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Masters H, Wang S, Tu C, Nguyen Q, Sha Y, Karikomi MK, Fung PSR, Tran B, Martel C, Kwang N, Neel M, Jaime OG, Espericueta V, Johnson BA, Kessenbrock K, Nie Q, Monuki ES. Sequential emergence and contraction of epithelial subtypes in the prenatal human choroid plexus revealed by a stem cell model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598747. [PMID: 38948782 PMCID: PMC11212933 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Despite the major roles of choroid plexus epithelial cells (CPECs) in brain homeostasis and repair, their developmental lineage and diversity remain undefined. In simplified differentiations from human pluripotent stem cells, derived CPECs (dCPECs) displayed canonical properties and dynamic multiciliated phenotypes that interacted with Aβ uptake. Single dCPEC transcriptomes over time correlated well with human organoid and fetal CPECs, while pseudotemporal and cell cycle analyses highlighted the direct CPEC origin from neuroepithelial cells. In addition, time series analyses defined metabolic (type 1) and ciliogenic dCPECs (type 2) at early timepoints, followed by type 1 diversification into anabolic-secretory (type 1a) and catabolic-absorptive subtypes (type 1b) as type 2 cells contracted. These temporal patterns were then confirmed in independent derivations and mapped to prenatal stages using human tissues. In addition to defining the prenatal lineage of human CPECs, these findings suggest new dynamic models of ChP support for the developing human brain.
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Teague S, Primavera G, Chen B, Liu ZY, Yao L, Freeburne E, Khan H, Jo K, Johnson C, Heemskerk I. Time-integrated BMP signaling determines fate in a stem cell model for early human development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1471. [PMID: 38368368 PMCID: PMC10874454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45719-9] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
How paracrine signals are interpreted to yield multiple cell fate decisions in a dynamic context during human development in vivo and in vitro remains poorly understood. Here we report an automated tracking method to follow signaling histories linked to cell fate in large numbers of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Using an unbiased statistical approach, we discover that measured BMP signaling history correlates strongly with fate in individual cells. We find that BMP response in hPSCs varies more strongly in the duration of signaling than the level. However, both the level and duration of signaling activity control cell fate choices only by changing the time integral. Therefore, signaling duration and level are interchangeable in this context. In a stem cell model for patterning of the human embryo, we show that signaling histories predict the fate pattern and that the integral model correctly predicts changes in cell fate domains when signaling is perturbed. Our data suggest that mechanistically, BMP signaling is integrated by SOX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gillian Primavera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bohan Chen
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zong-Yuan Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - LiAng Yao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily Freeburne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hina Khan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kyoung Jo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Craig Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Paudel S, Yue M, Nalamalapu R, Saha MS. Deciphering the Calcium Code: A Review of Calcium Activity Analysis Methods Employed to Identify Meaningful Activity in Early Neural Development. Biomolecules 2024; 14:138. [PMID: 38275767 PMCID: PMC10813340 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010138] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The intracellular and intercellular flux of calcium ions represents an ancient and universal mode of signaling that regulates an extensive array of cellular processes. Evidence for the central role of calcium signaling includes various techniques that allow the visualization of calcium activity in living cells. While extensively investigated in mature cells, calcium activity is equally important in developing cells, particularly the embryonic nervous system where it has been implicated in a wide variety array of determinative events. However, unlike in mature cells, where the calcium dynamics display regular, predictable patterns, calcium activity in developing systems is far more sporadic, irregular, and diverse. This renders the ability to assess calcium activity in a consistent manner extremely challenging, challenges reflected in the diversity of methods employed to analyze calcium activity in neural development. Here we review the wide array of calcium detection and analysis methods used across studies, limiting the extent to which they can be comparatively analyzed. The goal is to provide investigators not only with an overview of calcium activity analysis techniques currently available, but also to offer suggestions for future work and standardization to enable informative comparative evaluations of this fundamental and important process in neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudip Paudel
- Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.P.); (M.Y.)
| | - Michelle Yue
- Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.P.); (M.Y.)
| | - Rithvik Nalamalapu
- School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
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Wells KV, Krackeler ML, Jathal MK, Parikh M, Ghosh PM, Leach JK, Genetos DC. Prostate cancer and bone: clinical presentation and molecular mechanisms. Endocr Relat Cancer 2023; 30:e220360. [PMID: 37226936 PMCID: PMC10696925 DOI: 10.1530/erc-22-0360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is an increasingly prevalent health problem in the developed world. Effective treatment options exist for localized PCa, but metastatic PCa has fewer treatment options and shorter patient survival. PCa and bone health are strongly entwined, as PCa commonly metastasizes to the skeleton. Since androgen receptor signaling drives PCa growth, androgen-deprivation therapy whose sequelae reduce bone strength constitutes the foundation of advanced PCa treatment. The homeostatic process of bone remodeling - produced by concerted actions of bone-building osteoblasts, bone-resorbing osteoclasts, and regulatory osteocytes - may also be subverted by PCa to promote metastatic growth. Mechanisms driving skeletal development and homeostasis, such as regional hypoxia or matrix-embedded growth factors, may be subjugated by bone metastatic PCa. In this way, the biology that sustains bone is integrated into adaptive mechanisms for the growth and survival of PCa in bone. Skeletally metastatic PCa is difficult to investigate due to the entwined nature of bone biology and cancer biology. Herein, we survey PCa from origin, presentation, and clinical treatment to bone composition and structure and molecular mediators of PCa metastasis to bone. Our intent is to quickly yet effectively reduce barriers to team science across multiple disciplines that focuses on PCa and metastatic bone disease. We also introduce concepts of tissue engineering as a novel perspective to model, capture, and study complex cancer-microenvironment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina V Wells
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Margaret L Krackeler
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Maitreyee K Jathal
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Veterans Affairs-Northern California Health System, Mather, California, USA
| | - Mamta Parikh
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Paramita M Ghosh
- Veterans Affairs-Northern California Health System, Mather, California, USA
- Department of Urologic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - J Kent Leach
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Damian C Genetos
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
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Teague S, Primavera G, Chen B, Freeburne E, Khan H, Jo K, Johnson C, Heemskerk I. The time integral of BMP signaling determines fate in a stem cell model for early human development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.10.536068. [PMID: 37090515 PMCID: PMC10120633 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.10.536068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
How paracrine signals are interpreted to yield multiple cell fate decisions in a dynamic context during human development in vivo and in vitro remains poorly understood. Here we report an automated tracking method to follow signaling histories linked to cell fate in large numbers of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Using an unbiased statistical approach, we discovered that measured BMP signaling history correlates strongly with fate in individual cells. We found that BMP response in hPSCs varies more strongly in the duration of signaling than the level. However, we discovered that both the level and duration of signaling activity control cell fate choices only by changing the time integral of signaling and that duration and level are therefore interchangeable in this context. In a stem cell model for patterning of the human embryo, we showed that signaling histories predict the fate pattern and that the integral model correctly predicts changes in cell fate domains when signaling is perturbed. Using an RNA-seq screen we then found that mechanistically, BMP signaling is integrated by SOX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Teague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gillian Primavera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Bohan Chen
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Emily Freeburne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hina Khan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kyoung Jo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Craig Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Yamamoto T, Kambayashi Y, Tsukano K, Michiue T. Ndst1, a heparan sulfate modification enzyme, regulates neuroectodermal patterning by enhancing Wnt signaling in Xenopus. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:153-160. [PMID: 36726238 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12843] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Neural tissue is derived from three precursor regions: neural plate, neural crest, and preplacodal ectoderm. These regions are determined by morphogen-mediated signaling. Morphogen distribution is generally regulated by binding to an extracellular matrix component, heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan. HS is modified by many enzymes, such as N-deacetyl sulfotransferase 1 (Ndst1), which is highly expressed in early development. However, functions of HS modifications in ectodermal patterning are largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the role of Ndst1 using Xenopus embryos. We found that ndst1 was expressed in anterior neural plate and the trigeminal region at the neurula stage. ndst1 overexpression expanded the neural crest (NC) region, whereas translational inhibition reduced not only the trigeminal region, but also the adjacent NC region, especially the anterior part. At a later stage, ndst1 knocked-down embryos showed defects in cranial ganglion formation. We also found that Ndst1 activates Wnt signaling pathway at the neurula stage. Taken together, our results suggest that N-sulfonated HS accumulates Wnt ligand and activates Wnt signaling in ndst1-expressing cells, but that it inhibits signaling in non-ndst1-expressing cells, leading to proper neuroectodermal patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayoshi Yamamoto
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Kambayashi
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Tsukano
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Michiue
