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Wang F, Zhong W, Yang Q, Zhao W, Liu X, Rao B, Lin X, Zhang J. Distribution and synaptic organization of substance P-like immunoreactive neurons in the mouse retina. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1703-1724. [PMID: 37481742 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02688-x] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Substance P (SP), a neuroprotective peptidergic neurotransmitter, is known to have immunoreactivity (IR) localized to amacrine and/or ganglion cells in a variety of species' retinas, but it has not yet been studied in the mouse retina. Thus, we investigated the distribution and synaptic organization of SP-IR by confocal and electron microscopy immunocytochemistry in the mouse retina. SP-IR was distributed in the inner nuclear layer (INL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and ganglion cell layer (GCL). Most of the SP-IR somas belonged to amacrine cells (2.5% of all) in the INL and their processes stratified into the S1, S3, and S5 layers of the IPL, with the most intense band in the S5 layer. Some SP-IR somas can also be observed in the GCL, which were identified as displaced amacrine cells (82%, 1269/1550) and ganglion cells (18%, 281/1550) by antibodies against AP2α and RBPMS, respectively. Such SP-IR ganglion cells (1.2% of all RGCs) can be further divided into 3 subgroups expressing SP/α-Synuclein (α-Syn), SP/GAD67, and/or SP/GAD67/α-Syn. Possible physiological and pathological roles of these ganglion cells are discussed. Further, electron microscopy evidence demonstrates that SP-IR amacrine cells receive major inputs from other SP-IR amacrine cell processes (146/242 inputs) and output mostly to SP-negative amacrine cell processes (291/673 outputs), suggesting series inhibition among amacrine cells. These results reveal for the first time an explicit distribution, novel ganglion cell features, and synaptic organization of SP-IR in the mouse retina, which is important for the future use of mouse models to study the roles of SP in healthy and diseased (including Parkinson's disease) retinal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenglan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wenhui Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Qingwen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wenna Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Bilin Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
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Yamoah A, Tripathi P, Guo H, Scheve L, Walter P, Johnen S, Müller F, Weis J, Goswami A. Early Alterations of RNA Binding Protein (RBP) Homeostasis and ER Stress-Mediated Autophagy Contributes to Progressive Retinal Degeneration in the rd10 Mouse Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Cells 2023; 12:cells12071094. [PMID: 37048167 PMCID: PMC10092976 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The retinal degeneration 10 (rd10) mouse model is widely used to study retinitis pigmentosa (RP) pathomechanisms. It offers a rather unique opportunity to study trans-neuronal degeneration because the cell populations in question are separated anatomically and the mutated Pde6b gene is selectively expressed in rod photoreceptors. We hypothesized that RNA binding protein (RBP) aggregation and abnormal autophagy might serve as early pathogenic events, damaging non-photoreceptor retinal cell types that are not primarily targeted by the Pde6b gene defect. We used a combination of immunohistochemistry (DAB, immunofluorescence), electron microscopy (EM), subcellular fractionation, and Western blot analysis on the retinal preparations obtained from both rd10 and wild-type mice. We found early, robust increases in levels of the protective endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+) buffering chaperone Sigma receptor 1 (SigR1) together with other ER-Ca2+ buffering proteins in both photoreceptors and non-photoreceptor neuronal cells before any noticeable photoreceptor degeneration. In line with this, we found markedly altered expression of the autophagy proteins p62 and LC3, together with abnormal ER widening and large autophagic vacuoles as detected by EM. Interestingly, these changes were accompanied by early, prominent cytoplasmic and nuclear aggregation of the key RBPs including pTDP-43 and FET family RBPs and stress granule formation. We conclude that progressive neurodegeneration in the rd10 mouse retina is associated with early disturbances of proteostasis and autophagy, along with abnormal cytoplasmic RBP aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Yamoah
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Priyanka Tripathi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Haihong Guo
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Leonie Scheve
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Peter Walter
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Sandra Johnen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Frank Müller
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Molecular and Cellular Physiology, IBI-1, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Joachim Weis
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anand Goswami
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Veys L, Devroye J, Lefevere E, Cools L, Vandenabeele M, De Groef L. Characterizing the Retinal Phenotype of the Thy1-h[A30P]α-syn Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:726476. [PMID: 34557068 PMCID: PMC8452874 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.726476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, disease-modifying treatments of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, remain out of reach. One of the reasons for this treatment gap is the incomplete understanding of how misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-syn) contributes to PD pathology. The retina, as an integral part of the central nervous system, recapitulates the PD disease processes that are typically seen in the brain, and retinal manifestations have emerged as prodromal symptoms of the disease. The timeline of PD manifestations in the visual system, however, is not fully elucidated and the underlying mechanisms are obscure. This highlights the need for new studies investigating retinal pathology, in order to propel its use as PD biomarker, and to develop validated research models to investigate PD pathogenesis. The present study pioneers in characterizing the retina of the Thy1-h[A30P]α-syn PD transgenic mouse model. We demonstrate widespread α-syn accumulation in the inner retina of these mice, of which a proportion is phosphorylated yet not aggregated. This α-syn expression coincides with inner retinal atrophy due to postsynaptic degeneration. We also reveal abnormal retinal electrophysiological responses. Absence of selective loss of melanopsin retinal ganglion cells or dopaminergic amacrine cells and inflammation indicates that the retinal manifestations in these transgenic mice diverge from their brain phenotype, and questions the specific cellular or molecular alterations that underlie retinal pathology in this PD mouse model. Nevertheless, the observed α-syn accumulation, synapse loss and functional deficits suggest that the Thy1-h[A30P]α-syn retina mimics some of the features of prodromal PD, and thus may provide a window to monitor and study the preclinical/prodromal stages of PD, PD-associated retinal disease processes, as well as aid in retinal biomarker discovery and validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Veys
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joyce Devroye
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evy Lefevere
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lien Cools
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marjan Vandenabeele
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lies De Groef
- Research Group of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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