1
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Wang X, Wang T, Kaneko S, Kriukov E, Lam E, Szczepan M, Chen J, Gregg A, Wang X, Fernandez-Gonzalez A, Mitsialis SA, Kourembanas S, Baranov P, Sun Y. Photoreceptors inhibit pathological retinal angiogenesis through transcriptional regulation of Adam17 via c-Fos. Angiogenesis 2024; 27:379-395. [PMID: 38483712 PMCID: PMC11303108 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-024-09912-0] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Pathological retinal angiogenesis profoundly impacts visual function in vascular eye diseases, such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants and age-related macular degeneration in the elderly. While the involvement of photoreceptors in these diseases is recognized, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study delved into the pivotal role of photoreceptors in regulating abnormal retinal blood vessel growth using an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model through the c-Fos/A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (Adam17) axis. Our findings revealed a significant induction of c-Fos expression in rod photoreceptors, and c-Fos depletion in these cells inhibited pathological neovascularization and reduced blood vessel leakage in the OIR mouse model. Mechanistically, c-Fos directly regulated the transcription of Adam17 a shedding protease responsible for the production of bioactive molecules involved in inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell adhesion and migration. Furthermore, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential by using an adeno-associated virus carrying a rod photoreceptor-specific short hairpin RNA against c-fos which effectively mitigated abnormal retinal blood vessel overgrowth, restored retinal thickness, and improved electroretinographic (ERG) responses. In conclusion, this study highlights the significance of photoreceptor c-Fos in ROP pathology, offering a novel perspective for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tianxi Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Satoshi Kaneko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emil Kriukov
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Enton Lam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manon Szczepan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jasmine Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Austin Gregg
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xingyan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angeles Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Alex Mitsialis
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stella Kourembanas
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petr Baranov
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ye Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Avilés EC, Wang SK, Patel S, Shi S, Lin L, Kefalov VJ, Goodrich LV, Cepko CL, Xue Y. High temporal frequency light response in mouse retina requires FAT3 signaling in bipolar cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.02.565326. [PMID: 37961274 PMCID: PMC10635074 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Vision is initiated by the reception of light by photoreceptors and subsequent processing via downstream retinal neurons. Proper cellular organization depends on the multi-functional tissue polarity protein FAT3, which is required for amacrine cell connectivity and retinal lamination. Here we investigated the retinal function of Fat3 mutant mice and found decreases in physiological and perceptual responses to high frequency flashes. These defects did not correlate with abnormal amacrine cell wiring, pointing instead to a role in bipolar cell subtypes that also express FAT3. The role of FAT3 in the response to high temporal frequency flashes depends upon its ability to transduce an intracellular signal. Mechanistically, FAT3 binds to the synaptic protein PTPσ, intracellularly, and is required to localize GRIK1 to OFF-cone bipolar cell synapses with cone photoreceptors. These findings expand the repertoire of FAT3's functions and reveal its importance in bipolar cells for high frequency light response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Avilés
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sean K Wang
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Sarina Patel
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shuxiang Shi
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China, 200031
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China, 201210
| | - Lucas Lin
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute & Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Lisa V Goodrich
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Yunlu Xue
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China, 200031
- Lead contact
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3
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Patierno BM, Emerson MM. Enhanced Plasmid-Based Transcriptional Activation in Developing Mouse Photoreceptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597220. [PMID: 38895286 PMCID: PMC11185626 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Rod photoreceptor formation in the postnatal mouse is a widely used model system for studying mammalian photoreceptor development. This experimental paradigm provides opportunities for both gain and loss-of-function studies which can be accomplished through in vivo plasmid delivery and electroporation. However, the cis-regulatory elements used to implement this approach have not been fully evaluated or optimized for the unique transcriptional environment of photoreceptors. Here we report that the use of a photoreceptor cis-regulatory element from the Crx gene in combination with broadly active promoter elements can increase the targeting of developing rod photoreceptors in the mouse. This can lead to greater reporter expression, as well as enhanced misexpression and loss-of-function phenotypes in these cells. This study also highlights the importance of identifying and testing relevant cis-regulatory elements when planning cell subtype specific experiments. The use of the specific hybrid elements in this study will provide a more efficacious gene delivery system to study mammalian photoreceptor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon M. Patierno
- Biology Ph.D. Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10031
| | - Mark M. Emerson
- Biology Ph.D. Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10031
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10031
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4
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Sabin KZ, Chen S, Hill EM, Weaver KJ, Yonke J, Kirkman M, Redwine WB, Klompen AML, Zhao X, Guo F, McKinney MC, Dewey JL, Gibson MC. Graded FGF activity patterns distinct cell types within the apical sensory organ of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Dev Biol 2024; 510:50-65. [PMID: 38521499 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.02.010] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Bilaterian animals have evolved complex sensory organs comprised of distinct cell types that function coordinately to sense the environment. Each sensory unit has a defined architecture built from component cell types, including sensory cells, non-sensory support cells, and dedicated sensory neurons. Whether this characteristic cellular composition is present in the sensory organs of non-bilaterian animals is unknown. Here, we interrogate the cell type composition and gene regulatory networks controlling development of the larval apical sensory organ in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Using single cell RNA sequencing and imaging approaches, we reveal two unique cell types in the Nematostella apical sensory organ, GABAergic sensory cells and a putative non-sensory support cell population. Further, we identify the paired-like (PRD) homeodomain gene prd146 as a specific sensory cell marker and show that Prd146+ sensory cells become post-mitotic after gastrulation. Genetic loss of function approaches show that Prd146 is essential for apical sensory organ development. Using a candidate gene knockdown approach, we place prd146 downstream of FGF signaling in the apical sensory organ gene regulatory network. Further, we demonstrate that an aboral FGF activity gradient coordinately regulates the specification of both sensory and support cells. Collectively, these experiments define the genetic basis for apical sensory organ development in a non-bilaterian animal and reveal an unanticipated degree of complexity in a prototypic sensory structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Z Sabin
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Shiyuan Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Eric M Hill
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Kyle J Weaver
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jacob Yonke
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Xia Zhao
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Fengli Guo
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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5
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Dorgau B, Collin J, Rozanska A, Zerti D, Unsworth A, Crosier M, Hussain R, Coxhead J, Dhanaseelan T, Patel A, Sowden JC, FitzPatrick DR, Queen R, Lako M. Single-cell analyses reveal transient retinal progenitor cells in the ciliary margin of developing human retina. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3567. [PMID: 38670973 PMCID: PMC11053058 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47933-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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of retinal progenitor cells and differentiation to various retinal cell types represent fundamental processes during retinal development. Herein, we provide a comprehensive single cell characterisation of transcriptional and chromatin accessibility changes that underline retinal progenitor cell specification and differentiation over the course of human retinal development up to midgestation. Our lineage trajectory data demonstrate the presence of early retinal progenitors, which transit to late, and further to transient neurogenic progenitors, that give rise to all the retinal neurons. Combining single cell RNA-Seq with spatial transcriptomics of early eye samples, we demonstrate the transient presence of early retinal progenitors in the ciliary margin zone with decreasing occurrence from 8 post-conception week of human development. In retinal progenitor cells, we identified a significant enrichment for transcriptional enhanced associate domain transcription factor binding motifs, which when inhibited led to loss of cycling progenitors and retinal identity in pluripotent stem cell derived organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Dorgau
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Joseph Collin
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Agata Rozanska
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Darin Zerti
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | | | - Moira Crosier
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | | | | | | | - Aara Patel
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jane C Sowden
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - David R FitzPatrick
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rachel Queen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
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6
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Zheng Y, Stormo GD, Chen S. Aberrant homeodomain-DNA cooperative dimerization underlies distinct developmental defects in two dominant CRX retinopathy models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584677. [PMID: 38559186 PMCID: PMC10979960 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Paired-class homeodomain transcription factors (HD TFs) play essential roles in vertebrate development, and their mutations are linked to human diseases. One unique feature of paired-class HD is cooperative dimerization on specific palindrome DNA sequences. Yet, the functional significance of HD cooperative dimerization in animal development and its dysregulation in diseases remain elusive. Using the retinal TF Cone-rod Homeobox (CRX) as a model, we have studied how blindness-causing mutations in the paired HD, p.E80A and p.K88N, alter CRX's cooperative dimerization, lead to gene misexpression and photoreceptor developmental deficits in dominant manners. CRXE80A maintains binding at monomeric WT CRX motifs but is deficient in cooperative binding at dimeric motifs. CRXE80A's cooperativity defect impacts the exponential increase of photoreceptor gene expression in terminal differentiation and produces immature, non-functional photoreceptors in the CrxE80A retinas. CRXK88N is highly cooperative and localizes to ectopic genomic sites with strong enrichment of dimeric HD motifs. CRXK88N's altered biochemical properties disrupt CRX's ability to direct dynamic chromatin remodeling during development to activate photoreceptor differentiation programs and silence progenitor programs. Our study here provides in vitro and in vivo molecular evidence that paired-class HD cooperative dimerization regulates neuronal development and dysregulation of cooperative binding contributes to severe dominant blinding retinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiao Zheng
- Molecular Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Gary D. Stormo
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Shiming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
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7
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Zheng Y, Chen S. Transcriptional precision in photoreceptor development and diseases - Lessons from 25 years of CRX research. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1347436. [PMID: 38414750 PMCID: PMC10896975 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1347436] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate retina is made up of six specialized neuronal cell types and one glia that are generated from a common retinal progenitor. The development of these distinct cell types is programmed by transcription factors that regulate the expression of specific genes essential for cell fate specification and differentiation. Because of the complex nature of transcriptional regulation, understanding transcription factor functions in development and disease is challenging. Research on the Cone-rod homeobox transcription factor CRX provides an excellent model to address these challenges. In this review, we reflect on 25 years of mammalian CRX research and discuss recent progress in elucidating the distinct pathogenic mechanisms of four CRX coding variant classes. We highlight how in vitro biochemical studies of CRX protein functions facilitate understanding CRX regulatory principles in animal models. We conclude with a brief discussion of the emerging systems biology approaches that could accelerate precision medicine for CRX-linked diseases and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiao Zheng