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Gupta S, Polit LD, Fitzgerald M, Rowland HA, Murali D, Buckley NJ, Subramaniam S. Temporal transcriptional control of neural induction in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1139287. [PMID: 37213689 PMCID: PMC10195998 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1139287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neural induction of human induced pluripotent stem cells represents a critical switch in cell state during which pluripotency is lost and commitment to a neural lineage is initiated. Although many of the key transcription factors involved in neural induction are known, we know little of the temporal and causal relationships that are required for this state transition. Methods Here, we have carried out a longitudinal analysis of the transcriptome of human iPSCs undergoing neural induction. Using the temporal relationships between the changing profile of key transcription factors and subsequent changes in their target gene expression profiles, we have identified distinct functional modules operative throughout neural induction. Results In addition to modules that govern loss of pluripotency and gain of neural ectoderm identity, we discover other modules governing cell cycle and metabolism. Strikingly, some of these functional modules are retained throughout neural induction, even though the gene membership of the module changes. Systems analysis identifies other modules associated with cell fate commitment, genome integrity, stress response and lineage specification. We then focussed on OTX2, one of the most precociously activated transcription factors during neural induction. Our temporal analysis of OTX2 target gene expression identified several OTX2 regulated gene modules representing protein remodelling, RNA splicing and RNA processing. Further CRISPRi inhibition of OTX2 prior to neural induction promotes an accelerated loss of pluripotency and a precocious and aberrant neural induction disrupting some of the previously identified modules. Discussion We infer that OTX2 has a diverse role during neural induction and regulates many of the biological processes that are required for loss of pluripotency and gain of neural identity. This dynamical analysis of transcriptional changes provides a unique perspective of the widespread remodelling of the cell machinery that occurs during neural induction of human iPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakti Gupta
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Fitzgerald
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Helen A. Rowland
- Department of Psychiatry and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Divya Murali
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Noel J. Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Noel J. Buckley, ; Shankar Subramaniam,
| | - Shankar Subramaniam
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Noel J. Buckley, ; Shankar Subramaniam,
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Sears KE, Gullapalli K, Trivedi D, Mihas A, Bukys MA, Jensen J. Controlling neural territory patterning from pluripotency using a systems developmental biology approach. iScience 2022; 25:104133. [PMID: 35434550 PMCID: PMC9010746 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful manufacture of specialized human cells requires process understanding of directed differentiation. Here, we apply high-dimensional Design of Experiments (HD-DoE) methodology to identify critical process parameters (CPPs) that govern neural territory patterning from pluripotency—the first stage toward specification of central nervous system (CNS) cell fates. Using computerized experimental design, 7 developmental signaling pathways were simultaneously perturbed in human pluripotent stem cell culture. Regionally specific genes spanning the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes of the developing embryo were measured after 3 days and mathematical models describing pathway control were developed using regression analysis. High-dimensional models revealed particular combinations of signaling inputs that induce expression profiles consistent with emerging CNS territories and defined CPPs for anterior and posterior neuroectoderm patterning. The results demonstrate the importance of combinatorial control during neural induction and challenge the use of generic neural induction strategies such as dual-SMAD inhibition, when seeking to specify particular lineages from pluripotency. Mathematical models describe pathway control of neuroectoderm marker expression Stage 1 media conditions optimized for regionally specific neuroectoderm in 3 days Optimized conditions are more consistent than dual-SMADi across hiPSC lines
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Leon A, Subirana L, Magre K, Cases I, Tena JJ, Irimia M, Gomez-Skarmeta JL, Escriva H, Bertrand S. Gene regulatory networks of epidermal and neural fate choice in a chordate. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6547258. [PMID: 35276009 PMCID: PMC9004418 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons are a highly specialized cell type only found in metazoans. They can be scattered throughout the body or grouped together, forming ganglia or nerve cords. During embryogenesis, centralized nervous systems develop from the ectoderm, which also forms the epidermis. How pluripotent ectodermal cells are directed toward neural or epidermal fates, and to which extent this process is shared among different animal lineages, are still open questions. Here, by using micromere explants, we were able to define in silico the putative gene regulatory networks (GRNs) underlying the first steps of the epidermis and the central nervous system formation in the cephalochordate amphioxus. We propose that although the signal triggering neural induction in amphioxus (i.e., Nodal) is different from vertebrates, the main transcription factors implicated in this process are conserved. Moreover, our data reveal that transcription factors of the neural program seem to not only activate neural genes but also to potentially have direct inputs into the epidermal GRN, suggesting that the Nodal signal might also contribute to neural fate commitment by repressing the epidermal program. Our functional data on whole embryos support this result and highlight the complex interactions among the transcription factors activated by the signaling pathways that drive ectodermal cell fate choice in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Leon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Lucie Subirana
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Kevin Magre
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Ildefonso Cases
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan J Tena
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Gomez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hector Escriva
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Stéphanie Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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Moreira S, Espina JA, Saraiva JE, Barriga EH. A Toolbox to Study Tissue Mechanics In Vivo and Ex Vivo. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2438:495-515. [PMID: 35147960 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2035-9_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
During vertebrate embryogenesis, tissues interact and influence each other's development to shape an embryo. While communication by molecular components has been extensively explored, the role of mechanical interaction between tissues during embryogenesis is just starting to be revealed. Addressing mechanical involvement in morphogenesis has traditionally been challenging mainly due to the lack of proper tools to measure and modify mechanical environments of cells in vivo. We have recently used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to show that the migration of the Xenopus laevis cephalic neural crest cells is triggered by stiffening of the mesoderm, a tissue that neural crest cells use as a migratory substrate in vivo. Interestingly we showed that the activity of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is required to mediate this novel mechanical interaction between two tissues. In this chapter, we share the toolbox that we developed to study the role of PCP signaling in mesoderm cell accumulation and stiffening (in vivo) as well as the impact of mesoderm stiffness in promoting neural crest cell polarity and migration (ex vivo). We believe that these tools can be of general use for investigators interested in addressing the role of mechanical inputs in vivo and ex vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Moreira
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Jaime A Espina
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Joana E Saraiva
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Elias H Barriga
- Mechanisms of Morphogenesis Lab, Gulbenkian Institute of Science (IGC), Oeiras, Portugal.
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11
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Jones WD, Mullins MC. Cell signaling pathways controlling an axis organizing center in the zebrafish. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:149-209. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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12
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Bou-Rouphael J, Durand BC. T-Cell Factors as Transcriptional Inhibitors: Activities and Regulations in Vertebrate Head Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:784998. [PMID: 34901027 PMCID: PMC8651982 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.784998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its first discovery in the late 90s, Wnt canonical signaling has been demonstrated to affect a large variety of neural developmental processes, including, but not limited to, embryonic axis formation, neural proliferation, fate determination, and maintenance of neural stem cells. For decades, studies have focused on the mechanisms controlling the activity of β-catenin, the sole mediator of Wnt transcriptional response. More recently, the spotlight of research is directed towards the last cascade component, the T-cell factor (TCF)/Lymphoid-Enhancer binding Factor (LEF), and more specifically, the TCF/LEF-mediated switch from transcriptional activation to repression, which in both embryonic blastomeres and mouse embryonic stem cells pushes the balance from pluri/multipotency towards differentiation. It has been long known that Groucho/Transducin-Like Enhancer of split (Gro/TLE) is the main co-repressor partner of TCF/LEF. More recently, other TCF/LEF-interacting partners have been identified, including the pro-neural BarH-Like 2 (BARHL2), which belongs to the evolutionary highly conserved family of homeodomain-containing transcription factors. This review describes the activities and regulatory modes of TCF/LEF as transcriptional repressors, with a specific focus on the functions of Barhl2 in vertebrate brain development. Specific attention is given to the transcriptional events leading to formation of the Organizer, as well as the roles and regulations of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in growth of the caudal forebrain. We present TCF/LEF activities in both embryonic and neural stem cells and discuss how alterations of this pathway could lead to tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Béatrice C. Durand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7622, IBPS Developmental Biology Laboratory, Campus Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
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13
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Self-organization of human dorsal-ventral forebrain structures by light induced SHH. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6768. [PMID: 34799555 PMCID: PMC8604999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26881-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Organizing centers secrete morphogens that specify the emergence of germ layers and the establishment of the body's axes during embryogenesis. While traditional experimental embryology tools have been instrumental in dissecting the molecular aspects of organizers in model systems, they are impractical in human in-vitro model systems to dissect the relationships between signaling and fate along embryonic coordinates. To systematically study human embryonic organizer centers, we devised a collection of optogenetic ePiggyBac vectors to express a photoactivatable Cre-loxP recombinase, that allows the systematic induction of organizer structures by shining blue-light on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We used a light stimulus to geometrically confine SHH expression in neuralizing hESCs. This led to the self-organization of mediolateral neural patterns. scRNA-seq analysis established that these structures represent the dorsal-ventral forebrain, at the end of the first month of development. Here, we show that morphogen light-stimulation is a scalable tool that induces self-organizing centers.
