We discuss changes that occur within the neural stem and progenitor cell populations, the vasculature, extracellular matrix, microglia, and secreted proteins through aging which impact cell behavior within the neurogenic niches. We examine neural precursor cell and niche responses to injury in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, juvenile cranial irradiation, and adult stroke. This review examines the interplay between the niche and stem cell behavior through aging and following injury as a means to understand intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate neurogenesis in vivo.

Effect of Neuroinflammation on Synaptic Organization and Function in the Developing Brain: Implications for Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders

The brain is a plastic organ where both the intrinsic CNS milieu and extrinsic cues play important roles in shaping and wiring neural connections. The perinatal period constitutes a critical time in central nervous system development with extensive refinement of neural connections, which are highly sensitive to fetal and neonatal compromise, such as inflammatory challenges. Emerging evidence suggests that inflammatory cells in the brain such as microglia and astrocytes are pivotal in regulating synaptic structure and function. In this article, we will review the role of glia cells in synaptic physiology and pathophysiology, including microglia-mediated elimination of synapses. We propose that activation of the immune system dynamically affects synaptic organization and function in the developing brain. We will discuss the role of neuroinflammation in altered synaptic plasticity following perinatal inflammatory challenges and potential implications for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.