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Renaux E, Baudouin C, Marchese D, Clovis Y, Lee SK, Gofflot F, Rezsohazy R, Clotman F. Lhx4 surpasses its paralog Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of spinal V2a interneurons. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:286. [PMID: 38970652 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05316-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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Paralog factors are considered to ensure the robustness of biological processes by providing redundant activity in cells where they are co-expressed. However, the specific contribution of each factor is frequently underestimated. In the developing spinal cord, multiple families of transcription factors successively contribute to differentiate an initially homogenous population of neural progenitors into a myriad of neuronal subsets with distinct molecular, morphological, and functional characteristics. The LIM-homeodomain transcription factors Lhx3, Lhx4, Isl1 and Isl2 promote the segregation and differentiation of spinal motor neurons and V2 interneurons. Based on their high sequence identity and their similar distribution, the Lhx3 and Lhx4 paralogs are considered to contribute similarly to these processes. However, the specific contribution of Lhx4 has never been studied. Here, we provide evidence that Lhx3 and Lhx4 are present in the same cell populations during spinal cord development. Similarly to Lhx3, Lhx4 can form multiproteic complexes with Isl1 or Isl2 and the nuclear LIM interactor NLI. Lhx4 can stimulate a V2-specific enhancer more efficiently than Lhx3 and surpasses Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of V2a interneurons in chicken embryo electroporation experiments. Finally, Lhx4 inactivation in mice results in alterations of differentiation of the V2a subpopulation, but not of motor neuron production, suggesting that Lhx4 plays unique roles in V2a differentiation that are not compensated by the presence of Lhx3. Thus, Lhx4 could be the major LIM-HD factor involved in V2a interneuron differentiation during spinal cord development and should be considered for in vitro differentiation of spinal neuronal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Renaux
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Baudouin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Damien Marchese
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Yoanne Clovis
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Soo-Kyung Lee
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Françoise Gofflot
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - René Rezsohazy
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium.
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium.
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Zhang X, Chen R, Huo Z, Li W, Jiang M, Su G, Liu Y, Cai Y, Huang W, Xiong Y, Wang S. Blood-based molecular and cellular biomarkers of early response to neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:225. [PMID: 38951894 PMCID: PMC11218110 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03412-3] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the improved survival observed in PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, a substantial proportion of cancer patients, including those with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), still lack a response. METHODS Transcriptomic profiling was conducted on a discovery cohort comprising 100 whole blood samples, as collected multiple times from 48 healthy controls (including 43 published data) and 31 NSCLC patients that under treatment with a combination of anti-PD-1 Tislelizumab and chemotherapy. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), simulated immune cell subsets, and germline DNA mutational markers were identified from patients achieved a pathological complete response during the early treatment cycles. The predictive values of mutational markers were further validated in an independent immunotherapy cohort of 1661 subjects, and then confirmed in genetically matched lung cancer cell lines by a co-culturing model. RESULTS The gene expression of hundreds of DEGs (FDR p < 0.05, fold change < -2 or > 2) distinguished responders from healthy controls, indicating the potential to stratify patients utilizing early on-treatment features from blood. PD-1-mediated cell abundance changes in memory CD4 + and regulatory T cell subset were more significant or exclusively observed in responders. A panel of top-ranked genetic alterations showed significant associations with improved survival (p < 0.05) and heightened responsiveness to anti-PD-1 treatment in patient cohort and co-cultured cell lines. CONCLUSION This study discovered and validated peripheral blood-based biomarkers with evident predictive efficacy for early therapy response and patient stratification before treatment for neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China.
| | - Rui Chen
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Zirong Huo
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Wenqing Li
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Mengju Jiang
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Guodong Su
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Yuru Liu
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Yu Cai
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Wuhao Huang
- Department of Lung Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yuyan Xiong
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengguang Wang
- Department of Lung Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin, 300060, China.