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14
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Fralish Z, Lotz EM, Chavez T, Khodabukus A, Bursac N. Neuromuscular Development and Disease: Learning From in vitro and in vivo Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:764732. [PMID: 34778273 PMCID: PMC8579029 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.764732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a specialized cholinergic synaptic interface between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fiber that translates presynaptic electrical impulses into motor function. NMJ formation and maintenance require tightly regulated signaling and cellular communication among motor neurons, myogenic cells, and Schwann cells. Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) can result in loss of NMJ function and motor input leading to paralysis or even death. Although small animal models have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the NMJ structure and function, the complexities of studying this multi-tissue system in vivo and poor clinical outcomes of candidate therapies developed in small animal models has driven the need for in vitro models of functional human NMJ to complement animal studies. In this review, we discuss prevailing models of NMDs and highlight the current progress and ongoing challenges in developing human iPSC-derived (hiPSC) 3D cell culture models of functional NMJs. We first review in vivo development of motor neurons, skeletal muscle, Schwann cells, and the NMJ alongside current methods for directing the differentiation of relevant cell types from hiPSCs. We further compare the efficacy of modeling NMDs in animals and human cell culture systems in the context of five NMDs: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, and Pompe disease. Finally, we discuss further work necessary for hiPSC-derived NMJ models to function as effective personalized NMD platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Fralish
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ethan M Lotz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Taylor Chavez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alastair Khodabukus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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Neural is Fundamental: Neural Stemness as the Ground State of Cell Tumorigenicity and Differentiation Potential. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 18:37-55. [PMID: 34714532 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-021-10275-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumorigenic cells are similar to neural stem cells or embryonic neural cells in regulatory networks, tumorigenicity and pluripotent differentiation potential. By integrating the evidence from developmental biology, tumor biology and evolution, I will make a detailed discussion on the observations and propose that neural stemness underlies two coupled cell properties, tumorigenicity and pluripotent differentiation potential. Neural stemness property of tumorigenic cells can hopefully integrate different observations/concepts underlying tumorigenesis. Neural stem cells and tumorigenic cells share regulatory networks; both exhibit neural stemness, tumorigenicity and pluripotent differentiation potential; both depend on expression or activation of ancestral genes; both rely primarily on aerobic glycolytic metabolism; both can differentiate into various cells/tissues that are derived from three germ layers, leading to tumor formation resembling severely disorganized or more degenerated process of embryonic tissue differentiation; both are enriched in long genes with more splice variants that provide more plastic scaffolds for cell differentiation, etc. Neural regulatory networks, which include higher levels of basic machineries of cell physiological functions and developmental programs, work concertedly to define a basic state with fast cell cycle and proliferation. This is predestined by the evolutionary advantage of neural state, the ground or initial state for multicellularity with adaptation to an ancient environment. Tumorigenesis might represent a process of restoration of neural ground state, thereby restoring a state with fast proliferation and pluripotent differentiation potential in somatic cells. Tumorigenesis and pluripotent differentiation potential might be better understood from understanding neural stemness, and cancer therapy should benefit more from targeting neural stemness.
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16
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Exner CRT, Willsey HR. Xenopus leads the way: Frogs as a pioneering model to understand the human brain. Genesis 2021; 59:e23405. [PMID: 33369095 PMCID: PMC8130472 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
From its long history in the field of embryology to its recent advances in genetics, Xenopus has been an indispensable model for understanding the human brain. Foundational studies that gave us our first insights into major embryonic patterning events serve as a crucial backdrop for newer avenues of investigation into organogenesis and organ function. The vast array of tools available in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis allows interrogation of developmental phenomena at all levels, from the molecular to the behavioral, and the application of CRISPR technology has enabled the investigation of human disorder risk genes in a higher-throughput manner. As the only major tetrapod model in which all developmental stages are easily manipulated and observed, frogs provide the unique opportunity to study organ development from the earliest stages. All of these features make Xenopus a premier model for studying the development of the brain, a notoriously complex process that demands an understanding of all stages from fertilization to organogenesis and beyond. Importantly, core processes of brain development are conserved between Xenopus and human, underlining the advantages of this model. This review begins by summarizing discoveries made in amphibians that form the cornerstones of vertebrate neurodevelopmental biology and goes on to discuss recent advances that have catapulted our understanding of brain development in Xenopus and in relation to human development and disease. As we engage in a new era of patient-driven gene discovery, Xenopus offers exceptional potential to uncover conserved biology underlying human brain disorders and move towards rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
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17
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Okado H. Nervous system regulated by POZ domain Krüppel-like zinc finger (POK) family transcription repressor RP58. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:813-826. [PMID: 32959890 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The POZ domain Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription repressor (POK family) contains many important molecules, including RP58, Bcl6 and PLZF. They function as transcription repressors via chromatin remodelling and histone deacetylation and are known to be involved in the development and tumourigenesis of various organs. Furthermore, they are important in the formation and function of the nervous system. This review summarizes the role of the POK family transcription repressors in the nervous system. We particularly targeted Rp58 (also known as Znf238, Znp238 and Zbtb18), a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor that is strongly expressed in developing glutamatergic projection neurons in the cerebral cortex. It regulates various physiological processes, including neuronal production, neuronal migration and neuronal maturation. Human studies suggest that reduced RP58 levels are involved in cognitive function impairment and brain tumour formation. This review particularly focuses on the mechanisms underlying RP58-mediated neuronal development and function. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Neurochemistry in Japan. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.4/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruo Okado
- Laboratory of Neural Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Weigele J, Bohnsack BL. Genetics Underlying the Interactions between Neural Crest Cells and Eye Development. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:jdb8040026. [PMID: 33182738 PMCID: PMC7712190 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest is a unique, transient stem cell population that is critical for craniofacial and ocular development. Understanding the genetics underlying the steps of neural crest development is essential for gaining insight into the pathogenesis of congenital eye diseases. The neural crest cells play an under-appreciated key role in patterning the neural epithelial-derived optic cup. These interactions between neural crest cells within the periocular mesenchyme and the optic cup, while not well-studied, are critical for optic cup morphogenesis and ocular fissure closure. As a result, microphthalmia and coloboma are common phenotypes in human disease and animal models in which neural crest cell specification and early migration are disrupted. In addition, neural crest cells directly contribute to numerous ocular structures including the cornea, iris, sclera, ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, and aqueous outflow tracts. Defects in later neural crest cell migration and differentiation cause a constellation of well-recognized ocular anterior segment anomalies such as Axenfeld–Rieger Syndrome and Peters Anomaly. This review will focus on the genetics of the neural crest cells within the context of how these complex processes specifically affect overall ocular development and can lead to congenital eye diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Weigele
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 645 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Brenda L. Bohnsack
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 645 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-312-227-6180; Fax: +1-312-227-9411
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19
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We review the ways in which stem cells are used in psychiatric disease research, including the related advances in gene editing and directed cell differentiation. RECENT FINDINGS The recent development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies has created new possibilities for the study of psychiatric disease. iPSCs can be derived from patients or controls and differentiated to an array of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. Their genomes can be edited as desired, and they can be assessed for a variety of phenotypes. This makes them especially interesting for studying genetic variation, which is particularly useful today now that our knowledge on the genetics of psychiatric disease is quickly expanding. The recent advances in cell engineering have led to powerful new methods for studying psychiatric illness including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. There is a wide array of possible applications as illustrated by the many examples from the literature, most of which are cited here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debamitra Das
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kyra Feuer
- Predoctoral Training Program in Human Genetics, Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marah Wahbeh
- Predoctoral Training Program in Human Genetics, Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dimitrios Avramopoulos
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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20
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Modeling of early neural development in vitro by direct neurosphere formation culture of chimpanzee induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Res 2020; 44:101749. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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21
