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Fradot V, Augustin S, Fontaine V, Marazova K, Guillonneau X, Sahel JA, Picaud S. Rodent Models of Retinal Degeneration: From Purified Cells in Culture to Living Animals. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041311. [PMID: 37848250 PMCID: PMC11444255 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Rodent models of retinal degeneration are essential for the development of therapeutic strategies. In addition to living animal models, we here also discuss models based on rodent cell cultures, such as purified retinal ganglion cells and retinal explants. These ex vivo models extend the possibilities for investigating pathological mechanisms and assessing the neuroprotective effect of pharmacological agents by eliminating questions on drug pharmacokinetics and bioavailability. The number of living rodent models has greatly increased with the possibilities to achieve transgenic modifications in animals for knocking in and out genes and mutations. The Cre-lox system has further enabled investigators to target specific genes or mutations in specific cells at specific stages. However, chemically or physically induced models can provide alternatives to such targeted gene modifications. The increased diversity of rodent models has widened our possibility to address most ocular pathologies for providing initial proof of concept of innovative therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Fradot
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
| | - Sébastien Augustin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
| | - Valérie Fontaine
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
| | - Katia Marazova
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
| | - Xavier Guillonneau
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
| | - José A Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Serge Picaud
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
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Pløen GG, Sørensen CB, Bentzon JF. Smooth muscle cells clonally expand in a murine carotid allograft model complicated by immune reactions to reporter transgenes. Transpl Immunol 2024; 87:102129. [PMID: 39260676 DOI: 10.1016/j.trim.2024.102129] [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: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Most experimental studies of allograft vasculopathy (AV) have relied on transplantation between major histocompatibility complex-mismatched inbred mouse strains, but this leads to the complete eradication of donor smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and lesions formed by recipient cells. This is unlike human AV which is thought to form mainly by donor SMCs. Here, we studied sources of neointimal cells in a minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched AV model by combining male-to-female orthotopic carotid transplantations and lineage tracing by SMC-specific expression of fluorescent proteins. METHODS To track SMC-derived cells in allograft vasculopathy, we used male donor mice with SMC-restricted Cre recombination of the mT/mG reporter transgene, which switches expression of membrane-bound red fluorescent protein (RFP) to green fluorescent protein (GFP), or the stochastically recombining Confetti reporter transgene, which yields a mosaic expression of four fluorescent proteins. Donor carotid segments were harvested and orthotopically allografted to female recipients that were wildtype or had non-recombined reporter transgenes. Inhibition of T cell responses by CTLA4Ig was used in some experiments. Sections of lesions harvested after 4 weeks were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS Donor-derived SMCs survived and gave rise to part of the neointimal cells in experiments where carotid segments from recombined mT/mG male mice were transplanted into wild-type or non-recombined mT/mG female mice. Sex-mismatched transplants developed significant lesions, increasing the intimal and medial area 4.6-fold (p = 0.038) and 2.0-fold (p = 0.024) compared to sex- and fluorescence-matched controls, respectively. Interestingly, sex-matched fluorescence-positive transplants developed intimal lesions in 50% of fluorescence-naïve recipient controls. To study the clonal structure of the neointimal donor-derived SMC lineage cells, we then transplanted male carotids with heterozygous or homozygous recombined Confetti transgenes into female recipients. These transplants developed lesions with few surviving donor SMCs, indicating that expression of the Confetti reporter increased rejection and donor-specific SMC death. Some of the few remaining donor SMCs underwent clonal expansion. CTLA4Ig administration at the time of surgery did not improve SMC survival in mT/mG or Confetti transplants. CONCLUSION Male-to-female transplant models feature donor-derived SMCs, some of which undergo clonal expansion, but immune rejection to fluorescence reporters appears to bias results in lineage tracing models. Overcoming these challenges with alternative reporter transgenes or tolerant recipients is necessary to study the mechanisms by which donor SMCs contribute to allograft vasculopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jacob Fog Bentzon
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.