- Molecular Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Shiming Chen
- Molecular Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
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8
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Pan X, Zhang X. Studying temporal dynamics of single cells: expression, lineage and regulatory networks. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:57-67. [PMID: 38495440 PMCID: PMC10937865 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01090-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning how multicellular organs are developed from single cells to different cell types is a fundamental problem in biology. With the high-throughput scRNA-seq technology, computational methods have been developed to reveal the temporal dynamics of single cells from transcriptomic data, from phenomena on cell trajectories to the underlying mechanism that formed the trajectory. There are several distinct families of computational methods including Trajectory Inference (TI), Lineage Tracing (LT), and Gene Regulatory Network (GRN) Inference which are involved in such studies. This review summarizes these computational approaches which use scRNA-seq data to study cell differentiation and cell fate specification as well as the advantages and limitations of different methods. We further discuss how GRNs can potentially affect cell fate decisions and trajectory structures. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12551-023-01090-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhai Pan
- School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Xiuwei Zhang
- School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
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9
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Cheung G, Pauler FM, Koppensteiner P, Krausgruber T, Streicher C, Schrammel M, Gutmann-Özgen N, Ivec AE, Bock C, Shigemoto R, Hippenmeyer S. Multipotent progenitors instruct ontogeny of the superior colliculus. Neuron 2024; 112:230-246.e11. [PMID: 38096816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) in the mammalian midbrain is essential for multisensory integration and is composed of a rich diversity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons and glia. However, the developmental principles directing the generation of SC cell-type diversity are not understood. Here, we pursued systematic cell lineage tracing in silico and in vivo, preserving full spatial information, using genetic mosaic analysis with double markers (MADM)-based clonal analysis with single-cell sequencing (MADM-CloneSeq). The analysis of clonally related cell lineages revealed that radial glial progenitors (RGPs) in SC are exceptionally multipotent. Individual resident RGPs have the capacity to produce all excitatory and inhibitory SC neuron types, even at the stage of terminal division. While individual clonal units show no pre-defined cellular composition, the establishment of appropriate relative proportions of distinct neuronal types occurs in a PTEN-dependent manner. Collectively, our findings provide an inaugural framework at the single-RGP/-cell level of the mammalian SC ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Cheung
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Florian M Pauler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Koppensteiner
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Krausgruber
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Austrian Academy of Sciences; 1090 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carmen Streicher
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Martin Schrammel
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Natalie Gutmann-Özgen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Alexis E Ivec
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Austrian Academy of Sciences; 1090 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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10
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Wahle P, Brancati G, Harmel C, He Z, Gut G, Del Castillo JS, Xavier da Silveira Dos Santos A, Yu Q, Noser P, Fleck JS, Gjeta B, Pavlinić D, Picelli S, Hess M, Schmidt GW, Lummen TTA, Hou Y, Galliker P, Goldblum D, Balogh M, Cowan CS, Scholl HPN, Roska B, Renner M, Pelkmans L, Treutlein B, Camp JG. Multimodal spatiotemporal phenotyping of human retinal organoid development. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1765-1775. [PMID: 37156914 PMCID: PMC10713453 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01747-2] [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: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Organoids generated from human pluripotent stem cells provide experimental systems to study development and disease, but quantitative measurements across different spatial scales and molecular modalities are lacking. In this study, we generated multiplexed protein maps over a retinal organoid time course and primary adult human retinal tissue. We developed a toolkit to visualize progenitor and neuron location, the spatial arrangements of extracellular and subcellular components and global patterning in each organoid and primary tissue. In addition, we generated a single-cell transcriptome and chromatin accessibility timecourse dataset and inferred a gene regulatory network underlying organoid development. We integrated genomic data with spatially segmented nuclei into a multimodal atlas to explore organoid patterning and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) spatial neighborhoods, highlighting pathways involved in RGC cell death and showing that mosaic genetic perturbations in retinal organoids provide insight into cell fate regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wahle
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna Brancati
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Harmel
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhisong He
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Gut
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Aline Xavier da Silveira Dos Santos
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Qianhui Yu
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Noser
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Simon Fleck
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Gjeta
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dinko Pavlinić
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simone Picelli
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Max Hess
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gregor W Schmidt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tom T A Lummen
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yanyan Hou
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Galliker
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Goldblum
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marton Balogh
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cameron S Cowan
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Botond Roska
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Renner
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Pelkmans
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - J Gray Camp
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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11
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Oikonomou P, Cirne HC, Nerurkar NL. A chemo-mechanical model of endoderm movements driving elongation of the amniote hindgut. Development 2023; 150:dev202010. [PMID: 37840469 PMCID: PMC10690059 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202010] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Although mechanical and biochemical descriptions of development are each essential, integration of upstream morphogenic cues with downstream tissue mechanics remains understudied during vertebrate morphogenesis. Here, we developed a two-dimensional chemo-mechanical model to investigate how mechanical properties of the endoderm and transport properties of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) regulate avian hindgut morphogenesis in a coordinated manner. Posterior endoderm cells convert a gradient of FGF ligands into a contractile force gradient, leading to a force imbalance that drives collective cell movements that elongate the forming hindgut tube. We formulated a 2D reaction-diffusion-advection model describing the formation of an FGF protein gradient as a result of posterior displacement of cells transcribing unstable Fgf8 mRNA during axis elongation, coupled with translation, diffusion and degradation of FGF protein. The endoderm was modeled as an active viscous fluid that generates contractile stresses in proportion to FGF concentration. With parameter values constrained by experimental data, the model replicates key aspects of hindgut morphogenesis, suggests that graded isotropic contraction is sufficient to generate large anisotropic cell movements, and provides new insight into how chemo-mechanical coupling across the mesoderm and endoderm coordinates hindgut elongation with axis elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Oikonomou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Helena C. Cirne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Nandan L. Nerurkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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12
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Zhang X, Leavey P, Appel H, Makrides N, Blackshaw S. Molecular mechanisms controlling vertebrate retinal patterning, neurogenesis, and cell fate specification. Trends Genet 2023; 39:736-757. [PMID: 37423870 PMCID: PMC10529299 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
This review covers recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling neurogenesis and specification of the developing retina, with a focus on insights obtained from comparative single cell multiomic analysis. We discuss recent advances in understanding the mechanisms by which extrinsic factors trigger transcriptional changes that spatially pattern the optic cup (OC) and control the initiation and progression of retinal neurogenesis. We also discuss progress in unraveling the core evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that specify early- and late-state retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and neurogenic progenitors and that control the final steps in determining cell identity. Finally, we discuss findings that provide insight into regulation of species-specific aspects of retinal patterning and neurogenesis, including consideration of key outstanding questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Patrick Leavey
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Haley Appel
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neoklis Makrides
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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13
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Sun C, Ruzycki PA, Chen S. Rho enhancers play unexpectedly minor roles in Rhodopsin transcription and rod cell integrity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12899. [PMID: 37558693 PMCID: PMC10412641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39979-6] [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: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancers function with a basal promoter to control the transcription of target genes. Enhancer regulatory activity is often studied using reporter-based transgene assays. However, unmatched results have been reported when selected enhancers are silenced in situ. In this study, using genomic deletion analysis in mice, we investigated the roles of two previously identified enhancers and the promoter of the Rho gene that codes for the visual pigment rhodopsin. The Rho gene is robustly expressed by rod photoreceptors of the retina, and essential for the subcellular structure and visual function of rod photoreceptors. Mutations in RHO cause severe vision loss in humans. We found that each Rho regulatory region can independently mediate local epigenomic changes, but only the promoter is absolutely required for establishing active Rho chromatin configuration and transcription and maintaining the cell integrity and function of rod photoreceptors. To our surprise, two Rho enhancers that enable strong promoter activation in reporter assays are largely dispensable for Rho expression in vivo. Only small and age-dependent impact is detectable when both enhancers are deleted. Our results demonstrate context-dependent roles of enhancers and highlight the importance of studying functions of cis-regulatory regions in the native genomic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Philip A Ruzycki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Washington University, 660 South Euclid Avenue, MSC 8096-0006-11, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Shiming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University, 660 South Euclid Avenue, MSC 8096-0006-06, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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14
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Li L, Sun Y, Davis AE, Shah SH, Hamed LK, Wu MR, Lin CH, Ding JB, Wang S. Mettl14-mediated m 6A modification ensures the cell-cycle progression of late-born retinal progenitor cells. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112596. [PMID: 37269288 PMCID: PMC10543643 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112596] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural progenitor cells lengthen their cell cycle to prime themselves for differentiation as development proceeds. It is currently not clear how they counter this lengthening and avoid being halted in the cell cycle. We show that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of cell-cycle-related mRNAs ensures the proper cell-cycle progression of late-born retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), which are born toward the end of retinogenesis and have long cell-cycle length. Conditional deletion of Mettl14, which is required for depositing m6A, led to delayed cell-cycle exit of late-born RPCs but has no effect on retinal development prior to birth. m6A sequencing and single-cell transcriptomics revealed that mRNAs involved in elongating the cell cycle were highly enriched for m6A, which could target them for degradation and guarantee proper cell-cycle progression. In addition, we identified Zfp292 as a target of m6A and potent inhibitor of RPC cell-cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Yue Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alexander E Davis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sahil H Shah
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Lobna K Hamed
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Cheng-Hui Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.