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Luo X, van der Veer BK, Sun L, Bartoccetti M, Boretto M, Vankelecom H, Khoueiry R, Koh KP. Coordination of germ layer lineage choice by TET1 during primed pluripotency. Genes Dev 2020; 34:598-618. [PMID: 32115407 PMCID: PMC7111260 DOI: 10.1101/gad.329474.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Here, Luo et al. show how the DNA dioxygenase Tet1 plays a pivotal role upstream of germ layer lineage bifurcation. A permissive role for Tet1 in neural fate induction is identified, and involves Zic2-dependent engagement at neural target genes at lineage priming, is dependent on the signaling environment during gastrulation, and impacts neural tube closure after gastrulation. Gastrulation in the early postimplantation stage mammalian embryo begins when epiblast cells ingress to form the primitive streak or develop as the embryonic ectoderm. The DNA dioxygenase Tet1 is highly expressed in the epiblast and yet continues to regulate lineage specification during gastrulation when its expression is diminished. Here, we show how Tet1 plays a pivotal role upstream of germ layer lineage bifurcation. During the transition from naive pluripotency to lineage priming, a global reconfiguration redistributes Tet1 from Oct4-cobound promoters to distal regulatory elements at lineage differentiation genes, which are distinct from high-affinity sites engaged by Oct4. An altered chromatin landscape in Tet1-deficient primed epiblast-like cells is associated with enhanced Oct4 expression and binding to Nodal and Wnt target genes, resulting in collaborative signals that enhance mesendodermal and inhibit neuroectodermal gene expression during lineage segregation. A permissive role for Tet1 in neural fate induction involves Zic2-dependent engagement at neural target genes at lineage priming, is dependent on the signaling environment during gastrulation, and impacts neural tube closure after gastrulation. Our findings provide mechanistic information for epigenetic integration of pluripotency and signal-induced differentiation cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlong Luo
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bernard K van der Veer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lei Sun
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michela Bartoccetti
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matteo Boretto
- Laboratory of Tissue Plasticity in Health and Disease, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hugo Vankelecom
- Laboratory of Tissue Plasticity in Health and Disease, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rita Khoueiry
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kian Peng Koh
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental Epigenetics, Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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22
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Xue X, Wang RP, Fu J. Modeling of human neurulation using bioengineered pluripotent stem cell culture. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 13:127-133. [PMID: 32328535 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Leveraging the developmental potential and self-organizing property of human pluripotent stem (hPS) cells, researchers have developed tractable models of human embryonic development. Owing to their compatibility to live imaging, genome editing, mechanical perturbation and measurement, these models offer promising quantitative experimental platforms to advance human embryology and regenerative medicine. Herein, we provide a review of recent progress in using hPS cells to generate models of early human neural development or neurulation, including neural induction and regional patterning of the neural tube. These models, even in their nascent developmental stages, have already revealed intricate cell-cell signaling and mechanoregulation mechanisms likely involved in tissue patterning during early neural development. We also discuss future opportunities in modeling early neural development by incorporating bioengineering tools to control precisely neural tissue morphology and architecture, morphogen dynamics, intracellular signaling events, and cell-cell interactions to further the development of this emerging field and expand its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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23
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Molecular characterization of a toxicological tipping point during human stem cell differentiation. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 91:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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24
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Self-organizing neuruloids model developmental aspects of Huntington's disease in the ectodermal compartment. Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:1198-1208. [PMID: 31501559 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Harnessing the potential of human embryonic stem cells to mimic normal and aberrant development with standardized models is a pressing challenge. Here we use micropattern technology to recapitulate early human neurulation in large numbers of nearly identical structures called neuruloids. Dual-SMAD inhibition followed by bone morphogenic protein 4 stimulation induced self-organization of neuruloids harboring neural progenitors, neural crest, sensory placode and epidermis. Single-cell transcriptomics unveiled the precise identities and timing of fate specification. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of neuruloid self-organization revealed a pulse of pSMAD1 at the edge that induced epidermis, whose juxtaposition to central neural fates specifies neural crest and placodes, modulated by fibroblast growth factor and Wnt. Neuruloids provide a unique opportunity to study the developmental aspects of human diseases. Using isogenic Huntington's disease human embryonic stem cells and deep neural network analysis, we show how specific phenotypic signatures arise in our model of early human development as a consequence of mutant huntingtin protein, outlining an approach for phenotypic drug screening.
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25
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Trawczynski M, Liu G, David BT, Fessler RG. Restoring Motor Neurons in Spinal Cord Injury With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:369. [PMID: 31474833 PMCID: PMC6707336 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder that damages motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways. Recent advances in stem cell therapy have allowed for the in vitro generation of motor neurons (MNs) showing electrophysiological and synaptic activity, expression of canonical MN biomarkers, and the ability to graft into spinal lesions. Clinical translation, especially the transplantation of MN precursors in spinal lesions, has thus far been elusive because of stem cell heterogeneity and protocol variability, as well as a hostile microenvironment such as inflammation and scarring, which yield inconsistent pre-clinical results without a consensus best-practice therapeutic strategy. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in particular have lower ethical and immunogenic concerns than other stem cells, which could make them more clinically applicable. In this review, we focus on the differentiation of iPSCs into neural precursors, MN progenitors, mature MNs, and MN subtype fates. Previous reviews have summarized MN development and differentiation, but an up-to-date summary of technological and experimental advances holding promise for bench-to-bedside translation, especially those targeting individual MN subtypes in SCI, is currently lacking. We discuss biological mechanisms of MN lineage, recent experimental protocols and techniques for MN differentiation from iPSCs, and transplantation of neural precursors and MN lineage cells in spinal cord lesions to restore motor function. We emphasize efficient, clinically safe, and personalized strategies for the application of MN and their subtypes as therapy in spinal lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Trawczynski
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gele Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Brian T David
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Richard G Fessler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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26
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Stathakos P, Jimenez-Moreno N, Crompton L, Nistor P, Caldwell MA, Lane JD. Imaging Autophagy in hiPSC-Derived Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Cultures for Parkinson's Disease Research. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1880:257-280. [PMID: 30610703 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8873-0_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To appreciate the positive or negative impact of autophagy during the initiation and progression of human diseases, the isolation or de novo generation of appropriate cell types is required to support focused in vitro assays. In human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), specific subsets of acutely sensitive neurons become susceptible to stress-associated operational decline and eventual cell death, emphasizing the need for functional studies in those vulnerable groups of neurons. In PD, a class of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral midbrain (mDANs) is affected. To study these, human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have emerged as a valuable tool, as they enable the establishment and study of mDAN biology in vitro. In this chapter, we describe a stepwise protocol for the generation of mDANs from hiPSCs using a monolayer culture system. We then outline how imaging-based autophagy assessment methodologies can be applied to these neurons, thereby providing a detailed account of the application of imaging-based autophagy assays to human iPSC-derived mDANs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petros Stathakos
- Cell Biology Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Lucy Crompton
- Cell Biology Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paul Nistor
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Maeve A Caldwell
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jon D Lane
- Cell Biology Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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27
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Schliermann A, Nickel J. Unraveling the Connection between Fibroblast Growth Factor and Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19103220. [PMID: 30340367 PMCID: PMC6214098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ontogeny of higher organisms as well the regulation of tissue homeostasis in adult individuals requires a fine-balanced interplay of regulating factors that individually trigger the fate of particular cells to either stay undifferentiated or to differentiate towards distinct tissue specific lineages. In some cases, these factors act synergistically to promote certain cellular responses, whereas in other tissues the same factors antagonize each other. However, the molecular basis of this obvious dual signaling activity is still only poorly understood. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are two major signal protein families that have a lot in common: They are both highly preserved between different species, involved in essential cellular functions, and their ligands vastly outnumber their receptors, making extensive signal regulation necessary. In this review we discuss where and how BMP and FGF signaling cross paths. The compiled data reflect that both factors synchronously act in many tissues, and that antagonism and synergism both exist in a context-dependent manner. Therefore, by challenging a generalization of the connection between these two pathways a new chapter in BMP FGF signaling research will be introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schliermann
- Lehrstuhl für Tissue Engineering und Regenerative Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, 97222 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Joachim Nickel
- Lehrstuhl für Tissue Engineering und Regenerative Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, 97222 Würzburg, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institut für Silicatforschung, Translationszentrum TLZ-RT, Röntgenring 11, 97222 Würzburg, Germany.
