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Dvoretskova E, Ho MC, Kittke V, Neuhaus F, Vitali I, Lam DD, Delgado I, Feng C, Torres M, Winkelmann J, Mayer C. Spatial enhancer activation influences inhibitory neuron identity during mouse embryonic development. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:862-872. [PMID: 38528203 PMCID: PMC11088997 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01611-9] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian telencephalon contains distinct GABAergic projection neuron and interneuron types, originating in the germinal zone of the embryonic basal ganglia. How genetic information in the germinal zone determines cell types is unclear. Here we use a combination of in vivo CRISPR perturbation, lineage tracing and ChIP-sequencing analyses and show that the transcription factor MEIS2 favors the development of projection neurons by binding enhancer regions in projection-neuron-specific genes during mouse embryonic development. MEIS2 requires the presence of the homeodomain transcription factor DLX5 to direct its functional activity toward the appropriate binding sites. In interneuron precursors, the transcription factor LHX6 represses the MEIS2-DLX5-dependent activation of projection-neuron-specific enhancers. Mutations of Meis2 result in decreased activation of regulatory enhancers, affecting GABAergic differentiation. We propose a differential binding model where the binding of transcription factors at cis-regulatory elements determines differential gene expression programs regulating cell fate specification in the mouse ganglionic eminence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Dvoretskova
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - May C Ho
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Volker Kittke
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuhererg, Germany
- TUM School of Medicine and Health, Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Neuhaus
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ilaria Vitali
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Daniel D Lam
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuhererg, Germany
- TUM School of Medicine and Health, Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Irene Delgado
- Cardiovascular Development Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chao Feng
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Miguel Torres
- Cardiovascular Development Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuhererg, Germany
- TUM School of Medicine and Health, Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Mayer
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.
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2
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Kuwayama N, Kujirai T, Kishi Y, Hirano R, Echigoya K, Fang L, Watanabe S, Nakao M, Suzuki Y, Ishiguro KI, Kurumizaka H, Gotoh Y. HMGA2 directly mediates chromatin condensation in association with neuronal fate regulation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6420. [PMID: 37828010 PMCID: PMC10570362 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42094-9] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of factors that regulate chromatin condensation is important for understanding of gene regulation. High-mobility group AT-hook (HMGA) proteins 1 and 2 are abundant nonhistone chromatin proteins that play a role in many biological processes including tissue stem-progenitor cell regulation, but the nature of their protein function remains unclear. Here we show that HMGA2 mediates direct condensation of polynucleosomes and forms droplets with nucleosomes. Consistently, most endogenous HMGA2 localized to transposase 5- and DNase I-inaccessible chromatin regions, and its binding was mostly associated with gene repression, in mouse embryonic neocortical cells. The AT-hook 1 domain was necessary for chromatin condensation by HMGA2 in vitro and in cellulo, and an HMGA2 mutant lacking this domain was defective in the ability to maintain neuronal progenitors in vivo. Intrinsically disordered regions of other proteins could substitute for the AT-hook 1 domain in promoting this biological function of HMGA2. Taken together, HMGA2 may regulate neural cell fate by its chromatin condensation activity.
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Grants
- This research was supported by AMED-CREST and AMED-PRIME of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (JP22gm1310004, JP22gm6110021), SECOM Science and Technology Foundation SECOM Science and Technology Foundation (for Y.K.), Platform Project for Supporting Drug Discovery and Life Science Research from AMED JP21am0101076 and (for H.K.), Research Support Project for Life Science and Drug Discovery from AMED JP22ama121009 (for H.K.), Japan Science and Technology Agency ERATO JPMJER1901 (for H.K.) and by KAKENHI grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP21J14115 for N.K.; JP22K15033 for T.K.;16H06279, 20H03179, 21H00242 and 22H04687 for Y.K.; 20K07589 for S.W.; JP20H00449, JP18H05534 for H.K.; JP22H00431, JP16H06279 and JP22H04925 for Y.G.)