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15
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Oikonomou P, Cirne HC, Nerurkar NL. A chemo-mechanical model of endoderm movements driving elongation of the amniote hindgut. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.18.541363. [PMID: 37292966 PMCID: PMC10245718 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.18.541363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
While mechanical and biochemical descriptions of development are each essential, integration of upstream morphogenic cues with downstream tissue mechanics remains understudied in many contexts during vertebrate morphogenesis. A posterior gradient of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) ligands generates a contractile force gradient in the definitive endoderm, driving collective cell movements to form the hindgut. Here, we developed a two-dimensional chemo-mechanical model to investigate how mechanical properties of the endoderm and transport properties of FGF coordinately regulate this process. We began by formulating a 2-D reaction-diffusion-advection model that describes the formation of an FGF protein gradient due to posterior displacement of cells transcribing unstable Fgf8 mRNA during axis elongation, coupled with translation, diffusion, and degradation of FGF protein. This was used together with experimental measurements of FGF activity in the chick endoderm to inform a continuum model of definitive endoderm as an active viscous fluid that generates contractile stresses in proportion to FGF concentration. The model replicated key aspects of hindgut morphogenesis, confirms that heterogeneous - but isotropic - contraction is sufficient to generate large anisotropic cell movements, and provides new insight into how chemo-mechanical coupling across the mesoderm and endoderm coordinates hindgut elongation with outgrowth of the tailbud.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helena C. Cirne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
| | - Nandan L. Nerurkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York NY 10027
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16
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Lorincz R, Alvarez AB, Walkey CJ, Mendonça SA, Lu ZH, Martinez AE, Ljungberg C, Heaney JD, Lagor WR, Curiel DT. In vivo editing of the pan-endothelium by immunity evading simian adenoviral vector. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114189. [PMID: 36587560 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114189] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological applications deriving from the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 site-specific nuclease system continue to impact and accelerate gene therapy strategies. Safe and effective in vivo co-delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to target somatic cells is essential in the clinical therapeutic context. Both non-viral and viral vector systems have been applied for this delivery matter. Despite elegant proof-of-principle studies, available vector technologies still face challenges that restrict the application of CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated gene therapy. Of note, the mandated co-delivery of the gene-editing components must be accomplished in the potential presence of pre-formed anti-vector immunity. Additionally, methods must be sought to limit the potential of off-target editing. To this end, we have exploited the molecular promiscuities of adenovirus (Ad) to address the key requirements of CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated gene therapy. In this regard, we have endeavored capsid engineering of a simian (chimpanzee) adenovirus isolate 36 (SAd36) to achieve targeted modifications of vector tropism. The SAd36 vector with the myeloid cell-binding peptide (MBP) incorporated in the capsid has allowed selective in vivo modifications of the vascular endothelium. Importantly, vascular endothelium can serve as an effective non-hepatic cellular source of deficient serum factors relevant to several inherited genetic disorders. In addition to allowing for re-directed tropism, capsid engineering of nonhuman primate Ads provide the means to circumvent pre-formed vector immunity. Herein we have generated a SAd36. MBP vector that can serve as a single intravenously administered agent allowing effective and selective in vivo editing for endothelial target cells of the mouse spleen, brain and kidney. DATA AVAILABILITY: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reka Lorincz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus box 8224, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aluet Borrego Alvarez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus box 8224, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Christopher J Walkey
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Samir A Mendonça
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus box 8224, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zhi Hong Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus box 8224, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexa E Martinez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cecilia Ljungberg
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason D Heaney
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - William R Lagor
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David T Curiel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus box 8224, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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17
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Bunker J, Bashir M, Bailey S, Boodram P, Perry A, Delaney R, Tsachaki M, Sprecher SG, Nelson E, Call GB, Rister J. Blimp-1/PRDM1 and Hr3/RORβ specify the blue-sensitive photoreceptor subtype in Drosophila by repressing the hippo pathway. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1058961. [PMID: 36960411 PMCID: PMC10027706 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1058961] [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: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
During terminal differentiation of the mammalian retina, transcription factors control binary cell fate decisions that generate functionally distinct subtypes of photoreceptor neurons. For instance, Otx2 and RORβ activate the expression of the transcriptional repressor Blimp-1/PRDM1 that represses bipolar interneuron fate and promotes rod photoreceptor fate. Moreover, Otx2 and Crx promote expression of the nuclear receptor Nrl that promotes rod photoreceptor fate and represses cone photoreceptor fate. Mutations in these four transcription factors cause severe eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Here, we show that a post-mitotic binary fate decision in Drosophila color photoreceptor subtype specification requires ecdysone signaling and involves orthologs of these transcription factors: Drosophila Blimp-1/PRDM1 and Hr3/RORβ promote blue-sensitive (Rh5) photoreceptor fate and repress green-sensitive (Rh6) photoreceptor fate through the transcriptional repression of warts/LATS, the nexus of the phylogenetically conserved Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. Moreover, we identify a novel interaction between Blimp-1 and warts, whereby Blimp-1 represses a warts intronic enhancer in blue-sensitive photoreceptors and thereby gives rise to specific expression of warts in green-sensitive photoreceptors. Together, these results reveal that conserved transcriptional regulators play key roles in terminal cell fate decisions in both the Drosophila and the mammalian retina, and the mechanistic insights further deepen our understanding of how Hippo pathway signaling is repurposed to control photoreceptor fates for Drosophila color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Bunker
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mhamed Bashir
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sydney Bailey
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Pamela Boodram
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
- NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alexis Perry
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rory Delaney
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maria Tsachaki
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Simon G. Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Erik Nelson
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States
| | - Gerald B. Call
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States
| | - Jens Rister
- Department of Biology, Integrated Sciences Complex, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jens Rister,
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18
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Petridou E, Godinho L. Cellular and Molecular Determinants of Retinal Cell Fate. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2022; 8:79-99. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100820-103154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina is regarded as a simple part of the central nervous system (CNS) and thus amenable to investigations of the determinants of cell fate. Its five neuronal cell classes and one glial cell class all derive from a common pool of progenitors. Here we review how each cell class is generated. Retinal progenitors progress through different competence states, in each of which they generate only a small repertoire of cell classes. The intrinsic state of the progenitor is determined by the complement of transcription factors it expresses. Thus, although progenitors are multipotent, there is a bias in the types of fates they generate during any particular time window. Overlying these competence states are stochastic mechanisms that influence fate decisions. These mechanisms are determined by a weighted set of probabilities based on the abundance of a cell class in the retina. Deterministic mechanisms also operate, especially late in development, when preprogrammed progenitors solely generate specific fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Petridou
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;,
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Leanne Godinho
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;,
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19
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Langouët M, Jolicoeur C, Javed A, Mattar P, Gearhart MD, Daiger SP, Bertelsen M, Tranebjærg L, Rendtorff ND, Grønskov K, Jespersgaard C, Chen R, Sun Z, Li H, Alirezaie N, Majewski J, Bardwell VJ, Sui R, Koenekoop RK, Cayouette M. Mutations in BCOR, a co-repressor of CRX/OTX2, are associated with early-onset retinal degeneration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabh2868. [PMID: 36070393 PMCID: PMC9451151 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many transcription factors regulating the production, survival, and function of photoreceptor cells have been identified, but little is known about transcriptional co-regulators in retinal health and disease. Here, we show that BCL6 co-repressor (BCOR), a Polycomb repressive complex 1 factor mutated in various cancers, is involved in photoreceptor degenerative diseases. Using proteomics and transcription assays, we report that BCOR interacts with the transcription factors CRX and OTX2 and reduces their ability to activate the promoters of photoreceptor-specific genes. CUT&RUN sequencing further shows that BCOR shares genome-wide binding profiles with CRX/OTX2, consistent with a general co-repression activity. We also identify missense mutations in human BCOR in five families that have no evidence of cancer but present severe early-onset X-linked retinal degeneration. Last, we show that the human BCOR mutants cause degeneration when expressed in the mouse retina and have enhanced repressive activity on OTX2. These results uncover a role for BCOR in photoreceptors in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maéva Langouët