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Qin X, Tape CJ. Functional analysis of cell plasticity using single-cell technologies. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00006-0. [PMID: 38355348 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Metazoan organisms are heterocellular systems composed of hundreds of different cell types, which arise from an isogenic genome through differentiation. Cellular 'plasticity' further enables cells to alter their fate in response to exogenous cues and is involved in a variety of processes, such as wound healing, infection, and cancer. Recent advances in cellular model systems, high-dimensional single-cell technologies, and lineage tracing have sparked a renaissance in plasticity research. Here, we discuss the definition of cell plasticity, evaluate state-of-the-art model systems and techniques to study cell-fate dynamics, and explore the application of single-cell technologies to obtain functional insights into cell plasticity in healthy and diseased tissues. The integration of advanced biomimetic model systems, single-cell technologies, and high-throughput perturbation studies is enabling a new era of research into non-genetic plasticity in metazoan systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Qin
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
| | - Christopher J Tape
- Cell Communication Lab, Department of Oncology, University College London Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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Blanc H, Kaddour G, David NB, Supatto W, Livet J, Beaurepaire E, Mahou P. Chromatically Corrected Multicolor Multiphoton Microscopy. ACS PHOTONICS 2023; 10:4104-4111. [PMID: 38145164 PMCID: PMC10739991 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c01104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous imaging of multiple labels in tissues is key to studying complex biological processes. Although strategies for color multiphoton excitation have been established, chromatic aberration remains a major problem when multiple excitation wavelengths are used in a scanning microscope. Chromatic aberration introduces a spatial shift between the foci of beams of different wavelengths that varies across the field of view, severely degrading the performance of color imaging. In this work, we propose an adaptive correction strategy that solves this problem in two-beam microscopy techniques. Axial chromatic aberration is corrected by a refractive phase mask that introduces pure defocus into one beam, while lateral chromatic aberration is corrected by a piezoelectric mirror that dynamically compensates for lateral shifts during scanning. We show that this light-efficient approach allows seamless chromatic correction over the entire field of view of different multiphoton objectives without compromising spatial and temporal resolution and that the effective area for beam-mixing processes can be increased by more than 1 order of magnitude. We illustrate this approach with simultaneous three-color, two-photon imaging of developing zebrafish embryos and fixed Brainbow mouse brain slices over large areas. These results establish a robust and efficient method for chromatically corrected multiphoton imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Blanc
- Laboratoire
d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS,
INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Gabriel Kaddour
- Sorbonne
Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut
de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas B. David
- Laboratoire
d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS,
INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Willy Supatto
- Laboratoire
d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS,
INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Jean Livet
- Sorbonne
Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut
de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Beaurepaire
- Laboratoire
d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS,
INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Pierre Mahou
- Laboratoire
d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS,
INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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Yang C, Shitamukai A, Yang S, Kawaguchi A. Advanced Techniques Using In Vivo Electroporation to Study the Molecular Mechanisms of Cerebral Development Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14128. [PMID: 37762431 PMCID: PMC10531473 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814128] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian cerebral cortex undergoes a strictly regulated developmental process. Detailed in situ visualizations, imaging of these dynamic processes, and in vivo functional gene studies significantly enhance our understanding of brain development and related disorders. This review introduces basic techniques and recent advancements in in vivo electroporation for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cerebral diseases. In utero electroporation (IUE) is extensively used to visualize and modify these processes, including the forced expression of pathological mutants in human diseases; thus, this method can be used to establish animal disease models. The advent of advanced techniques, such as genome editing, including de novo knockout, knock-in, epigenetic editing, and spatiotemporal gene regulation, has further expanded our list of investigative tools. These tools include the iON expression switch for the precise control of timing and copy numbers of exogenous genes and TEMPO for investigating the temporal effects of genes. We also introduce the iGONAD method, an improved genome editing via oviductal nucleic acid delivery approach, as a novel genome-editing technique that has accelerated brain development exploration. These advanced in vivo electroporation methods are expected to provide valuable insights into pathological conditions associated with human brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- Human Anatomy and Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
- Department of Human Morphology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Density and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Atsunori Shitamukai
- Department of Human Morphology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Density and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Shucai Yang
- Human Anatomy and Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Ayano Kawaguchi
- Department of Human Morphology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Density and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