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28
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Baxi AB, Lombard-Banek C, Moody SA, Nemes P. Proteomic Characterization of the Neural Ectoderm Fated Cell Clones in the Xenopus laevis Embryo by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2064-2073. [PMID: 29578674 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular program by which embryonic ectoderm is induced to form neural tissue is essential to understanding normal and impaired development of the central nervous system. Xenopus has been a powerful vertebrate model in which to elucidate this process. However, abundant vitellogenin (yolk) proteins in cells of the early Xenopus embryo interfere with protein detection by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), the technology of choice for identifying these gene products. Here, we systematically evaluated strategies of bottom-up proteomics to enhance proteomic detection from the neural ectoderm (NE) of X. laevis using nanoflow high-performance liquid chromatography (nanoLC) HRMS. From whole embryos, high-pH fractionation prior to nanoLC-HRMS yielded 1319 protein groups vs 762 proteins without fractionation (control). Compared to 702 proteins from dorsal halves of embryos (control), 1881 proteins were identified after yolk platelets were depleted via sucrose-gradient centrifugation. We combined these approaches to characterize protein expression in the NE of the early embryo. To guide microdissection of the NE tissues from the gastrula (stage 10), their precursor (midline dorsal-animal, or D111) cells were fate-mapped from the 32-cell embryo using a fluorescent lineage tracer. HRMS of the cell clones identified 2363 proteins, including 147 phosphoproteins (without phosphoprotein enrichment), transcription factors, and members from pathways of cellular signaling. In reference to transcriptomic maps of the developing X. laevis, 76 proteins involved in signaling pathways were gene matched to transcripts with known enrichment in the neural plate. Besides a protocol, this work provides qualitative proteomic data on the early developing NE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna B. Baxi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Camille Lombard-Banek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Sally A. Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Peter Nemes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
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29
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Adnani L, Han S, Li S, Mattar P, Schuurmans C. Mechanisms of Cortical Differentiation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 336:223-320. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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30
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Li Y, Wang R, Qiao N, Peng G, Zhang K, Tang K, Han JDJ, Jing N. Transcriptome analysis reveals determinant stages controlling human embryonic stem cell commitment to neuronal cells. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19590-19604. [PMID: 28972157 PMCID: PMC5712601 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.796383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper neural commitment is essential for ensuring the appropriate development of the human brain and for preventing neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and intellectual disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the neural commitment in humans remain elusive. Here, we report the establishment of a neural differentiation system based on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and on comprehensive RNA sequencing analysis of transcriptome dynamics during early hESC differentiation. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we reveal that the hESC neurodevelopmental trajectory has five stages: pluripotency (day 0); differentiation initiation (days 2, 4, and 6); neural commitment (days 8-10); neural progenitor cell proliferation (days 12, 14, and 16); and neuronal differentiation (days 18, 20, and 22). These stages were characterized by unique module genes, which may recapitulate the early human cortical development. Moreover, a comparison of our RNA-sequencing data with several other transcriptome profiling datasets from mice and humans indicated that Module 3 associated with the day 8-10 stage is a critical window of fate switch from the pluripotency to the neural lineage. Interestingly, at this stage, no key extrinsic signals were activated. In contrast, using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockouts, we also found that intrinsic hub transcription factors, including the schizophrenia-associated SIX3 gene and septo-optic dysplasia-related HESX1 gene, are required to program hESC neural determination. Our results improve the understanding of the mechanism of neural commitment in the human brain and may help elucidate the etiology of human mental disorders and advance therapies for managing these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Li
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
| | - Ran Wang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
| | - Nan Qiao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031
| | - Guangdun Peng
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
| | - Ke Zhang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
| | - Ke Tang
- the Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, and
| | - Jing-Dong J Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031
| | - Naihe Jing
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
- the School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
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31
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A transcribed enhancer dictates mesendoderm specification in pluripotency. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1806. [PMID: 29180618 PMCID: PMC5703900 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01804-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancers and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key determinants of lineage specification during development. Here, we evaluate remodeling of the enhancer landscape and modulation of the lncRNA transcriptome during mesendoderm specification. We sort mesendodermal progenitors from differentiating embryonic stem cells (ESCs) according to Eomes expression, and find that enhancer usage is coordinated with mesendoderm-specific expression of key lineage-determining transcription factors. Many of these enhancers are associated with the expression of lncRNAs. Examination of ESC-specific enhancers interacting in three-dimensional space with mesendoderm-specifying transcription factor loci identifies MesEndoderm Transcriptional Enhancer Organizing Region (Meteor). Genetic and epigenetic manipulation of the Meteor enhancer reveal its indispensable role during mesendoderm specification and subsequent cardiogenic differentiation via transcription-independent and -dependent mechanisms. Interestingly, Meteor-deleted ESCs are epigenetically redirected towards neuroectodermal lineages. Loci, topologically associating a transcribed enhancer and its cognate protein coding gene, appear to represent therefore a class of genomic elements controlling developmental competence in pluripotency. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of lineage specification during development. Here, the authors investigate remodeling of enhancers and regulation of the lncRNA transcriptome during mesendoderm specification, and identify a pluripotent stage-specific transcribed enhancer controlling adoption of the mesendodermal cell fate.
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32
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Zhang N, Lyu Y, Pan X, Xu L, Xuan A, He X, Huang W, Long D. miR‑146b‑5p promotes the neural conversion of pluripotent stem cells by targeting Smad4. Int J Mol Med 2017; 40:814-824. [PMID: 28713933 PMCID: PMC5548013 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are regarded as potential sources that provide specific neural cells for cell therapy in some nervous system diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the neural differentiation of PSCs remain largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are a class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that act as critical regulatory molecules in many cellular processes. In this study, we found that miR-146b-5p expression was markedly increased following the neural induction of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced PSCs (iPSCs). In this study, to further identify the role of miR-146b-5p, we generated stable miR-146b-5p- overexpressing ESC and iPSC cell lines, and induced the differentiation of these cells by the adherent monolayer culture method. In the miR-146b-5p-overexpressing ESC- or iPSC- derived cultures, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the mRNA expression levels of neuroectoderm markers, such as Sox1, Nestin and Pax6, were markedly increased, and flow cytometric analysis verified that the number of Nestin-positive cells was higher in the miR-146b-5p-overexpressing compared with the control cells. Mechanistically, the miR-146b-5p-overexpressing ESCs or iPSCs exhibited a significant reduction in Oct4 expression, which may be an explanation for these cells having a tendency to differentiate towards the neural lineage. Moreover, we confirmed that miR-146b-5p directly targeted Smad4 and negatively regulated the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway, which contributed to the neural commitment of PSCs. Collectively, our findings uncover the essential role of miR-146b-5p in the neural conversion of PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nianping Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Ying Lyu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Xuebing Pan
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Health Sciences of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510180, P.R. China
| | - Liping Xu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Aiguo Xuan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Xiaosong He
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Wandan Huang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
| | - Dahong Long
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511436, P.R. China
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33
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Abstract
Neural induction is the process through which pluripotent cells are committed to a neural fate. This first step of Central Nervous System formation is triggered by the "Spemann organizer" in amphibians and by homologous embryonic regions in other vertebrates. Studies in classical vertebrate models have produced contrasting views about the molecular nature of neural inducers and no unifying scheme could be drawn. Moreover, how this process evolved in the chordate lineage remains an unresolved issue. In this work, by using graft and micromanipulation experiments, we definitively establish that the dorsal blastopore lip of the cephalochordate amphioxus is homologous to the vertebrate organizer and is able to trigger the formation of neural tissues in a host embryo. In addition, we demonstrate that Nodal/Activin is the main signal eliciting neural induction in amphioxus, and that it also functions as a bona fide neural inducer in the classical vertebrate model Xenopus. Altogether, our results allow us to propose that Nodal/Activin was a major player of neural induction in the ancestor of chordates. This study further reveals the diversity of neural inducers deployed during chordate evolution and advocates against a universally conserved molecular explanation for this process.