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Christine Jolicoeur
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Awais Javed
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Pierre Mattar
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Micah D. Gearhart
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Development Biology Center, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stephen P. Daiger
- EHGED Department, Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas HSC, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mette Bertelsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth Tranebjærg
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nanna D. Rendtorff
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karen Grønskov
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Catherine Jespersgaard
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, The Kennedy Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zixi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Najmeh Alirezaie
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacek Majewski
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vivian J. Bardwell
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Development Biology Center, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ruifang Sui
- Department of Ophthalmology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Robert K. Koenekoop
- Departments of Pediatric Surgery, Human Genetics, Adult Ophthalmology and the McGill Ocular Genetics Laboratory, McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michel Cayouette
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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20
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Bian F, Daghsni M, Lu F, Liu S, Gross JM, Aldiri I. Functional analysis of the Vsx2 super-enhancer uncovers distinct cis-regulatory circuits controlling Vsx2 expression during retinogenesis. Development 2022; 149:dev200642. [PMID: 35831950 PMCID: PMC9440754 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200642] [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: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Vsx2 is a transcription factor essential for retinal proliferation and bipolar cell differentiation, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its developmental roles are unclear. Here, we have profiled VSX2 genomic occupancy during mouse retinogenesis, revealing extensive retinal genetic programs associated with VSX2 during development. VSX2 binds and transactivates its enhancer in association with the transcription factor PAX6. Mice harboring deletions in the Vsx2 regulatory landscape exhibit specific abnormalities in retinal proliferation and in bipolar cell differentiation. In one of those deletions, a complete loss of bipolar cells is associated with a bias towards photoreceptor production. VSX2 occupies cis-regulatory elements nearby genes associated with photoreceptor differentiation and homeostasis in the adult mouse and human retina, including a conserved region nearby Prdm1, a factor implicated in the specification of rod photoreceptors and suppression of bipolar cell fate. VSX2 interacts with the transcription factor OTX2 and can act to suppress OTX2-dependent enhancer transactivation of the Prdm1 enhancer. Taken together, our analyses indicate that Vsx2 expression can be temporally and spatially uncoupled at the enhancer level, and they illuminate important mechanistic insights into how VSX2 is engaged with gene regulatory networks that are essential for retinal proliferation and cell fate acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyun Bian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marwa Daghsni
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Fangfang Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Silvia Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Gross
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Issam Aldiri
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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21
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Single-cell multiome of the human retina and deep learning nominate causal variants in complex eye diseases. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:100164. [PMID: 36277849 PMCID: PMC9584034 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of eye disorders have identified hundreds of genetic variants associated with ocular disease. However, the vast majority of these variants are noncoding, making it challenging to interpret their function. Here we present a joint single-cell atlas of gene expression and chromatin accessibility of the adult human retina with more than 50,000 cells, which we used to analyze single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) implicated by GWASs of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, myopia, and type 2 macular telangiectasia. We integrate this atlas with a HiChIP enhancer connectome, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data, and base-resolution deep learning models to predict noncoding SNPs with causal roles in eye disease, assess SNP impact on transcription factor binding, and define their known and novel target genes. Our efforts nominate pathogenic SNP-target gene interactions for multiple vision disorders and provide a potentially powerful resource for interpreting noncoding variation in the eye.
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22
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Mai S, Zhu X, Wan EYC, Wu S, Yonathan JN, Wang J, Li Y, Ma JYW, Zuo B, Tse DYY, Lo PC, Wang X, Chan KM, Wu DM, Xiong W. Postnatal eye size in mice is controlled by SREBP2-mediated transcriptional repression of Lrp2 and Bmp2. Development 2022; 149:276005. [PMID: 35833708 PMCID: PMC9382895 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Eye size is a key parameter of visual function, but the precise mechanisms of eye size control remain poorly understood. Here, we discovered that the lipogenic transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2) has an unanticipated function in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to promote eye size in postnatal mice. SREBP2 transcriptionally represses low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 (Lrp2), which has been shown to restrict eye overgrowth. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is the downstream effector of Srebp2 and Lrp2, and Bmp2 is suppressed by SREBP2 transcriptionally but activated by Lrp2. During postnatal development, SREBP2 protein expression in the RPE decreases whereas that of Lrp2 and Bmp2 increases as the eye growth rate reduces. Bmp2 is the key determinant of eye size such that its level in mouse RPE inversely correlates with eye size. Notably, RPE-specific Bmp2 overexpression by adeno-associated virus effectively prevents the phenotypes caused by Lrp2 knock out. Together, our study shows that rapid postnatal eye size increase is governed by an RPE-derived signaling pathway, which consists of both positive and negative regulators of eye growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Mai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Esther Yi Ching Wan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shengyu Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying Li
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, 030024 Taiyuan, China
| | - Jessica Yuen Wuen Ma
- Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bing Zuo
- Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dennis Yan-Yin Tse
- Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.,Research Centre for SHARP Vision, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pui-Chi Lo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kui Ming Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - David M Wu
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Wenjun Xiong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
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23
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Hussey KA, Hadyniak SE, Johnston RJ. Patterning and Development of Photoreceptors in the Human Retina. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:878350. [PMID: 35493094 PMCID: PMC9049932 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.878350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans rely on visual cues to navigate the world around them. Vision begins with the detection of light by photoreceptor cells in the retina, a light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. Photoreceptor types are defined by morphology, gene expression, light sensitivity, and function. Rod photoreceptors function in low-light vision and motion detection, and cone photoreceptors are responsible for high-acuity daytime and trichromatic color vision. In this review, we discuss the generation, development, and patterning of photoreceptors in the human retina. We describe our current understanding of how photoreceptors are patterned in concentric regions. We conclude with insights into mechanisms of photoreceptor differentiation drawn from studies of model organisms and human retinal organoids.
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24
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Sequential enhancer state remodelling defines human germline competence and specification. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:448-460. [PMID: 35411086 PMCID: PMC7612729 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00878-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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25
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Multiplexed genome regulation in vivo with hyper-efficient Cas12a. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:590-600. [PMID: 35414015 PMCID: PMC9035114 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00870-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Multiplexed modulation of endogenous genes is crucial for sophisticated gene therapy and cell engineering. CRISPR-Cas12a systems enable versatile multiple-genomic-loci targeting by processing numerous CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) from a single transcript; however, their low efficiency has hindered in vivo applications. Through structure-guided protein engineering, we developed a hyper-efficient Lachnospiraceae bacterium Cas12a variant, termed hyperCas12a, with its catalytically dead version hyperdCas12a showing significantly enhanced efficacy for gene activation, particularly at low concentrations of crRNA. We demonstrate that hyperdCas12a has comparable off-target effects compared with the wild-type system and exhibits enhanced activity for gene editing and repression. Delivery of the hyperdCas12a activator and a single crRNA array simultaneously activating the endogenous Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4 genes in the retina of post-natal mice alters the differentiation of retinal progenitor cells. The hyperCas12a system offers a versatile in vivo tool for a broad range of gene-modulation and gene-therapy applications.