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohiro Kuwayama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tomoya Kujirai
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kishi
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Rina Hirano
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Kenta Echigoya
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Lingyan Fang
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Sugiko Watanabe
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Mitsuyoshi Nakao
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kei-Ichiro Ishiguro
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Yukiko Gotoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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3
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Qian X, DeGennaro EM, Talukdar M, Akula SK, Lai A, Shao DD, Gonzalez D, Marciano JH, Smith RS, Hylton NK, Yang E, Bazan JF, Barrett L, Yeh RC, Hill RS, Beck SG, Otani A, Angad J, Mitani T, Posey JE, Pehlivan D, Calame D, Aydin H, Yesilbas O, Parks KC, Argilli E, England E, Im K, Taranath A, Scott HS, Barnett CP, Arts P, Sherr EH, Lupski JR, Walsh CA. Loss of non-motor kinesin KIF26A causes congenital brain malformations via dysregulated neuronal migration and axonal growth as well as apoptosis. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2381-2396.e13. [PMID: 36228617 PMCID: PMC10585591 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Kinesins are canonical molecular motors but can also function as modulators of intracellular signaling. KIF26A, an unconventional kinesin that lacks motor activity, inhibits growth-factor-receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2)- and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-dependent signal transduction, but its functions in the brain have not been characterized. We report a patient cohort with biallelic loss-of-function variants in KIF26A, exhibiting a spectrum of congenital brain malformations. In the developing brain, KIF26A is preferentially expressed during early- and mid-gestation in excitatory neurons. Combining mice and human iPSC-derived organoid models, we discovered that loss of KIF26A causes excitatory neuron-specific defects in radial migration, localization, dendritic and axonal growth, and apoptosis, offering a convincing explanation of the disease etiology in patients. Single-cell RNA sequencing in KIF26A knockout organoids revealed transcriptional changes in MAPK, MYC, and E2F pathways. Our findings illustrate the pathogenesis of KIF26A loss-of-function variants and identify the surprising versatility of this non-motor kinesin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyu Qian
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ellen M DeGennaro
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Maya Talukdar
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Shyam K Akula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard, MIT MD/PhD Program, Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Abbe Lai
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Diane D Shao
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dilenny Gonzalez
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jack H Marciano
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Richard S Smith
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Norma K Hylton
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard, MIT MD/PhD Program, Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Edward Yang
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Lee Barrett
- Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca C Yeh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - R Sean Hill
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Samantha G Beck
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aoi Otani
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jolly Angad
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tadahiro Mitani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer E Posey
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Davut Pehlivan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel Calame
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hatip Aydin
- Centre of Genetics Diagnosis, Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Osman Yesilbas
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Turkey
| | - Kendall C Parks
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Emanuela Argilli
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Eleina England
- Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kiho Im
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ajay Taranath
- Department of Medical Imaging, South Australia Medical Imaging, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Hamish S Scott
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Pathology, Centre for Cancer Biology, An Alliance Between SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility, Centre for Cancer Biology, An Alliance Between SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Australian Genomics, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher P Barnett
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Pediatric and Reproductive Genetics Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Peer Arts
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Pathology, Centre for Cancer Biology, An Alliance Between SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute of Human Genetics and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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4
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Yamashiro K, Ikegaya Y, Matsumoto N. In Utero Electroporation for Manipulation of Specific Neuronal Populations. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12050513. [PMID: 35629839 PMCID: PMC9147339 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12050513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of brain functions is supported by the heterogeneity of brain tissue and millisecond-scale information processing. Understanding how complex neural circuits control animal behavior requires the precise manipulation of specific neuronal subtypes at high spatiotemporal resolution. In utero electroporation, when combined with optogenetics, is a powerful method for precisely controlling the activity of specific neurons. Optogenetics allows for the control of cellular membrane potentials through light-sensitive ion channels artificially expressed in the plasma membrane of neurons. Here, we first review the basic mechanisms and characteristics of in utero electroporation. Then, we discuss recent applications of in utero electroporation combined with optogenetics to investigate the functions and characteristics of specific regions, layers, and cell types. These techniques will pave the way for further advances in understanding the complex neuronal and circuit mechanisms that underlie behavioral outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Yamashiro
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (K.Y.); (Y.I.)
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (K.Y.); (Y.I.)
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Matsumoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (K.Y.); (Y.I.)
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Correspondence:
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5
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Lederer CW, Koniali L, Buerki-Thurnherr T, Papasavva PL, La Grutta S, Licari A, Staud F, Bonifazi D, Kleanthous M. Catching Them Early: Framework Parameters and Progress for Prenatal and Childhood Application of Advanced Therapies. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040793. [PMID: 35456627 PMCID: PMC9031205 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are medicines for human use based on genes, cells or tissue engineering. After clear successes in adults, the nascent technology now sees increasing pediatric application. For many still untreatable disorders with pre- or perinatal onset, timely intervention is simply indispensable; thus, prenatal and pediatric applications of ATMPs hold great promise for curative treatments. Moreover, for most inherited disorders, early ATMP application may substantially improve efficiency, economy and accessibility compared with application in adults. Vindicating this notion, initial data for cell-based ATMPs show better cell yields, success rates and corrections of disease parameters for younger patients, in addition to reduced overall cell and vector requirements, illustrating that early application may resolve key obstacles to the widespread application of ATMPs for inherited disorders. Here, we provide a selective review of the latest ATMP developments for prenatal, perinatal and pediatric use, with special emphasis on its comparison with ATMPs for adults. Taken together, we provide a perspective on the enormous potential and key framework parameters of clinical prenatal and pediatric ATMP application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten W. Lederer
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (P.L.P.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +357-22-392764
| | - Lola Koniali
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (P.L.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Tina Buerki-Thurnherr
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland;
| | - Panayiota L. Papasavva
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (P.L.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Stefania La Grutta
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, IFT National Research Council, 90146 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Amelia Licari
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Frantisek Staud
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;
| | - Donato Bonifazi
- Consorzio per Valutazioni Biologiche e Farmacologiche (CVBF) and European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure (EPTRI), 70122 Bari, Italy;
| | - Marina Kleanthous
- The Molecular Genetics Thalassemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (P.L.P.); (M.K.)