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Serrano A, Berthelet J, Naik SH, Merino D. Mastering the use of cellular barcoding to explore cancer heterogeneity. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:609-624. [PMID: 35982229 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00500-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tumours are often composed of a multitude of malignant clones that are genomically unique, and only a few of them may have the ability to escape cancer therapy and grow as symptomatic lesions. As a result, tumours with a large degree of genomic diversity have a higher chance of leading to patient death. However, clonal fate can be driven by non-genomic features. In this context, new technologies are emerging not only to track the spatiotemporal fate of individual cells and their progeny but also to study their molecular features using various omics analysis. In particular, the recent development of cellular barcoding facilitates the labelling of tens to millions of cancer clones and enables the identification of the complex mechanisms associated with clonal fate in different microenvironments and in response to therapy. In this Review, we highlight the recent discoveries made using lentiviral-based cellular barcoding techniques, namely genetic and optical barcoding. We also emphasize the strengths and limitations of each of these technologies and discuss some of the key concepts that must be taken into consideration when one is designing barcoding experiments. Finally, we suggest new directions to further improve the use of these technologies in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Serrano
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jean Berthelet
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shalin H Naik
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Delphine Merino
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Procyk CA, Rodgers J, Zindy E, Lucas RJ, Milosavljevic N. Quantitative characterisation of ipRGCs in retinal degeneration using a computation platform for extracting and reconstructing single neurons in 3D from a multi-colour labeled population. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1009321. [PMID: 36385954 PMCID: PMC9664085 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1009321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Light has a profound impact on mammalian physiology and behavior. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) express the photopigment melanopsin, rendering them sensitive to light, and are involved in both image-forming vision and non-image forming responses to light such as circadian photo-entrainment and the pupillary light reflex. Following outer photoreceptor degeneration, the death of rod and cone photoreceptors results in global re-modeling of the remnant neural retina. Although ipRGCs can continue signaling light information to the brain even in advanced stages of degeneration, it is unknown if all six morphologically distinct subtypes survive, or how their dendritic architecture may be affected. To answer these questions, we generated a computational platform-BRIAN (Brainbow Analysis of individual Neurons) to analyze Brainbow labeled tissues by allowing objective identification of voxels clusters in Principal Component Space, and their subsequent extraction to produce 3D images of single neurons suitable for analysis with existing tracing technology. We show that BRIAN can efficiently recreate single neurons or individual axonal projections from densely labeled tissue with sufficient anatomical resolution for subtype quantitative classification. We apply this tool to generate quantitative morphological information about ipRGCs in the degenerate retina including soma size, dendritic field size, dendritic complexity, and stratification. Using this information, we were able to identify cells whose characteristics match those reported for all six defined subtypes of ipRGC in the wildtype mouse retina (M1-M6), including the rare and complex M3 and M6 subtypes. This indicates that ipRGCs survive outer retinal degeneration with broadly normal morphology. We additionally describe one cell in the degenerate retina which matches the description of the Gigantic M1 cell in Humans which has not been previously identified in rodent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Procyk
- Ocular Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Rodgers
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Centre for Biological Timing and Division of Neuroscience, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Egor Zindy
- Centre for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert J. Lucas
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Centre for Biological Timing and Division of Neuroscience, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nina Milosavljevic
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Centre for Biological Timing and Division of Neuroscience, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Clavreul S, Dumas L, Loulier K. Astrocyte development in the cerebral cortex: Complexity of their origin, genesis, and maturation. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:916055. [PMID: 36177355 PMCID: PMC9513187 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.916055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, astrocytes form a heterogeneous population at the morphological, molecular, functional, intra-, and inter-region levels. In the past, a few types of astrocytes have been first described based on their morphology and, thereafter, according to limited key molecular markers. With the advent of bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, the diversity of astrocytes is now progressively deciphered and its extent better appreciated. However, the origin of this diversity remains unresolved, even though many recent studies unraveled the specificities of astroglial development at both population and individual cell levels, particularly in the cerebral cortex. Despite the lack of specific markers for each astrocyte subtype, a better understanding of the cellular and molecular events underlying cortical astrocyte diversity is nevertheless within our reach thanks to the development of intersectional lineage tracing, microdissection, spatial mapping, and single-cell transcriptomic tools. Here we present a brief overview describing recent findings on the genesis and maturation of astrocytes and their key regulators during cerebral cortex development. All these studies have considerably advanced our knowledge of cortical astrogliogenesis, which relies on a more complex mode of development than their neuronal counterparts, that undeniably impact astrocyte diversity in the cerebral cortex.
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