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Xing L, Gkini V, Nieminen AI, Zhou HC, Aquilino M, Naumann R, Reppe K, Tanaka K, Carmeliet P, Heikinheimo O, Pääbo S, Huttner WB, Namba T. Functional synergy of a human-specific and an ape-specific metabolic regulator in human neocortex development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3468. [PMID: 38658571 PMCID: PMC11043075 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47437-8] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolism has recently emerged as a major target of genes implicated in the evolutionary expansion of human neocortex. One such gene is the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. During human neocortex development, ARHGAP11B increases the abundance of basal radial glia, key progenitors for neocortex expansion, by stimulating glutaminolysis (glutamine-to-glutamate-to-alpha-ketoglutarate) in mitochondria. Here we show that the ape-specific protein GLUD2 (glutamate dehydrogenase 2), which also operates in mitochondria and converts glutamate-to-αKG, enhances ARHGAP11B's ability to increase basal radial glia abundance. ARHGAP11B + GLUD2 double-transgenic bRG show increased production of aspartate, a metabolite essential for cell proliferation, from glutamate via alpha-ketoglutarate and the TCA cycle. Hence, during human evolution, a human-specific gene exploited the existence of another gene that emerged during ape evolution, to increase, via concerted changes in metabolism, progenitor abundance and neocortex size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Vasiliki Gkini
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni I Nieminen
- FIMM Metabolomics Unit, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hui-Chao Zhou
- Center for Cancer Biology (CCB), VIB-KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matilde Aquilino
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Reppe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kohichi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Oskari Heikinheimo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Onna-son, Japan
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Liu J, Mosti F, Zhao HT, Sotelo-Fonseca JE, Escobar-Tomlienovich CF, Lollis D, Musso CM, Mao Y, Massri AJ, Doll HM, Sousa AM, Wray GA, Schmidt E, Silver DL. A human-specific enhancer fine-tunes radial glia potency and corticogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588953. [PMID: 38645099 PMCID: PMC11030412 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Humans evolved an extraordinarily expanded and complex cerebral cortex, associated with developmental and gene regulatory modifications 1-3 . Human accelerated regions (HARs) are highly conserved genomic sequences with human-specific nucleotide substitutions. Although there are thousands of annotated HARs, their functional contribution to human-specific cortical development is largely unknown 4,5 . HARE5 is a HAR transcriptional enhancer of the WNT signaling receptor Frizzled8 (FZD8) active during brain development 6 . Here, using genome-edited mouse and primate models, we demonstrate that human (Hs) HARE5 fine-tunes cortical development and connectivity by controlling the proliferative and neurogenic capacity of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Hs-HARE5 knock-in mice have significantly enlarged neocortices containing more neurons. By measuring neural dynamics in vivo we show these anatomical features correlate with increased functional independence between cortical regions. To understand the underlying developmental mechanisms, we assess progenitor fate using live imaging, lineage analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing. This reveals Hs-HARE5 modifies radial glial progenitor behavior, with increased self-renewal at early developmental stages followed by expanded neurogenic potential. We use genome-edited human and chimpanzee (Pt) NPCs and cortical organoids to assess the relative enhancer activity and function of Hs-HARE5 and Pt-HARE5. Using these orthogonal strategies we show four human-specific variants in HARE5 drive increased enhancer activity which promotes progenitor proliferation. These findings illustrate how small changes in regulatory DNA can directly impact critical signaling pathways and brain development. Our study uncovers new functions for HARs as key regulatory elements crucial for the expansion and complexity of the human cerebral cortex.