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26
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Lin CH, Sun Y, Chan CSY, Wu MR, Gu L, Davis AE, Gu B, Zhang W, Tanasa B, Zhong LR, Emerson MM, Chen L, Ding JB, Wang S. Identification of cis-regulatory modules for adeno-associated virus-based cell-type-specific targeting in the retina and brain. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101674. [PMID: 35148987 PMCID: PMC8980332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) targeting specific cell types are powerful tools for studying distinct cell types in the central nervous system (CNS). Cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), e.g., enhancers, are highly cell-type-specific and can be integrated into AAVs to render cell type specificity. Chromatin accessibility has been commonly used to nominate CRMs, which have then been incorporated into AAVs and tested for cell type specificity in the CNS. However, chromatin accessibility data alone cannot accurately annotate active CRMs, as many chromatin-accessible CRMs are not active and fail to drive gene expression in vivo. Using available large-scale datasets on chromatin accessibility, such as those published by the ENCODE project, here we explored strategies to increase efficiency in identifying active CRMs for AAV-based cell-type-specific labeling and manipulation. We found that prescreening of chromatin-accessible putative CRMs based on the density of cell-type-specific transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) can significantly increase efficiency in identifying active CRMs. In addition, generation of synthetic CRMs by stitching chromatin-accessible regions flanking cell-type-specific genes can render cell type specificity in many cases. Using these straightforward strategies, we generated AAVs that can target the extensively studied interneuron and glial cell types in the retina and brain. Both strategies utilize available genomic datasets and can be employed to generate AAVs targeting specific cell types in CNS without conducting comprehensive screening and sequencing experiments, making a step forward in cell-type-specific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Hui Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yue Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Candace S Y Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lei Gu
- Epigenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Alexander E Davis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Baokun Gu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Wenlin Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bogdan Tanasa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lei R Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mark M Emerson
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
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27
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Wang H, Morrison CA, Ghosh N, Tea JS, Call GB, Treisman JE. The Blimp-1 transcription factor acts in non-neuronal cells to regulate terminal differentiation of the Drosophila eye. Development 2022; 149:dev200217. [PMID: 35297965 PMCID: PMC8995086 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The formation of a functional organ such as the eye requires specification of the correct cell types and their terminal differentiation into cells with the appropriate morphologies and functions. Here, we show that the zinc-finger transcription factor Blimp-1 acts in secondary and tertiary pigment cells in the Drosophila retina to promote the formation of a bi-convex corneal lens with normal refractive power, and in cone cells to enable complete extension of the photoreceptor rhabdomeres. Blimp-1 expression depends on the hormone ecdysone, and loss of ecdysone signaling causes similar differentiation defects. Timely termination of Blimp-1 expression is also important, as its overexpression in the eye has deleterious effects. Our transcriptomic analysis revealed that Blimp-1 regulates the expression of many structural and secreted proteins in the retina. Blimp-1 may function in part by repressing another transcription factor; Slow border cells is highly upregulated in the absence of Blimp-1, and its overexpression reproduces many of the effects of removing Blimp-1. This work provides insight into the transcriptional networks and cellular interactions that produce the structures necessary for visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongsu Wang
- Skirball Institutefor Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Carolyn A. Morrison
- Skirball Institutefor Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Neha Ghosh
- Skirball Institutefor Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Joy S. Tea
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Gerald B. Call
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jessica E. Treisman
- Skirball Institutefor Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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28
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Thomas ED, Timms AE, Giles S, Harkins-Perry S, Lyu P, Hoang T, Qian J, Jackson VE, Bahlo M, Blackshaw S, Friedlander M, Eade K, Cherry TJ. Cell-specific cis-regulatory elements and mechanisms of non-coding genetic disease in human retina and retinal organoids. Dev Cell 2022; 57:820-836.e6. [PMID: 35303433 PMCID: PMC9126240 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) play a critical role in the development and disease-states of all human cell types. In the retina, CREs have been implicated in several inherited disorders. To better characterize human retinal CREs, we performed single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (snATAC-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) on the developing and adult human retina and on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal organoids. These analyses identified developmentally dynamic, cell-class-specific CREs, enriched transcription-factor-binding motifs, and putative target genes. CREs in the retina and organoids are highly correlated at the single-cell level, and this supports the use of organoids as a model for studying disease-associated CREs. As a proof of concept, we disrupted a disease-associated CRE at 5q14.3, confirming its principal target gene as the miR-9-2 primary transcript and demonstrating its role in neurogenesis and gene regulation in mature glia. This study provides a resource for characterizing human retinal CREs and showcases organoids as a model to study the function of CREs that influence development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Thomas
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Andrew E Timms
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Sarah Giles
- Lowy Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sarah Harkins-Perry
- Lowy Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Pin Lyu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thanh Hoang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Victoria E Jackson
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Martin Friedlander
- Lowy Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kevin Eade
- Lowy Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Timothy J Cherry
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Brotman Baty Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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29
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Amamoto R, Wallick GK, Cepko CL. Retinoic acid signaling mediates peripheral cone photoreceptor survival in a mouse model of retina degeneration. eLife 2022; 11:76389. [PMID: 35315776 PMCID: PMC8940176 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive, debilitating visual disorder caused by mutations in a diverse set of genes. In both humans with RP and mouse models of RP, rod photoreceptor dysfunction leads to loss of night vision, and is followed by secondary cone photoreceptor dysfunction and degeneration, leading to loss of daylight color vision. A strategy to prevent secondary cone death could provide a general RP therapy to preserve daylight color vision regardless of the underlying mutation. In mouse models of RP, cones in the peripheral retina survive long-term, despite complete rod loss. The mechanism for such peripheral cone survival had not been explored. Here, we found that active retinoic acid (RA) signaling in peripheral Muller glia is necessary for the abnormally long survival of these peripheral cones. RA depletion by conditional knockout of RA synthesis enzymes, or overexpression of an RA degradation enzyme, abrogated the extended survival of peripheral cones. Conversely, constitutive activation of RA signaling in the central retina promoted long-term cone survival. These results indicate that RA signaling mediates the prolonged peripheral cone survival in the rd1 mouse model of retinal degeneration, and provide a basis for a generic strategy for cone survival in the many diseases that lead to loss of cone-mediated vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoji Amamoto
- Department of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Grace K Wallick
- Department of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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30
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Lin CH, Sun YJ, Lee SH, Mujica EM, Kunchur CR, Wu MR, Yang J, Jung YS, Chiang B, Wang S, Mahajan VB. A protocol to inject ocular drug implants into mouse eyes. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101143. [PMID: 35141566 PMCID: PMC8810562 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocular drug implants (ODIs) are beneficial for treating ocular diseases. However, the lack of a robust injection approach for small-eyed model organisms has been a major technical limitation in developing ODIs. Here, we present a cost-effective, minimally invasive protocol to deliver ODIs into the mouse vitreous called Mouse Implant Intravitreal Injection (MI3). MI3 provides two alternative surgical approaches (air-pressure or plunger) to deliver micro-scaled ODIs into milli-scaled eyes, and expands the preclinical platforms to determine ODIs’ efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sun et al. (2021). Surgical protocol for intravitreal injection of ocular drug implants into mouse eyes Two alternative intravitreal injection options based on implants’ physical properties Protocol does not interfere with in vivo examinations for drug efficacy and toxicity
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Hui Lin
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Young Joo Sun
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Soo Hyeon Lee
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Elena M. Mujica
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Caitlin R. Kunchur
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Youn Soo Jung
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Bryce Chiang
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Vinit B. Mahajan
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Corresponding author
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31
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Zibetti C. Deciphering the Retinal Epigenome during Development, Disease and Reprogramming: Advancements, Challenges and Perspectives. Cells 2022; 11:cells11050806. [PMID: 35269428 PMCID: PMC8908986 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal neurogenesis is driven by concerted actions of transcription factors, some of which are expressed in a continuum and across several cell subtypes throughout development. While seemingly redundant, many factors diversify their regulatory outcome on gene expression, by coordinating variations in chromatin landscapes to drive divergent retinal specification programs. Recent studies have furthered the understanding of the epigenetic contribution to the progression of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The knowledge of the epigenomic mechanisms that control the acquisition and stabilization of retinal cell fates and are evoked upon damage, holds the potential for the treatment of retinal degeneration. Herein, this review presents the state-of-the-art approaches to investigate the retinal epigenome during development, disease, and reprogramming. A pipeline is then reviewed to functionally interrogate the epigenetic and transcriptional networks underlying cell fate specification, relying on a truly unbiased screening of open chromatin states. The related work proposes an inferential model to identify gene regulatory networks, features the first footprinting analysis and the first tentative, systematic query of candidate pioneer factors in the retina ever conducted in any model organism, leading to the identification of previously uncharacterized master regulators of retinal cell identity, such as the nuclear factor I, NFI. This pipeline is virtually applicable to the study of genetic programs and candidate pioneer factors in any developmental context. Finally, challenges and limitations intrinsic to the current next-generation sequencing techniques are discussed, as well as recent advances in super-resolution imaging, enabling spatio-temporal resolution of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Zibetti
