Roles of Planar Cell Polarity Signaling in Maturation of Neuronal Precursor Cells in the Postnatal Mouse Olfactory Bulb

Erratic and blood vessel-guided migration of astrocyte progenitors in the cerebral cortex

Astrocytes are one of the most abundant cell types in the mammalian brain. They play essential roles in synapse formation, maturation, and elimination. However, how astrocytes migrate into the gray matter to accomplish these processes is poorly understood. Here, we show that, by combinational analyses of in vitro and in vivo time-lapse observations and lineage traces, astrocyte progenitors move rapidly and irregularly within the developing cortex, which we call erratic migration. Astrocyte progenitors also adopt blood vessel-guided migration. These highly motile progenitors are generated in the restricted prenatal stages and differentiate into protoplasmic astrocytes in the gray matter, whereas postnatally generated progenitors do not move extensively and differentiate into fibrous astrocytes in the white matter. We found Cxcr4/7, and integrin β1 regulate the blood vessel-guided migration, and their functional blocking disrupts their positioning. This study provides insight into astrocyte development and may contribute to understanding the pathogenesis caused by their defects.

Vangl2, a Core Component of the WNT/PCP Pathway, Regulates Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Age-Related Decline in Cognitive Flexibility

Decline in episodic memory is one of the hallmarks of aging and represents one of the most important health problems facing Western societies. A key structure in episodic memory is the hippocampal formation and the dentate gyrus in particular, as the continuous production of new dentate granule neurons in this brain region was found to play a crucial role in memory and age-related decline in memory. As such, understanding the molecular processes that regulate the relationship between adult neurogenesis and aging of memory function holds great therapeutic potential. Recently, we found that Vang-Gogh like 2 (Vangl2), a core component of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) signaling pathway, is enriched in the dentate gyrus of adult mice. In this context, we sought to evaluate the involvement of this member of the Wnt/PCP pathway in both adult neurogenesis and memory abilities in adult and middle-aged mice. Using a heterozygous mouse model carrying a dominant-negative mutation in the Vangl2 gene, called Looptail (Vangl2Lp), we show that alteration in Vangl2 expression decreases the survival of adult-born granule cells and advances the onset of a decrease in cognitive flexibility. The inability of mutant mice to erase old irrelevant information to the benefit of new relevant ones highlights a key role of Vangl2 in interference-based forgetting. Taken together, our findings show that Vangl2 activity may constitute an interesting target to prevent age-related decline in hippocampal plasticity and memory.

Heterogeneous distribution of doublecortin-expressing cells surrounding the rostral migratory stream in the juvenile mouse

In the postnatal mammalian brain, neural stem cells of the ventricular-subventricular zone continue to generate doublecortin (Dcx)-expressing immature neurons. Throughout life, these immature neurons migrate to the olfactory bulb through the rostral migratory stream (RMS). In this study, we investigated the distribution of these putative immature neurons using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression in the area surrounding the RMS of the juvenile Dcx-EGFP mice. Through the combined use of an optical clearing reagent (a 2,2'-thiodiethanol solution) and two-photon microscopy, we visualized three-dimensionally the EGFP-positive cells in the entire RMS and its surroundings. The resulting wide-field and high-definition images along with computational image processing methods developed in this study were used to comprehensively determine the position of the EGFP-positive cells. Our findings revealed that the EGFP-positive cells were heterogeneously distributed in the area surrounding the RMS. In addition, the orientation patterns of the leading process of these cells, which displayed the morphology of migrating immature neurons, differed depending on their location. These novel results provide highly precise morphological information for immature neurons and suggest that a portion of immature neurons may be detached from the RMS and migrate in various directions.

Molecular Mechanisms Regulating the Dendritic Development of Newborn Olfactory Bulb Interneurons in a Sensory Experience-Dependent Manner

Inhibitory interneurons in the olfactory bulb are generated continuously throughout life in the subventricular zone and differentiate into periglomerular and granule cells. Neural circuits that undergo reorganization by newborn olfactory bulb interneurons are necessary for odor detection, odor discrimination, olfactory memory, and innate olfactory responses. Although sensory experience has been shown to regulate development in a variety of species and in various structures, including the retina, cortex, and hippocampus, little is known about how sensory experience regulates the dendritic development of newborn olfactory bulb interneurons. Recent studies revealed that the 5T4 oncofetal trophoblast glycoprotein and the neuronal Per/Arnt/Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) transcription factor regulate dendritic branching and dendritic spine formation, respectively, in olfactory bulb interneurons. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms that underlie the sensory input-dependent development of newborn interneurons and the formation of functional neural circuitry in the olfactory bulb.

