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Wang XW, Yang SG, Hu MW, Wang RY, Zhang C, Kosanam AR, Ochuba AJ, Jiang JJ, Luo X, Guan Y, Qian J, Liu CM, Zhou FQ. Histone methyltransferase Ezh2 coordinates mammalian axon regeneration via regulation of key regenerative pathways. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e163145. [PMID: 38015636 PMCID: PMC10849760 DOI: 10.1172/jci163145] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries face major challenges, primarily due to the diminished regenerative capacity of neurons in the mammalian CNS as they mature. Here, we investigated the role of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulating mammalian axon regeneration. We found that Ezh2 declined in the mouse nervous system during maturation but was upregulated in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons following peripheral nerve injury to facilitate spontaneous axon regeneration. In addition, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS promoted optic nerve regeneration via both histone methylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Further investigation revealed that Ezh2 fostered axon regeneration by orchestrating the transcriptional silencing of genes governing synaptic function and those inhibiting axon regeneration, while concurrently activating various factors that support axon regeneration. Notably, we demonstrated that GABA transporter 2, encoded by Slc6a13, acted downstream of Ezh2 to control axon regeneration. Overall, our study underscores the potential of modulating chromatin accessibility as a promising strategy for promoting CNS axon regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Wei Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Shu-Guang Yang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Rui-Ying Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anish R. Kosanam
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Arinze J. Ochuba
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jing-Jing Jiang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Yun Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Chang-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng-Quan Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Collier AD, Abdulai AR, Leibowitz SF. Utility of the Zebrafish Model for Studying Neuronal and Behavioral Disturbances Induced by Embryonic Exposure to Alcohol, Nicotine, and Cannabis. Cells 2023; 12:2505. [PMID: 37887349 PMCID: PMC10605371 DOI: 10.3390/cells12202505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
It is estimated that 5% of pregnant women consume drugs of abuse during pregnancy. Clinical research suggests that intake of drugs during pregnancy, such as alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, disturbs the development of neuronal systems in the offspring, in association with behavioral disturbances early in life and an increased risk of developing drug use disorders. After briefly summarizing evidence in rodents, this review focuses on the zebrafish model and its inherent advantages for studying the effects of embryonic exposure to drugs of abuse on behavioral and neuronal development, with an emphasis on neuropeptides known to promote drug-related behaviors. In addition to stimulating the expression and density of peptide neurons, as in rodents, zebrafish studies demonstrate that embryonic drug exposure has marked effects on the migration, morphology, projections, anatomical location, and peptide co-expression of these neurons. We also describe studies using advanced methodologies that can be applied in vivo in zebrafish: first, to demonstrate a causal relationship between the drug-induced neuronal and behavioral disturbances and second, to discover underlying molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects. The zebrafish model has great potential for providing important information regarding the development of novel and efficacious therapies for ameliorating the effects of early drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah F. Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Zeng CW, Tsai HJ. The Promising Role of a Zebrafish Model Employed in Neural Regeneration Following a Spinal Cord Injury. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13938. [PMID: 37762240 PMCID: PMC10530783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813938] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that results in a wide range of physical impairments and disabilities. Despite the advances in our understanding of the biological response to injured tissue, no effective treatments are available for SCIs at present. Some studies have addressed this issue by exploring the potential of cell transplantation therapy. However, because of the abnormal microenvironment in injured tissue, the survival rate of transplanted cells is often low, thus limiting the efficacy of such treatments. Many studies have attempted to overcome these obstacles using a variety of cell types and animal models. Recent studies have shown the utility of zebrafish as a model of neural regeneration following SCIs, including the proliferation and migration of various cell types and the involvement of various progenitor cells. In this review, we discuss some of the current challenges in SCI research, including the accurate identification of cell types involved in neural regeneration, the adverse microenvironment created by SCIs, attenuated immune responses that inhibit nerve regeneration, and glial scar formation that prevents axonal regeneration. More in-depth studies are needed to fully understand the neural regeneration mechanisms, proteins, and signaling pathways involved in the complex interactions between the SCI microenvironment and transplanted cells in non-mammals, particularly in the zebrafish model, which could, in turn, lead to new therapeutic approaches to treat SCIs in humans and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Zeng
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Huai-Jen Tsai
- Department of Life Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
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Hossainian D, Shao E, Jiao B, Ilin VA, Parris RS, Zhou Y, Bai Q, Burton EA. Quantification of functional recovery in a larval zebrafish model of spinal cord injury. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2044-2054. [PMID: 35986577 PMCID: PMC10695274 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Human spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by permanent loss of damaged axons, resulting in chronic disability. In contrast, zebrafish can regenerate axonal projections following central nervous system injury and re-establish synaptic contacts with distant targets; elucidation of the underlying molecular events is an important goal with translational potential for improving outcomes in SCI patients. We generated transgenic zebrafish with GFP-labeled axons and transected their spinal cords at 10 days post-fertilization. Intravital confocal microscopy revealed robust axonal regeneration following the procedure, with abundant axons bridging the transection site by 48 h post-injury. In order to analyze neurological function in this model, we developed and validated new open-source software to measure zebrafish lateral trunk curvature during propulsive and turning movements at high temporal resolution. Immediately following spinal cord transection, axial movements were dramatically decreased caudal to the lesion site, but preserved rostral to the injury, suggesting the induction of motor paralysis below the transection level. Over the subsequent 96 h, the magnitude of movements caudal to the lesion recovered to baseline, but the rate of change of truncal curvature did not fully recover, suggesting incomplete restoration of caudal strength over this time course. Quantification of both morphological and functional recovery following SCI will be important for the analysis of axonal regeneration and downstream events necessary for restoration of motor function. An extensive array of genetic and pharmacological interventions can be deployed in the larval zebrafish model to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius Hossainian
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Enhua Shao
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Binxuan Jiao
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Vladimir A. Ilin
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Ritika S. Parris
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Yangzhong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Bai
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Edward A. Burton
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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Central and Peripheral NPY Age-Related Regulation: A Comparative Analysis in Fish Translational Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073839. [PMID: 35409198 PMCID: PMC8998975 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
NPY is among the most abundant neuropeptides in vertebrate brain and is primarily involved in the regulation of food intake. The NPY system is also associated with the aging process showing beneficial effects on neuronal survival via autophagy modulation. Here, we explore the age-related regulation of NPY in the brain and foregut of the shortest- and longest-lived fish species, Nothobranchius furzeri and Danio rerio, respectively. These two research models, despite some similarities, display profound biological differences making them attractive vertebrates to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the regulation of neuropeptide synthesis and function. It is noteworthy that in both fish species only Npya has been identified, while in the other teleosts two classes of NPY (Npya and Npyb) have been annotated. Our findings document that in both species: (i) NPY is centrally regulated; (ii) NPY levels increase in the brain during aging; (iii) NPY is localized in the enteroendocrine cells as well as in the myenteric plexus and drastically decreases in old animals. According to our data, the age-related regulation in the gut resembles that described in other vertebrate species while the increased levels in the brain offer the unique possibility to explore the role of NPY in model organisms to develop future experimental and translatable approaches.
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