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34
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Zhang Z, Lei A, Xu L, Chen L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Gao Y, Yang X, Zhang M, Cao Y. Similarity in gene-regulatory networks suggests that cancer cells share characteristics of embryonic neural cells. J Biol Chem 2017. [PMID: 28634230 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.785865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are immature cells resulting from cellular reprogramming by gene misregulation, and redifferentiation is expected to reduce malignancy. It is unclear, however, whether cancer cells can undergo terminal differentiation. Here, we show that inhibition of the epigenetic modification enzyme enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), histone deacetylases 1 and 3 (HDAC1 and -3), lysine demethylase 1A (LSD1), or DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), which all promote cancer development and progression, leads to postmitotic neuron-like differentiation with loss of malignant features in distinct solid cancer cell lines. The regulatory effect of these enzymes in neuronal differentiation resided in their intrinsic activity in embryonic neural precursor/progenitor cells. We further found that a major part of pan-cancer-promoting genes and the signal transducers of the pan-cancer-promoting signaling pathways, including the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mesenchymal marker genes, display neural specific expression during embryonic neurulation. In contrast, many tumor suppressor genes, including the EMT epithelial marker gene that encodes cadherin 1 (CDH1), exhibited non-neural or no expression. This correlation indicated that cancer cells and embryonic neural cells share a regulatory network, mediating both tumorigenesis and neural development. This observed similarity in regulatory mechanisms suggests that cancer cells might share characteristics of embryonic neural cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zan Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Anhua Lei
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Liyang Xu
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Yonglong Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuena Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Xiaoli Yang
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China
| | - Ying Cao
- Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, 12 Xuefu Road, Pukou High-Tech Zone, Nanjing 210061, China.
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35
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Exner CR, Kim AY, Mardjuki SM, Harland RM. sall1 and sall4 repress pou5f3 family expression to allow neural patterning, differentiation, and morphogenesis in Xenopus laevis. Dev Biol 2017; 425:33-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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36
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Sherman JH, Karpinski BA, Fralish MS, Cappuzzo JM, Dhindsa DS, Thal AG, Moody SA, LaMantia AS, Maynard TM. Foxd4 is essential for establishing neural cell fate and for neuronal differentiation. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28316121 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Many molecular factors required for later stages of neuronal differentiation have been identified; however, much less is known about the early events that regulate the initial establishment of the neuroectoderm. We have used an in vitro embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation model to investigate early events of neuronal differentiation and to define the role of mouse Foxd4, an ortholog of a forkhead-family transcription factor central to Xenopus neural plate/neuroectodermal precursor development. We found that Foxd4 is a necessary regulator of the transition from pluripotent ESC to neuroectodermal stem cell, and its expression is necessary for neuronal differentiation. Mouse Foxd4 expression is not only limited to the neural plate but it is also expressed and apparently functions to regulate neurogenesis in the olfactory placode. These in vitro results suggest that mouse Foxd4 has a similar function to its Xenopus ortholog; this was confirmed by successfully substituting murine Foxd4 for its amphibian counterpart in overexpression experiments. Thus, Foxd4 appears to regulate the initial steps in establishing neuroectodermal precursors during initial development of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan H Sherman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia.,Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Beverly A Karpinski
- Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Matthew S Fralish
- Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | | | - Arielle G Thal
- George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Sally A Moody
- Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Anthony S LaMantia
- Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Thomas M Maynard
- Institute for Neuroscience, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University SMHS, Washington, District of Columbia
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37
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Simunovic M, Brivanlou AH. Embryoids, organoids and gastruloids: new approaches to understanding embryogenesis. Development 2017; 144:976-985. [PMID: 28292844 PMCID: PMC5358114 DOI: 10.1242/dev.143529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cells have an intrinsic ability to self-assemble and self-organize into complex and functional tissues and organs. By taking advantage of this ability, embryoids, organoids and gastruloids have recently been generated in vitro, providing a unique opportunity to explore complex embryological events in a detailed and highly quantitative manner. Here, we examine how such approaches are being used to answer fundamental questions in embryology, such as how cells self-organize and assemble, how the embryo breaks symmetry, and what controls timing and size in development. We also highlight how further improvements to these exciting technologies, based on the development of quantitative platforms to precisely follow and measure subcellular and molecular events, are paving the way for a more complete understanding of the complex events that help build the human embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijo Simunovic
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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38
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Houston DW. Vertebrate Axial Patterning: From Egg to Asymmetry. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 953:209-306. [PMID: 27975274 PMCID: PMC6550305 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46095-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of the bilateral embryonic body axis from a symmetrical egg has been a long-standing question in developmental biology. Historical and modern experiments point to an initial symmetry-breaking event leading to localized Wnt and Nodal growth factor signaling and subsequent induction and formation of a self-regulating dorsal "organizer." This organizer forms at the site of notochord cell internalization and expresses primarily Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) growth factor antagonists that establish a spatiotemporal gradient of BMP signaling across the embryo, directing initial cell differentiation and morphogenesis. Although the basics of this model have been known for some time, many of the molecular and cellular details have only recently been elucidated and the extent that these events remain conserved throughout vertebrate evolution remains unclear. This chapter summarizes historical perspectives as well as recent molecular and genetic advances regarding: (1) the mechanisms that regulate symmetry-breaking in the vertebrate egg and early embryo, (2) the pathways that are activated by these events, in particular the Wnt pathway, and the role of these pathways in the formation and function of the organizer, and (3) how these pathways also mediate anteroposterior patterning and axial morphogenesis. Emphasis is placed on comparative aspects of the egg-to-embryo transition across vertebrates and their evolution. The future prospects for work regarding self-organization and gene regulatory networks in the context of early axis formation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Houston
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, 257 BB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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39
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Sankar S, Yellajoshyula D, Zhang B, Teets B, Rockweiler N, Kroll KL. Gene regulatory networks in neural cell fate acquisition from genome-wide chromatin association of Geminin and Zic1. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37412. [PMID: 27881878 PMCID: PMC5121602 DOI: 10.1038/srep37412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural cell fate acquisition is mediated by transcription factors expressed in nascent neuroectoderm, including Geminin and members of the Zic transcription factor family. However, regulatory networks through which this occurs are not well defined. Here, we identified Geminin-associated chromatin locations in embryonic stem cells and Geminin- and Zic1-associated locations during neural fate acquisition at a genome-wide level. We determined how Geminin deficiency affected histone acetylation at gene promoters during this process. We integrated these data to demonstrate that Geminin associates with and promotes histone acetylation at neurodevelopmental genes, while Geminin and Zic1 bind a shared gene subset. Geminin- and Zic1-associated genes exhibit embryonic nervous system-enriched expression and encode other regulators of neural development. Both Geminin and Zic1-associated peaks are enriched for Zic1 consensus binding motifs, while Zic1-bound peaks are also enriched for Sox3 motifs, suggesting co-regulatory potential. Accordingly, we found that Geminin and Zic1 could cooperatively activate the expression of several shared targets encoding transcription factors that control neurogenesis, neural plate patterning, and neuronal differentiation. We used these data to construct gene regulatory networks underlying neural fate acquisition. Establishment of this molecular program in nascent neuroectoderm directly links early neural cell fate acquisition with regulatory control of later neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savita Sankar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Dhananjay Yellajoshyula
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Bryan Teets
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicole Rockweiler
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kristen L Kroll
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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40