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, Building 36, 0455 Oslo, Norway
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32
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Bery A, Bagchi U, Bergen AA, Felder-Schmittbuhl MP. Circadian clocks, retinogenesis and ocular health in vertebrates: new molecular insights. Dev Biol 2022; 484:40-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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33
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Zhang H, Zhuang P, Welchko RM, Dai M, Meng F, Turner DL. Regulation of retinal amacrine cell generation by miR-216b and Foxn3. Development 2022; 149:273765. [PMID: 34919141 PMCID: PMC8917416 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199484] [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: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian retina contains a complex mixture of different types of neurons. We find that microRNA miR-216b is preferentially expressed in postmitotic retinal amacrine cells in the mouse retina, and expression of miR-216a/b and miR-217 in retina depend in part on Ptf1a, a transcription factor required for amacrine cell differentiation. Surprisingly, ectopic expression of miR-216b directed the formation of additional amacrine cells and reduced bipolar neurons in the developing retina. We identify the Foxn3 mRNA as a retinal target of miR-216b by Argonaute PAR-CLIP and reporter analysis. Inhibition of Foxn3, a transcription factor, in the postnatal developing retina by RNAi increased the formation of amacrine cells and reduced bipolar cell formation. Foxn3 disruption by CRISPR in embryonic retinal explants also increased amacrine cell formation, whereas Foxn3 overexpression inhibited amacrine cell formation prior to Ptf1a expression. Co-expression of Foxn3 partially reversed the effects of ectopic miR-216b on retinal cell formation. Our results identify Foxn3 as a novel regulator of interneuron formation in the developing retina and suggest that miR-216b likely regulates Foxn3 and other genes in amacrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanqing Zhang
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Pei Zhuang
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Ryan M. Welchko
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Manhong Dai
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Fan Meng
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David L. Turner
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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Honnell V, Norrie JL, Patel AG, Ramirez C, Zhang J, Lai YH, Wan S, Dyer MA. Identification of a modular super-enhancer in murine retinal development. Nat Commun 2022; 13:253. [PMID: 35017532 PMCID: PMC8752785 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27924-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers are expansive regions of genomic DNA comprised of multiple putative enhancers that contribute to the dynamic gene expression patterns during development. This is particularly important in neurogenesis because many essential transcription factors have complex developmental stage- and cell-type specific expression patterns across the central nervous system. In the developing retina, Vsx2 is expressed in retinal progenitor cells and is maintained in differentiated bipolar neurons and Müller glia. A single super-enhancer controls this complex and dynamic pattern of expression. Here we show that deletion of one region disrupts retinal progenitor cell proliferation but does not affect cell fate specification. The deletion of another region has no effect on retinal progenitor cell proliferation but instead leads to a complete loss of bipolar neurons. This prototypical super-enhancer may serve as a model for dissecting the complex gene expression patterns for neurogenic transcription factors during development. Moreover, it provides a unique opportunity to alter expression of individual transcription factors in particular cell types at specific stages of development. This provides a deeper understanding of function that cannot be achieved with traditional knockout mouse approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Honnell
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jackie L Norrie
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Anand G Patel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Cody Ramirez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jiakun Zhang
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Yu-Hsuan Lai
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Shibiao Wan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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35
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Mouse Lines with Cre-Mediated Recombination in Retinal Amacrine Cells. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0255-21.2021. [PMID: 35045975 PMCID: PMC8856716 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0255-21.2021] [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: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amacrine cells (ACs) are the most diverse neuronal cell type in the vertebrate retina. Yet little is known about the contribution of ACs to visual processing and retinal disease. A major challenge in evaluating AC function is genetic accessibility. A classic tool of mouse genetics, Cre-mediated recombination, can provide such access. We have screened existing genetically-modified mouse strains and identified multiple candidates that express Cre-recombinase in subsets of retinal ACs. The Cre-expressing mice were crossed to fluorescent-reporter mice to assay Cre expression. In addition, a Cre-dependent fluorescent reporter plasmid was electroporated into the subretinal space of Cre strains. Herein, we report three mouse lines (Tac1::IRES-cre, Camk2a-cre, and Scx-cre) that express Cre recombinase in sub-populations of ACs. In two of these lines, recombination occurred in multiple AC types and a small number of other retinal cell types, while recombination in the Camk2a-cre line appears specific to a morphologically distinct AC. We anticipate that these characterized mouse lines will be valuable tools to the community of researchers who study retinal biology and disease.
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36
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Sun YJ, Lin CH, Wu MR, Lee SH, Yang J, Kunchur CR, Mujica EM, Chiang B, Jung YS, Wang S, Mahajan VB. An intravitreal implant injection method for sustained drug delivery into mouse eyes. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2021; 1:100125. [PMID: 35128514 PMCID: PMC8813043 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using small molecule drugs to treat eye diseases carries benefits of specificity, scalability, and transportability, but their efficacy is significantly limited by a fast intraocular clearance rate. Ocular drug implants (ODIs) present a compelling means for the slow and sustained release of small molecule drugs inside the eye. However, methods are needed to inject small molecule ODIs into animals with small eyes, such as mice, which are the primary genetic models for most human ocular diseases. Consequently, it has not been possible to fully investigate efficacy and ocular pharmacokinetics of ODIs. Here, we present a robust, cost-effective, and minimally invasive method called "mouse implant intravitreal injection" (MI3) to deliver ODIs into mouse eyes. This method will expand ODI research to cover the breadth of human eye diseases modeled in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Joo Sun
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Cheng-Hui Lin
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Soo Hyeon Lee
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Caitlin R. Kunchur
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Elena M. Mujica
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Bryce Chiang
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Youn Soo Jung
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Vinit B. Mahajan
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
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37
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Daghsni M, Aldiri I. Building a Mammalian Retina: An Eye on Chromatin Structure. Front Genet 2021; 12:775205. [PMID: 34764989 PMCID: PMC8576187 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.775205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression by chromatin structure has been under intensive investigation, establishing nuclear organization and genome architecture as a potent and effective means of regulating developmental processes. The substantial growth in our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying retinogenesis has been powered by several genome-wide based tools that mapped chromatin organization at multiple cellular and biochemical levels. Studies profiling the retinal epigenome and transcriptome have allowed the systematic annotation of putative cis-regulatory elements associated with transcriptional programs that drive retinal neural differentiation, laying the groundwork to understand spatiotemporal retinal gene regulation at a mechanistic level. In this review, we outline recent advances in our understanding of the chromatin architecture in the mammalian retina during development and disease. We focus on the emerging roles of non-coding regulatory elements in controlling retinal cell-type specific transcriptional programs, and discuss potential implications in untangling the etiology of eye-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Daghsni
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Issam Aldiri
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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38
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Sang Q, Wang G, Morton DB, Wu H, Xie B. The ZO-1 protein Polychaetoid as an upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009894. [PMID: 34748546 PMCID: PMC8610254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of a diversity of photoreceptor (PR) subtypes with different spectral sensitivities is essential for color vision in animals. In the Drosophila eye, the Hippo pathway has been implicated in blue- and green-sensitive PR subtype fate specification. Specifically, Hippo pathway activation promotes green-sensitive PR fate at the expense of blue-sensitive PRs. Here, using a sensitized triple heterozygote-based genetic screening approach, we report the identification of the single Drosophila zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) protein Polychaetoid (Pyd) as a new regulator of the Hippo pathway during the blue- and green-sensitive PR subtype binary fate choice. We demonstrate that Pyd acts upstream of the core components and the upstream regulator Pez in the Hippo pathway. Furthermore, We found that Pyd represses the activity of Su(dx), a E3 ligase that negatively regulates Pez and can physically interact with Pyd, during PR subtype fate specification. Together, our results identify a new mechanism underlying the Hippo signaling pathway in post-mitotic neuronal fate specification. The Hippo signaling pathway was originally discovered for its critical role in tissue growth and organ size control. Its evolutionarily conserved roles in various biological processes, including cell differentiation, stem cell regeneration and homeostasis, innate immune biology, as well as tumorigenesis, have been subsequently found in other species. During the development of the Drosophila eye, the Hippo pathway promotes green- and represses blue-sensitive photoreceptor (PR) subtype fate specification. Taking advantage of this binary PR fate choice, we screened Drosophila chromosomal deficiency lines to seek new regulators of the Hippo signaling pathway. We identified the Drosophila membrane-associated ZO-1 protein Pyd as an upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway to specify PR subtypes. Our results have demonstrated that Pyd represses Su(dx)’s activity in the Hippo pathway to specify PR subtypes. Our results demonstrate a new mechanism underlying the Hippo signaling pathway in post-mitotic neuronal fate specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingliang Sang