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Ning M, Song L, Niu X, Wang Y, Liu W, Hu J, Cai H, Song W, Liu L, Li H, Gong D, Smith J, Huang Y. Multiscale 3D genome organization underlies duck fatty liver with no adipose inflammation or serious injury. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132452. [PMID: 38777007 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of chronic liver disease. Little is known about how gene expression and chromatin structure are regulated in NAFLD due to lack of suitable model. Ducks naturally develop fatty liver similar to serious human non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) without adipose inflammation and liver fibrosis, thus serves as a good model for investigating molecular mechanisms of adipose metabolism and anti-inflammation. Here, we constructed a NAFLD model without adipose inflammation and liver fibrosis in ducks. By performing dynamic pathological and transcriptomic analyses, we identified critical genes involving in regulation of the NF-κB and MHCII signaling, which usually lead to adipose inflammation and liver fibrosis. We further generated dynamic three-dimensional chromatin maps during liver fatty formation and recovery. This showed that ducks enlarged hepatocyte cell nuclei to reduce inter-chromosomal interaction, decompress chromatin structure, and alter strength of intra-TAD and loop interactions during fatty liver formation. These changes partially contributed to the tight control the NF-κB and the MHCII signaling. Our analysis uncovers duck chromatin reorganization might be advantageous to maintain liver regenerative capacity and reduce adipose inflammation. These findings shed light on new strategies for NAFLD control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Ning
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Linfei Song
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Cai
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Weitao Song
- Jiangsu Institute of Poultry Science, Yangzhou, China
| | - Long Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Huifang Li
- Jiangsu Institute of Poultry Science, Yangzhou, China
| | - Daoqing Gong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jacqueline Smith
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Yinhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biology Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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Chew SH, Martinez C, Chirco KR, Kandoi S, Lamba DA. Timed Notch Inhibition Drives Photoreceptor Fate Specification in Human Retinal Organoids. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:12. [PMID: 36129723 PMCID: PMC9513742 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.10.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Transplanting photoreceptors from human pluripotent stem cell–derived retinal organoids have the potential to reverse vision loss in affected individuals. However, transplantable photoreceptors are only a subset of all cells in the organoids. Hence, the goal of our current study was to accelerate and synchronize photoreceptor differentiation in retinal organoids by inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway at different developmental time-points using a small molecule, PF-03084014 (PF). Methods Human induced pluripotent stem cell– and human embryonic stem cells–derived retinal organoids were treated with 10 µM PF for 3 days starting at day 45 (D45), D60, D90, and D120 of differentiation. Organoids were collected at post-treatment days 14, 28, and 42 and analyzed for progenitor and photoreceptor markers and Notch pathway inhibition by immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative PCR, and bulk RNA sequencing (n = 3–5 organoids from three independent experiments). Results Retinal organoids collected after treatment showed a decrease in progenitor markers (KI67, VSX2, PAX6, and LHX2) and an increase in differentiated pan-photoreceptor markers (OTX2, CRX, and RCVRN) at all organoid stages except D120. PF-treated organoids at D45 and D60 exhibited an increase in cone photoreceptor markers (RXRG and ARR3). PF treatment at D90 revealed an increase in cone and rod photoreceptors markers (ARR3, NRL, and NR2E3). Bulk RNA sequencing analysis mirrored the immunohistochemistry data and quantitative PCR confirmed Notch effector inhibition. Conclusions Timing the Notch pathway inhibition in human retinal organoids to align with progenitor competency stages can yield an enriched population of early cone or rod photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shereen H Chew
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Cassandra Martinez
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Kathleen R Chirco
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States
| | - Sangeetha Kandoi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Deepak A Lamba
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, California, United States.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, California, United States
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Huang L, Xiao H, Xie X, Hu F, Tang F, Smith SB, Gan L. Generation of Sigmar1 conditional knockout mouse using CRISPR-Cas9 gene targeting. Genesis 2022; 60:e23487. [PMID: 35633570 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23487] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Sigma 1 receptor (SIGMAR1) is a transmembrane protein located in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and plays an important role in cell survival as a pluripotent modulator of a variety of signaling pathways related to neurodegeneration. Though SIGMAR1 is a potential target for neurodegenerative diseases, the specific role of SIGMAR1 in different tissue and cell types remains unclear. Here we reported the generation of Sigmar1 conditional knockout (Sigmar1loxP ) mice using CRISPR-Cas9 method to insert loxP sites into the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions of Sigmar1. We showed that the insertion of loxP sequences did not affect the expression of Sigmar1 and that Sigmar1loxP/loxP mice exhibited no detectable visual defects compared with wild-type mice at the early adult stage. By crossing Sigmar1loxP mice with retina-specific Six3-Cre and ubiquitous CMV-Cre mice, we confirmed the deletion of Sigmar1 coding regions of exons 1-4, and the retina-specific and global loss of SIGMAR1 expression, respectively. Thus, Sigmar1loxP mice provide a valuable tool for unraveling the tissue and cell-type-specific role of Sigmar1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Haiyan Xiao
- Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Fang Hu
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Fulei Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sylvia B Smith
- Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.,Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
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LIM Homeobox 4 (lhx4) regulates retinal neural differentiation and visual function in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1977. [PMID: 33479361 PMCID: PMC7820405 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81211-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
LIM homeobox 4 (LHX4) is expressed in the photoreceptors (PRs) of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and bipolar cells (BCs) of the inner nuclear layer (INL) in mouse and chicken retina. It regulates the subtype-specific development of rod BCs and cone BCs in the mouse retina. However, no report has been published on its expression and function in the zebrafish retina. In this study, we assessed the expression of Lhx4 using in situ hybridization (ISH) technique and explored its role in zebrafish (Danio rerio) retinal development via morpholino (MO) technology. We found that the expression of lhx4 in the zebrafish retina begins 48 h post-fertilization (hpf) and is continuously expressed in the ONL and INL. A zebrafish model constructed with lhx4 knockdown in the eyes through vivo-MO revealed that: lhx4 knockdown inhibits the differentiation of Parvalbumin+ amacrine cells (ACs) and Rhodopsin+ rod photoreceptors (RPs), enhances the expression of visual system homeobox 2 (vsx2); and damages the responses of zebrafish to light stimulus, without affecting the differentiation of OFF-BCs and rod BCs, and apoptosis in the retina. These findings reveal that lhx4 regulates neural differentiation in the retina and visual function during zebrafish embryonic development.
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