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Rentzsch F, Layden M, Manuel M. The cellular and molecular basis of cnidarian neurogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 6. [PMID: 27882698 PMCID: PMC6680159 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis initiates during early development and it continues through later developmental stages and in adult animals to enable expansion, remodeling, and homeostasis of the nervous system. The generation of nerve cells has been analyzed in detail in few bilaterian model organisms, leaving open many questions about the evolution of this process. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians occupy an informative phylogenetic position to address the early evolution of cellular and molecular aspects of neurogenesis and to understand common principles of neural development. Here we review studies in several cnidarian model systems that have revealed significant similarities and interesting differences compared to neurogenesis in bilaterian species, and between different cnidarian taxa. Cnidarian neurogenesis is currently best understood in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, where it includes epithelial neural progenitor cells that express transcription factors of the soxB and atonal families. Notch signaling regulates the number of these neural progenitor cells, achaete‐scute and dmrt genes are required for their further development and Wnt and BMP signaling appear to be involved in the patterning of the nervous system. In contrast to many vertebrates and Drosophila, cnidarians have a high capacity to generate neurons throughout their lifetime and during regeneration. Utilizing this feature of cnidarian biology will likely allow gaining new insights into the similarities and differences of embryonic and regenerative neurogenesis. The use of different cnidarian model systems and their expanding experimental toolkits will thus continue to provide a better understanding of evolutionary and developmental aspects of nervous system formation. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e257. doi: 10.1002/wdev.257 This article is categorized under:
Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling Comparative Development and Evolution > Organ System Comparisons Between Species
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Michaël Manuel
- Sorbonne Universités, UMPC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
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41
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Sanfilippo P, Smibert P, Duan H, Lai EC. Neural specificity of the RNA-binding protein Elav is achieved by post-transcriptional repression in non-neural tissues. Development 2016; 143:4474-4485. [PMID: 27802174 DOI: 10.1242/dev.141978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila Elav is the founding member of the conserved family of Hu RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which play crucial and diverse roles in post-transcriptional regulation. Elav has long served as the canonical neuronal marker. Surprisingly, although Elav has a well-characterized neural cis-regulatory module, we find endogenous Elav is also ubiquitously transcribed and post-transcriptionally repressed in non-neural settings. Mutant clones of multiple miRNA pathway components derepress ubiquitous Elav protein. Our re-annotation of the elav transcription unit shows not only that it generates extended 3' UTR isoforms, but also that its universal 3' UTR isoform is much longer than previously believed. This longer common 3' UTR includes multiple conserved, high-affinity sites for the miR-279/996 family. Of several miRNA mutants tested, endogenous Elav and a transgenic elav 3' UTR sensor are derepressed in mutant clones of mir-279/996 We also observe cross-repression of Elav by Mei-P26, another RBP derepressed in non-neural miRNA pathway clones. Ubiquitous Elav has regulatory capacity, since derepressed Elav can stabilize an Elav-responsive sensor. Repression of Elav in non-neural territories is crucial as misexpression here has profoundly adverse consequences. Altogether, we define unexpected post-transcriptional mechanisms that direct appropriate cell type-specific expression of a conserved neural RBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piero Sanfilippo
- Sloan-Kettering Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Peter Smibert
- Sloan-Kettering Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hong Duan
- Sloan-Kettering Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric C Lai
- Sloan-Kettering Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA .,Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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42
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Motahari Z, Martinez-De Luna RI, Viczian AS, Zuber ME. Tbx3 represses bmp4 expression and, with Pax6, is required and sufficient for retina formation. Development 2016; 143:3560-3572. [PMID: 27578778 DOI: 10.1242/dev.130955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate eye formation begins in the anterior neural plate in the eye field. Seven eye field transcription factors (EFTFs) are expressed in eye field cells and when expressed together are sufficient to generate retina from pluripotent cells. The EFTF Tbx3 can regulate the expression of some EFTFs; however, its role in retina formation is unknown. Here, we show that Tbx3 represses bmp4 transcription and is required in the eye field for both neural induction and normal eye formation in Xenopus laevis Although sufficient for neural induction, Tbx3-expressing pluripotent cells only form retina in the context of the eye field. Unlike Tbx3, the neural inducer Noggin can generate retina both within and outside the eye field. We found that the neural and retina-inducing activity of Noggin requires Tbx3. Noggin, but not Tbx3, induces Pax6 and coexpression of Tbx3 and Pax6 is sufficient to determine pluripotent cells to a retinal lineage. Our results suggest that Tbx3 represses bmp4 expression and maintains eye field neural progenitors in a multipotent state; then, in combination with Pax6, Tbx3 causes eye field cells to form retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Motahari
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Reyna I Martinez-De Luna
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Andrea S Viczian
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Michael E Zuber
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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Kitazawa K, Hikichi T, Nakamura T, Mitsunaga K, Tanaka A, Nakamura M, Yamakawa T, Furukawa S, Takasaka M, Goshima N, Watanabe A, Okita K, Kawasaki S, Ueno M, Kinoshita S, Masui S. OVOL2 Maintains the Transcriptional Program of Human Corneal Epithelium by Suppressing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition. Cell Rep 2016; 15:1359-68. [PMID: 27134177 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In development, embryonic ectoderm differentiates into neuroectoderm and surface ectoderm using poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the transcription factor OVOL2 maintains the transcriptional program of human corneal epithelium cells (CECs), a derivative of the surface ectoderm, and that OVOL2 may regulate the differential transcriptional programs of the two lineages. A functional screen identified OVOL2 as a repressor of mesenchymal genes to maintain CECs. Transduction of OVOL2 with several other transcription factors induced the transcriptional program of CECs in fibroblasts. Moreover, neuroectoderm derivatives were found to express mesenchymal genes, and OVOL2 alone could induce the transcriptional program of CECs in neural progenitors by repressing these genes while activating epithelial genes. Our data suggest that the difference between the transcriptional programs of some neuroectoderm- and surface ectoderm-derivative cells may be regulated in part by a reciprocally repressive mechanism between epithelial and mesenchymal genes, as seen in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Kitazawa
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan; Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan; CREST (Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology), JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency), Honcho 4-1-8 Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Takafusa Hikichi
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakamura
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan; Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan
| | - Kanae Mitsunaga
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Azusa Tanaka
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakamura
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yamakawa
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shiori Furukawa
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Mieko Takasaka
- JBIC Research Institute, Japan Biological Informatics Consortium, TIME24 Building 10F 2-4-32 Aomi Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8073, Japan
| | - Naoki Goshima
- Molecular Profiling Research Center for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Waterfront Bio-IT Research Building, 2-4-7 Aomi Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Keisuke Okita
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kawasaki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Morio Ueno
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kinoshita
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan; Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho Hirokoji-agaru Kawaramachi-dori Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan.
| | - Shinji Masui
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; CREST (Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology), JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency), Honcho 4-1-8 Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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Neural Conversion and Patterning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Developmental Perspective. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:8291260. [PMID: 27069483 PMCID: PMC4812494 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8291260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the reprogramming of adult human terminally differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) became a reality in 2007, only eight years have passed. Yet over this relatively short period, myriad experiments have revolutionized previous stem cell dogmata. The tremendous promise of hiPSC technology for regenerative medicine has fuelled rising expectations from both the public and scientific communities alike. In order to effectively harness hiPSCs to uncover fundamental mechanisms of disease, it is imperative to first understand the developmental neurobiology underpinning their lineage restriction choices in order to predictably manipulate cell fate to desired derivatives. Significant progress in developmental biology provides an invaluable resource for rationalising directed differentiation of hiPSCs to cellular derivatives of the nervous system. In this paper we begin by reviewing core developmental concepts underlying neural induction in order to provide context for how such insights have guided reductionist in vitro models of neural conversion from hiPSCs. We then discuss early factors relevant in neural patterning, again drawing upon crucial knowledge gained from developmental neurobiological studies. We conclude by discussing open questions relating to these concepts and how their resolution might serve to strengthen the promise of pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine.