- Integrative Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Gang Wang
- Integrative Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - David B. Morton
- Integrative Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Hui Wu
- Integrative Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Baotong Xie
- Integrative Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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39
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West ER, Cepko CL. Development and diversification of bipolar interneurons in the mammalian retina. Dev Biol 2021; 481:30-42. [PMID: 34534525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The bipolar interneurons of the mammalian retina have evolved as a diverse set of cells with distinct subtype characteristics, which reflect specialized contributions to visual circuitry. Fifteen subtypes of bipolar interneurons have been identified in the mouse retina, each with characteristic gene expression, morphology, and light responses. This review provides an overview of the developmental events that underlie the generation of the diverse bipolar cell class, summarizing the current knowledge of genetic programs that establish and maintain bipolar subtype fates, as well as the events that shape the final distribution of bipolar subtypes. With much left to be discovered, bipolar interneurons present an ideal model system for studying the interplay between cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms that influence neuronal subtype development within the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R West
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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40
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Friedman RZ, Granas DM, Myers CA, Corbo JC, Cohen BA, White MA. Information content differentiates enhancers from silencers in mouse photoreceptors. eLife 2021; 10:67403. [PMID: 34486522 PMCID: PMC8492058 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancers and silencers often depend on the same transcription factors (TFs) and are conflated in genomic assays of TF binding or chromatin state. To identify sequence features that distinguish enhancers and silencers, we assayed massively parallel reporter libraries of genomic sequences targeted by the photoreceptor TF cone-rod homeobox (CRX) in mouse retinas. Both enhancers and silencers contain more TF motifs than inactive sequences, but relative to silencers, enhancers contain motifs from a more diverse collection of TFs. We developed a measure of information content that describes the number and diversity of motifs in a sequence and found that, while both enhancers and silencers depend on CRX motifs, enhancers have higher information content. The ability of information content to distinguish enhancers and silencers targeted by the same TF illustrates how motif context determines the activity of cis-regulatory sequences. Different cell types are established by activating and repressing the activity of specific sets of genes, a process controlled by proteins called transcription factors. Transcription factors work by recognizing and binding short stretches of DNA in parts of the genome called cis-regulatory sequences. A cis-regulatory sequence that increases the activity of a gene when bound by transcription factors is called an enhancer, while a sequence that causes a decrease in gene activity is called a silencer. To establish a cell type, a particular transcription factor will act on both enhancers and silencers that control the activity of different genes. For example, the transcription factor cone-rod homeobox (CRX) is critical for specifying different types of cells in the retina, and it acts on both enhancers and silencers. In rod photoreceptors, CRX activates rod genes by binding their enhancers, while repressing cone photoreceptor genes by binding their silencers. However, CRX always recognizes and binds to the same DNA sequence, known as its binding site, making it unclear why some cis-regulatory sequences bound to CRX act as silencers, while others act as enhancers. Friedman et al. sought to understand how enhancers and silencers, both bound by CRX, can have different effects on the genes they control. Since both enhancers and silencers contain CRX binding sites, the difference between the two must lie in the sequence of the DNA surrounding these binding sites. Using retinas that have been explanted from mice and kept alive in the laboratory, Friedman et al. tested the activity of thousands of CRX-binding sequences from the mouse genome. This showed that both enhancers and silencers have more copies of CRX-binding sites than sequences of the genome that are inactive. Additionally, the results revealed that enhancers have a diverse collection of binding sites for other transcription factors, while silencers do not. Friedman et al. developed a new metric they called information content, which captures the diverse combinations of different transcription binding sites that cis-regulatory sequences can have. Using this metric, Friedman et al. showed that it is possible to distinguish enhancers from silencers based on their information content. It is critical to understand how the DNA sequences of cis-regulatory regions determine their activity, because mutations in these regions of the genome can cause disease. However, since every person has thousands of benign mutations in cis-regulatory sequences, it is a challenge to identify specific disease-causing mutations, which are relatively rare. One long-term goal of models of enhancers and silencers, such as Friedman et al.’s information content model, is to understand how mutations can affect cis-regulatory sequences, and, in some cases, lead to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Z Friedman
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - David M Granas
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Connie A Myers
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - Barak A Cohen
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Michael A White
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
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41
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Lonfat N, Wang S, Lee C, Garcia M, Choi J, Park PJ, Cepko C. Cis-regulatory dissection of cone development reveals a broad role for Otx2 and Oc transcription factors. Development 2021; 148:261747. [PMID: 33929509 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina is generated by retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), which produce >100 cell types. Although some RPCs produce many cell types, other RPCs produce restricted types of daughter cells, such as a cone photoreceptor and a horizontal cell (HC). We used genome-wide assays of chromatin structure to compare the profiles of a restricted cone/HC RPC and those of other RPCs in chicks. These data nominated regions of regulatory activity, which were tested in tissue, leading to the identification of many cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) active in cone/HC RPCs and developing cones. Two transcription factors, Otx2 and Oc1, were found to bind to many of these CRMs, including those near genes important for cone development and function, and their binding sites were required for activity. We also found that Otx2 has a predicted autoregulatory CRM. These results suggest that Otx2, Oc1 and possibly other Onecut proteins have a broad role in coordinating cone development and function. The many newly discovered CRMs for cones are potentially useful reagents for gene therapy of cone diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lonfat
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Su Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - ChangHee Lee
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mauricio Garcia
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiho Choi
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter J Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Connie Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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42
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Amador C, Shah R, Ghiam S, Kramerov AA, Ljubimov AV. Gene therapy in the anterior eye segment. Curr Gene Ther 2021; 22:104-131. [PMID: 33902406 DOI: 10.2174/1566523221666210423084233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This review provides comprehensive information about the advances in gene therapy in the anterior segment of the eye including cornea, conjunctiva, lacrimal gland, and trabecular meshwork. We discuss gene delivery systems including viral and non-viral vectors as well as gene editing techniques, mainly CRISPR-Cas9, and epigenetic treatments including antisense and siRNA therapeutics. We also provide a detailed analysis of various anterior segment diseases where gene therapy has been tested with corresponding outcomes. Disease conditions include corneal and conjunctival fibrosis and scarring, corneal epithelial wound healing, corneal graft survival, corneal neovascularization, genetic corneal dystrophies, herpetic keratitis, glaucoma, dry eye disease, and other ocular surface diseases. Although most of the analyzed results on the use and validity of gene therapy at the ocular surface have been obtained in vitro or using animal models, we also discuss the available human studies. Gene therapy approaches are currently considered very promising as emerging future treatments of various diseases, and this field is rapidly expanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Amador
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ruchi Shah
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sean Ghiam
- Sackler School of Medicine, New York State/American Program of Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Andrei A Kramerov
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Alexander V Ljubimov
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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43
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Repeated mutation of a developmental enhancer contributed to human thermoregulatory evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021722118. [PMID: 33850016 PMCID: PMC8072367 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021722118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans sweat to cool their bodies and have by far the highest eccrine sweat gland density among primates. Humans' high eccrine gland density has long been recognized as a hallmark human evolutionary adaptation, but its genetic basis has been unknown. In humans, expression of the Engrailed 1 (EN1) transcription factor correlates with the onset of eccrine gland formation. In mice, regulation of ectodermal En1 expression is a major determinant of natural variation in eccrine gland density between strains, and increased En1 expression promotes the specification of more eccrine glands. Here, we show that regulation of EN1 has evolved specifically on the human lineage to promote eccrine gland formation. Using comparative genomics and validation of ectodermal enhancer activity in mice, we identified a human EN1 skin enhancer, hECE18. We showed that multiple epistatically interacting derived substitutions in the human ECE18 enhancer increased its activity compared with nonhuman ape orthologs in cultured keratinocytes. Repression of hECE18 in human cultured keratinocytes specifically attenuated EN1 expression, indicating this element positively regulates EN1 in this context. In a humanized enhancer knock-in mouse, hECE18 increased developmental En1 expression in the skin to induce the formation of more eccrine glands. Our study uncovers a genetic basis contributing to the evolution of one of the most singular human adaptations and implicates multiple interacting mutations in a single enhancer as a mechanism for human evolutionary change.