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Dehay C, Huttner WB. Development and evolution of the primate neocortex from a progenitor cell perspective. Development 2024; 151:dev199797. [PMID: 38369736 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199797] [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] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Dehay
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Abstract
Brain development in humans is achieved through precise spatiotemporal genetic control, the mechanisms of which remain largely elusive. Recently, integration of technological advances in human stem cell-based modelling with genome editing has emerged as a powerful platform to establish causative links between genotypes and phenotypes directly in the human system. Here, we review our current knowledge of complex genetic regulation of each key step of human brain development through the lens of evolutionary specialization and neurodevelopmental disorders and highlight the use of human stem cell-derived 2D cultures and 3D brain organoids to investigate human-enriched features and disease mechanisms. We also discuss opportunities and challenges of integrating new technologies to reveal the genetic architecture of human brain development and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Fair T, Pavlovic BJ, Schaefer NK, Pollen AA. Mapping cis- and trans-regulatory target genes of human-specific deletions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.27.573461. [PMID: 38234800 PMCID: PMC10793408 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Deletion of functional sequence is predicted to represent a fundamental mechanism of molecular evolution1,2. Comparative genetic studies of primates2,3 have identified thousands of human-specific deletions (hDels), and the cis-regulatory potential of short (≤31 base pairs) hDels has been assessed using reporter assays4. However, how structural variant-sized (≥50 base pairs) hDels influence molecular and cellular processes in their native genomic contexts remains unexplored. Here, we design genome-scale libraries of single-guide RNAs targeting 7.2 megabases of sequence in 6,358 hDels and present a systematic CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screening approach to identify hDels that modify cellular proliferation in chimpanzee pluripotent stem cells. By intersecting hDels with chromatin state features and performing single-cell CRISPRi (Perturb-seq) to identify their cis- and trans-regulatory target genes, we discovered 19 hDels controlling gene expression. We highlight two hDels, hDel_2247 and hDel_585, with tissue-specific activity in the liver and brain, respectively. Our findings reveal a molecular and cellular role for sequences lost in the human lineage and establish a framework for functionally interrogating human-specific genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Fair
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bryan J Pavlovic
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathan K Schaefer
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Libé-Philippot B, Lejeune A, Wierda K, Louros N, Erkol E, Vlaeminck I, Beckers S, Gaspariunaite V, Bilheu A, Konstantoulea K, Nyitrai H, De Vleeschouwer M, Vennekens KM, Vidal N, Bird TW, Soto DC, Jaspers T, Dewilde M, Dennis MY, Rousseau F, Comoletti D, Schymkowitz J, Theys T, de Wit J, Vanderhaeghen P. LRRC37B is a human modifier of voltage-gated sodium channels and axon excitability in cortical neurons. Cell 2023; 186:5766-5783.e25. [PMID: 38134874 PMCID: PMC10754148 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.028] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The enhanced cognitive abilities characterizing the human species result from specialized features of neurons and circuits. Here, we report that the hominid-specific gene LRRC37B encodes a receptor expressed in human cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) and selectively localized to the axon initial segment (AIS), the subcellular compartment triggering action potentials. Ectopic expression of LRRC37B in mouse CPNs in vivo leads to reduced intrinsic excitability, a distinctive feature of some classes of human CPNs. Molecularly, LRRC37B binds to the secreted ligand FGF13A and to the voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) β-subunit SCN1B. LRRC37B concentrates inhibitory effects of FGF13A on Nav channel function, thereby reducing excitability, specifically at the AIS level. Electrophysiological recordings in adult human cortical slices reveal lower neuronal excitability in human CPNs expressing LRRC37B. LRRC37B thus acts as a species-specific modifier of human neuron excitability, linking human genome and cell evolution, with important implications for human brain function and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Libé-Philippot
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amélie Lejeune
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Keimpe Wierda
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Electrophysiology Unit, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Louros
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emir Erkol
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ine Vlaeminck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Electrophysiology Unit, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Beckers
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vaiva Gaspariunaite
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Angéline Bilheu
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katerina Konstantoulea
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hajnalka Nyitrai
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthias De Vleeschouwer
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kristel M Vennekens
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Niels Vidal
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas W Bird
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Daniela C Soto
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Tom Jaspers
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Dewilde
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Davide Comoletti
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Theys
- KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Research Group Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joris de Wit
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KUL, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
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