Roles of Wnt Signaling in the Neurogenic Niche of the Adult Mouse Ventricular-Subventricular Zone

In many animal species, the production of new neurons (neurogenesis) occurs throughout life, in a specialized germinal region called the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). In this region, neural stem cells undergo self-renewal and generate neural progenitor cells and new neurons. In the olfactory system, the new neurons migrate rostrally toward the olfactory bulb, where they differentiate into mature interneurons. V-SVZ-derived new neurons can also migrate toward sites of brain injury, where they contribute to neural regeneration. Recent studies indicate that two major branches of the Wnt signaling pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin and Wnt/planar cell polarity pathways, play essential roles in various facets of adult neurogenesis. Here, we review the Wnt signaling-mediated regulation of adult neurogenesis in the V-SVZ under physiological and pathological conditions.

The serine protease inhibitor SerpinA3N attenuates neuropathic pain by inhibiting T cell-derived leukocyte elastase

Neuropathic pain is a major, intractable clinical problem and its pathophysiology is not well understood. Although recent gene expression profiling studies have enabled the identification of novel targets for pain therapy, classical study designs provide unclear results owing to the differential expression of hundreds of genes across sham and nerve-injured groups, which can be difficult to validate, particularly with respect to the specificity of pain modulation. To circumvent this, we used two outbred lines of rats, which are genetically similar except for being genetically segregated as a result of selective breeding for differences in neuropathic pain hypersensitivity. SerpinA3N, a serine protease inhibitor, was upregulated in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after nerve injury, which was further validated for its mouse homolog. Mice lacking SerpinA3N developed more neuropathic mechanical allodynia than wild-type (WT) mice, and exogenous delivery of SerpinA3N attenuated mechanical allodynia in WT mice. T lymphocytes infiltrate the DRG after nerve injury and release leukocyte elastase (LE), which was inhibited by SerpinA3N derived from DRG neurons. Genetic loss of LE or exogenous application of a LE inhibitor (Sivelastat) in WT mice attenuated neuropathic mechanical allodynia. Overall, we reveal a novel and clinically relevant role for a member of the serpin superfamily and a leukocyte elastase and crosstalk between neurons and T cells in the modulation of neuropathic pain.

Subventricular zone progenitors in time and space: generating neuronal diversity

The adult mammalian brain harbors a population of cells around their lateral ventricles capable of giving rise to new neurons throughout life. The so-called subventricular zone (SVZ) is a heterogeneous germinative niche in regard to the neuronal types it generates. SVZ progenitors give rise to different olfactory bulb (OB) interneuron types in accordance to their position along the ventricles. Here, I review data showing the difference between progenitors located along different parts of the SVZ axes and ages. I also discuss possible mechanisms for the origin of this diversity.

Atmin mediates kidney morphogenesis by modulating Wnt signaling

The DNA damage protein and transcription factor Atmin (Asciz) is required for both lung tubulogenesis and ciliogenesis. Like the lungs, kidneys contain a tubular network that is critical for their function and in addition, renal ciliary dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic kidney disease. Using the Atmin mouse mutant Gasping6 (Gpg6), we investigated kidney development and found it severely disrupted with reduced branching morphogenesis, resulting in fewer epithelial structures being formed. Unexpectedly, transcriptional levels of key cilia associated genes were not altered in Atmin^Gpg6/Gpg6 kidneys. Instead, Gpg6 homozygous kidneys exhibited altered cytoskeletal organization and modulation of Wnt signaling pathway molecules, including β-catenin and non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway factors, such as Daam2 and Vangl2. Wnt signaling is important for kidney development and perturbation of Wnt signaling pathways can result in cystic, and other, renal abnormalities. In common with other PCP pathway mutants, Atmin^Gpg6/Gpg6 mice displayed a shortened rostral-caudal axis and mis-oriented cell division. Moreover, intercrosses between Atmin^Gpg6/+ and Vangl2^Lp/+ mice revealed a genetic interaction between Atmin and Vangl2. Thus we show for the first time that Atmin is critical for normal kidney development and we present evidence that mechanistically, Atmin modifies Wnt signaling pathways, specifically placing it as a novel effector molecule in the non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway. The identification of a novel modulator of Wnt signaling has important implications for understanding the pathobiology of renal disease.