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44
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Xue Y, Wang SK, Rana P, West ER, Hong CM, Feng H, Wu DM, Cepko CL. AAV-Txnip prolongs cone survival and vision in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa. eLife 2021; 10:e66240. [PMID: 33847261 PMCID: PMC8081528 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal disease affecting >20 million people worldwide. Loss of daylight vision typically occurs due to the dysfunction/loss of cone photoreceptors, the cell type that initiates our color and high-acuity vision. Currently, there is no effective treatment for RP, other than gene therapy for a limited number of specific disease genes. To develop a disease gene-agnostic therapy, we screened 20 genes for their ability to prolong cone photoreceptor survival in vivo. Here, we report an adeno-associated virus vector expressing Txnip, which prolongs the survival of cone photoreceptors and improves visual acuity in RP mouse models. A Txnip allele, C247S, which blocks the association of Txnip with thioredoxin, provides an even greater benefit. Additionally, the rescue effect of Txnip depends on lactate dehydrogenase b (Ldhb) and correlates with the presence of healthier mitochondria, suggesting that Txnip saves RP cones by enhancing their lactate catabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Xue
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Sean K Wang
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Howard Hughs Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Parimal Rana
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Emma R West
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Howard Hughs Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Christin M Hong
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Howard Hughs Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Helian Feng
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonUnited States
| | - David M Wu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Retina Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Howard Hughs Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
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45
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Yamamoto H, Kon T, Omori Y, Furukawa T. Functional and Evolutionary Diversification of Otx2 and Crx in Vertebrate Retinal Photoreceptor and Bipolar Cell Development. Cell Rep 2021; 30:658-671.e5. [PMID: 31968244 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Otx family homeoproteins Otx2 and Crx are expressed in photoreceptor precursor cells and bind to the common DNA-binding consensus sequence, but these two proteins have distinct functions in retinal development. To examine the functional substitutability of Otx2 and Crx, we generate knockin mouse lines in which Crx is replaced by Otx2 and vice versa. We find that Otx2 and Crx cannot be substituted in photoreceptor development. Subsequently, we investigate the function of Otx2 in photoreceptor and bipolar cell development. High Otx2 levels induce photoreceptor cell fate but not bipolar cell fate, whereas reduced Otx2 expression impairs bipolar cell maturation and survival. Furthermore, we identify Otx2 and Crx in the lamprey genome by using synteny analysis, suggesting that the last common ancestor of vertebrates possesses both Otx2 and Crx. We find that the retinal Otx2 expression pattern is different between lampreys and mice, suggesting that neofunctionalization of Otx2 occurred in the jawed vertebrate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Kon
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Omori
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takahisa Furukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Ocular delivery of CRISPR/Cas genome editing components for treatment of eye diseases. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 168:181-195. [PMID: 32603815 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A variety of inherited or multifactorial ocular diseases call for novel treatment paradigms. The newly developed genome editing technology, CRISPR, has shown great promise in treating these diseases, but delivery of the CRISPR/Cas components to target ocular tissues and cells requires appropriate use of vectors and routes of administration to ensure safety, efficacy and specificity. Although adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors are thus far the most commonly used tool for ocular gene delivery, sustained expression of CRISPR/Cas components may cause immune reactions and an increased risk of off-target editing. In this review, we summarize the ocular administration routes and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of viral and non-viral vectors for delivery of CRISPR/Cas components to the eye. We review the existing studies of CRISPR/Cas genome editing for ocular diseases and discuss the major challenges of the technology in ocular applications. We also discuss the most recently developed CRISPR tools such as base editing and prime editing which may be used for future ocular applications.
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Bell CM, Zack DJ, Berlinicke CA. Human Organoids for the Study of Retinal Development and Disease. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2020; 6:91-114. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-121219-081855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in stem cell engineering have led to an explosion in the use of organoids as model systems for studies in multiple biological disciplines. Together with breakthroughs in genome engineering and the various omics, organoid technology is making possible studies of human biology that were not previously feasible. For vision science, retinal organoids derived from human stem cells allow differentiating and mature human retinal cells to be studied in unprecedented detail. In this review, we examine the technologies employed to generate retinal organoids and how organoids are revolutionizing the fields of developmental and cellular biology as they pertain to the retina. Furthermore, we explore retinal organoids from a clinical standpoint, offering a new platform with which to study retinal diseases and degeneration, test prospective drugs and therapeutic strategies, and promote personalized medicine. Finally, we discuss the range of possibilities that organoids may bring to future retinal research and consider their ethical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M. Bell
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA;,
| | - Donald J. Zack
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA;,
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Cynthia A. Berlinicke
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
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Lin B, McLelland BT, Aramant RB, Thomas BB, Nistor G, Keirstead HS, Seiler MJ. Retina Organoid Transplants Develop Photoreceptors and Improve Visual Function in RCS Rats With RPE Dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:34. [PMID: 32945842 PMCID: PMC7509771 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.11.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To study if human embryonic stem cell-derived photoreceptors could survive and function without the support of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) after transplantation into Royal College of Surgeons rats, a rat model of retinal degeneration caused by RPE dysfunction. Methods CSC14 human embryonic stem cells were differentiated into primordial eye structures called retinal organoids. Retinal organoids were analyzed by quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence and compared with human fetal retina. Retinal organoid sheets (30-70 day of differentiation) were transplanted into immunodeficient RCS rats, aged 44 to 56 days. The development of transplant organoids in vivo in relation to the host was examined by optical coherence tomography. Visual function was assessed by optokinetic testing, electroretinogram, and superior colliculus electrophysiologic recording. Cryostat sections were analyzed for various retinal, synaptic, and donor markers. Results Retinal organoids showed similar gene expression to human fetal retina transplanted rats demonstrated significant improvement in visual function compared with RCS nonsurgery and sham surgery controls by ERGs at 2 months after surgery (but not later), optokinetic testing (up to 6 months after surgery) and electrophysiologic superior colliculus recordings (6-8 months after surgery). The transplanted organoids survived more than 7 months; developed photoreceptors with inner and outer segments, and other retinal cells; and were well-integrated within the host. Conclusions This study, to our knowledge, is the first to show that transplanted photoreceptors survive and function even with host's dysfunctional RPE. Our findings suggest that transplantation of organoid sheets from stem cells may be a promising approach/therapeutic for blinding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Lin
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Bryce T. McLelland
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Robert B. Aramant
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Biju B. Thomas
- USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Gabriel Nistor
- AIVITA Biomedical Inc., Irvine, California, United States
| | | | - Magdalene J. Seiler
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
- Ophthalmology, University of California at Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
- Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California, United States
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49
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Chan CSY, Lonfat N, Zhao R, Davis AE, Li L, Wu MR, Lin CH, Ji Z, Cepko CL, Wang S. Cell type- and stage-specific expression of Otx2 is regulated by multiple transcription factors and cis-regulatory modules in the retina. Development 2020; 147:dev187922. [PMID: 32631829 PMCID: PMC7406324 DOI: 10.1242/dev.187922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are often used repeatedly during development and homeostasis to control distinct processes in the same and/or different cellular contexts. Considering the limited number of TFs in the genome and the tremendous number of events that need to be regulated, re-use of TFs is necessary. We analyzed how the expression of the homeobox TF, orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2), is regulated in a cell type- and stage-specific manner during development in the mouse retina. We identified seven Otx2 cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), among which the O5, O7 and O9 CRMs mark three distinct cellular contexts of Otx2 expression. We discovered that Otx2, Crx and Sox2, which are well-known TFs regulating retinal development, bind to and activate the O5, O7 or O9 CRMs, respectively. The chromatin status of these three CRMs was found to be distinct in vivo in different retinal cell types and at different stages. We conclude that retinal cells use a cohort of TFs with different expression patterns and multiple CRMs with different chromatin configurations to regulate the expression of Otx2 precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace S Y Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Nicolas Lonfat
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rong Zhao
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander E Davis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Cheng-Hui Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Bioengineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
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Goodson NB, Kaufman MA, Park KU, Brzezinski JA. Simultaneous deletion of Prdm1 and Vsx2 enhancers in the retina alters photoreceptor and bipolar cell fate specification, yet differs from deleting both genes. Development 2020; 147:dev190272. [PMID: 32541005 PMCID: PMC10666920 DOI: 10.1242/dev.190272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor OTX2 is required for photoreceptor and bipolar cell formation in the retina. It directly activates the transcription factors Prdm1 and Vsx2 through cell type-specific enhancers. PRDM1 and VSX2 work in opposition, such that PRDM1 promotes photoreceptor fate and VSX2 bipolar cell fate. To determine how OTX2+ cell fates are regulated in mice, we deleted Prdm1 and Vsx2 or their cell type-specific enhancers simultaneously using a CRISPR/Cas9 in vivo retina electroporation strategy. Double gene or enhancer targeting effectively removed PRDM1 and VSX2 protein expression. However, double enhancer targeting favored bipolar fate outcomes, whereas double gene targeting favored photoreceptor fate. Both conditions generated excess amacrine cells. Combined, these fate changes suggest that photoreceptors are a default fate outcome in OTX2+ cells and that VSX2 must be present in a narrow temporal window to drive bipolar cell formation. Prdm1 and Vsx2 also appear to redundantly restrict the competence of OTX2+ cells, preventing amacrine cell formation. By taking a combinatorial deletion approach of both coding sequences and enhancers, our work provides new insights into the complex regulatory mechanisms that control cell fate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Goodson
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael A Kaufman
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ko U Park
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Joseph A Brzezinski
- Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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