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Luehders K, Sasai N, Davaapil H, Kurosawa-Yoshida M, Hiura H, Brah T, Ohnuma SI. The small leucine-rich repeat secreted protein Asporin induces eyes in Xenopus embryos through the IGF signalling pathway. Development 2016; 142:3351-61. [PMID: 26443635 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan (SLRP) family proteins play important roles in a number of biological events. Here, we demonstrate that the SLRP family member Asporin (ASPN) plays a crucial role in the early stages of eye development in Xenopus embryos. During embryogenesis, ASPN is broadly expressed in the neuroectoderm of the embryo. Overexpression of ASPN causes the induction of ectopic eyes. By contrast, blocking ASPN function with a morpholino oligonucleotide (ASPN-MO) inhibits eye formation, indicating that ASPN is an essential factor for eye development. Detailed molecular analyses revealed that ASPN interacts with insulin growth factor receptor (IGFR) and is essential for activating the IGF receptor-mediated intracellular signalling pathway. Moreover, ASPN perturbed the Wnt, BMP and Activin signalling pathways, suggesting that ASPN thereby creates a favourable environment in which the IGF signal can dominate. ASPN is thus a novel secreted molecule essential for eye induction through the coordination of multiple signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Luehders
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Noriaki Sasai
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK Developmental Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Hongorzul Davaapil
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Maiko Kurosawa-Yoshida
- Department of Oncology, The Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2XZ, UK
| | - Hitoshi Hiura
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Tara Brah
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Shin-ichi Ohnuma
- Ocular Biology and Therapeutic unit (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK Department of Oncology, The Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2XZ, UK
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46
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Kimelman D. Tales of Tails (and Trunks): Forming the Posterior Body in Vertebrate Embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 116:517-36. [PMID: 26970638 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A major question in developmental biology is how the early embryonic axes are established. Recent studies using different model organisms and mammalian in vitro systems have revealed the surprising result that most of the early posterior embryonic body forms from a Wnt-regulated bipotential neuromesodermal progenitor population that escapes early germ layer patterning. Part of the regulatory network that drives the maintenance and differentiation of these progenitors has recently been determined, but much remains to be discovered. This review discusses some of the common features present in all vertebrates, as well as unique aspects that different species utilize to establish their anterior-posterior (A-P) axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kimelman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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47
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Wagenführ L, Meyer AK, Marrone L, Storch A. Oxygen Tension Within the Neurogenic Niche Regulates Dopaminergic Neurogenesis in the Developing Midbrain. Stem Cells Dev 2016; 25:227-38. [PMID: 26577812 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2015.0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen tension is an important factor controlling stem cell proliferation and maintenance in various stem cell populations with a particular relevance in midbrain dopaminergic progenitors. Further studies have shown that the oxygen-dependent transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is involved in these processes. However, all available studies on oxygen effects in dopaminergic neuroprogenitors were performed in vitro and thus it remains unclear whether tissue oxygen tension in the embryonic midbrain is also relevant for the regulation of dopaminergic neurogenesis in vivo. We thus dissect here the effects of oxygen tension in combination with HIF-1α conditional knockout on dopaminergic neurogenesis by using a novel experimental design allowing for the control of oxygen tension within the microenvironment of the neurogenic niche of the murine fetal midbrain in vivo. The microenvironment of the midbrain dopaminergic neurogenic niche was detected as hypoxic with oxygen tensions below 1.1%. Maternal oxygen treatment of 10%, 21%, and 75% atmospheric oxygen tension for 48 h translates into robust changes in fetal midbrain oxygenation. Fetal midbrain hypoxia hampered the generation of dopaminergic neurons and is accompanied with restricted fetal midbrain development. In contrast, induced hyperoxia stimulated proliferation and differentiation of dopaminergic progenitors during early and late embryogenesis. Oxygen effects were not directly mediated through HIF-1α signaling. These data--in agreement with in vitro data-indicate that oxygen is a crucial regulator of developmental dopaminergic neurogenesis. Our study provides the initial framework for future studies on molecular mechanisms mediating oxygen regulation of dopaminergic neurogenesis within the fetal midbrain as its natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wagenführ
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Karen Meyer
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Lara Marrone
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany .,2 Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) , Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Storch
- 1 Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany .,2 Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) , Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany .,3 Department of Neurology, University of Rostock , Rostock, Germany .,4 German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Rostock, Germany
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48
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Henrique D, Abranches E, Verrier L, Storey KG. Neuromesodermal progenitors and the making of the spinal cord. Development 2015; 142:2864-75. [PMID: 26329597 PMCID: PMC4958456 DOI: 10.1242/dev.119768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neuromesodermal progenitors (NMps) contribute to both the elongating spinal cord and the adjacent paraxial mesoderm. It has been assumed that these cells arise as a result of patterning of the anterior neural plate. However, as the molecular mechanisms that specify NMps in vivo are uncovered, and as protocols for generating these bipotent cells from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells in vitro are established, the emerging data suggest that this view needs to be revised. Here, we review the characteristics, regulation, in vitro derivation and in vivo induction of NMps. We propose that these cells arise within primitive streak-associated epiblast via a mechanism that is separable from that which establishes neural fate in the anterior epiblast. We thus argue for the existence of two distinct routes for making central nervous system progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingos Henrique
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular and Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Elsa Abranches
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular and Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Laure Verrier
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Kate G Storey
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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49
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Carron C, Shi DL. Specification of anteroposterior axis by combinatorial signaling during Xenopus development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 5:150-68. [PMID: 26544673 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The specification of anteroposterior (AP) axis is a fundamental and complex patterning process that sets up the embryonic polarity and shapes a multicellular organism. This process involves the integration of distinct signaling pathways to coordinate temporal-spatial gene expression and morphogenetic movements. In the frog Xenopus, extensive embryological and molecular studies have provided major advance in understanding the mechanism implicated in AP patterning. Following fertilization, cortical rotation leads to the transport of maternal determinants to the dorsal region and creates the primary dorsoventral (DV) asymmetry. The activation of maternal Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and a high Nodal signal induces the formation of the Nieuwkoop center in the dorsal-vegetal cells, which then triggers the formation of the Spemann organizer in the overlying dorsal marginal zone. It is now well established that the Spemann organizer plays a central role in building the vertebrate body axes because it provides patterning information for both DV and AP polarities. The antagonistic interactions between signals secreted in the Spemann organizer and the opposite ventral region pattern the mesoderm along the DV axis, and this DV information is translated into AP positional values during gastrulation. The formation of anterior neural tissue requires simultaneous inhibition of zygotic Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signals, while an endogenous gradient of Wnt, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), retinoic acid (RA) signaling, and collinearly expressed Hox genes patterns the trunk and posterior regions. Collectively, DV asymmetry is mostly coupled to AP polarity, and cell-cell interactions mediated essentially by the same regulatory networks operate in DV and AP patterning. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Carron
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
| | - De-Li Shi
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France.,School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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50
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Ziats MN, Edmonson C, Rennert OM. The autistic brain in the context of normal neurodevelopment. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:115. [PMID: 26379512 PMCID: PMC4548149 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is complex and largely unclear. Among various lines of inquiry, many have suggested convergence onto disruptions in both neural circuitry and immune regulation/glial cell function pathways. However, the interpretation of the relationship between these two putative mechanisms has largely focused on the role of exogenous factors and insults, such as maternal infection, in activating immune pathways that in turn result in neural network abnormalities. Yet, given recent insights into our understanding of human neurodevelopment, and in particular the critical role of glia and the immune system in normal brain development, it is important to consider these putative pathological processes in their appropriate normal neurodevelopmental context. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that the autistic brain cellular phenotype likely represents intrinsic abnormalities of glial/immune processes constitutively operant in normal brain development that result in the observed neural network dysfunction. We review recent studies demonstrating the intercalated role of neural circuit development, the immune system, and glial cells in the normal developing brain, and integrate them with studies demonstrating pathological alterations in these processes in autism. By discussing known abnormalities in the autistic brain in the context of normal brain development, we explore the hypothesis that the glial/immune component of ASD may instead be related to intrinsic exaggerated/abnormal constitutive neurodevelopmental processes such as network pruning. Moreover, this hypothesis may be relevant to other neurodevelopmental disorders that share genetic, pathologic, and clinical features with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark N Ziats
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Bethesda, MD, USA ; Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA
| | - Catherine Edmonson
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Bethesda, MD, USA ; College of Medicine, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Owen M Rennert
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Bethesda, MD, USA
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