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6
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Cell cycle arrest determines adult neural stem cell ontogeny by an embryonic Notch-nonoscillatory Hey1 module. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6562. [PMID: 34772946 PMCID: PMC8589987 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26605-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mouse brain are the source of neurogenesis that regulates innate and adaptive behaviors. Adult NSCs in the subventricular zone are derived from a subpopulation of embryonic neural stem-progenitor cells (NPCs) that is characterized by a slower cell cycle relative to the more abundant rapid cycling NPCs that build the brain. Yet, how slow cell cycle can cause the establishment of adult NSCs remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that Notch and an effector Hey1 form a module that is upregulated by cell cycle arrest in slowly dividing NPCs. In contrast to the oscillatory expression of the Notch effectors Hes1 and Hes5 in fast cycling progenitors, Hey1 displays a non-oscillatory stationary expression pattern and contributes to the long-term maintenance of NSCs. These findings reveal a novel division of labor in Notch effectors where cell cycle rate biases effector selection and cell fate. Adult neural stem cells are derived from an embryonic population of slowcycling progenitor cells, though how reduced cycling speed leads to establishment of the adult population has remained elusive. Here they show that non-oscillatory Notch-Hey signaling induced by slow-cycling contributes to long term maintenance of neural stem cells.
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7
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Cárdenas A, Borrell V. A protocol for in ovo electroporation of chicken and snake embryos to study forebrain development. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100692. [PMID: 34382018 PMCID: PMC8339381 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100692] [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] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo electroporation has become a key technique to study genetic mechanisms of brain development. However, electroporation of the embryonic pallium in oviparous species, interesting for evolutionary studies but distinct from in utero electroporation, is quite infrequent. Here, we detail the in ovo electroporation of the developing pallium in chick and snake embryos. This protocol allows gene manipulation through introducing exogenous DNA into brain progenitor cells and can be adapted to any type of gene manipulation of the embryonic telencephalon. For complete information on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Cárdenas et al. (2018). In ovo electroporation of dorsal telencephalon in chick and snake embryos Maximal viability of the embryos makes the protocol highly efficient The simplicity of the procedure makes it accessible to non-expert researchers Adaptable to any type of gene manipulation of the embryonic telencephalon
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Cárdenas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alacant, Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alacant, Spain
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8
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Bartkowska K, Tepper B, Gawda A, Jarosik M, Sobolewska P, Turlejski K, Djavadian RL. Inhibition of TrkB- and TrkC-Signaling Pathways Affects Neurogenesis in the Opossum Developing Neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3666-3675. [PMID: 30272136 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously reported that the blockage of TrkB and TrkC signaling in primary culture of opossum neocortical cells affects neurogenesis that involves a range of processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Here, we studied whether TrkB and TrkC activity specifically affects various types of progenitor cell populations during neocortex formation in the Monodelphis opossum in vivo. We found that the inhibition of TrkB and TrkC activities affects the same proliferative cellular phenotype, but TrkC causes more pronounced changes in the rate of cell divisions. Additionally, inhibition of TrkB and TrkC does not affect apoptosis in vivo, which was found in cell culture experiments. The lack of TrkB and TrkC receptor activity caused the arrest of newly generated neurons; therefore, they could not penetrate the subplate zone. We suggest that at this time point in development, migration consists of 2 steps. During the initial step, neurons migrate and reach the base of the subplate, whereas during the next step the migration of neurons to their final position is regulated by TrkB or TrkC signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bartkowska
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - B Tepper
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - A Gawda
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Jarosik
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland
| | - P Sobolewska
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - K Turlejski
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland
| | - R L Djavadian
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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9
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Mavrovic M, Uvarov P, Delpire E, Vutskits L, Kaila K, Puskarjov M. Loss of non-canonical KCC2 functions promotes developmental apoptosis of cortical projection neurons. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e48880. [PMID: 32064760 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
KCC2, encoded in humans by the SLC12A5 gene, is a multifunctional neuron-specific protein initially identified as the chloride (Cl- ) extruder critical for hyperpolarizing GABAA receptor currents. Independently of its canonical function as a K-Cl cotransporter, KCC2 regulates the actin cytoskeleton via molecular interactions mediated through its large intracellular C-terminal domain (CTD). Contrary to the common assumption that embryonic neocortical projection neurons express KCC2 at non-significant levels, here we show that loss of KCC2 enhances apoptosis of late-born upper-layer cortical projection neurons in the embryonic brain. In utero electroporation of plasmids encoding truncated, transport-dead KCC2 constructs retaining the CTD was as efficient as of that encoding full-length KCC2 in preventing elimination of migrating projection neurons upon conditional deletion of KCC2. This was in contrast to the effect of a full-length KCC2 construct bearing a CTD missense mutation (KCC2R952H ), which disrupts cytoskeletal interactions and has been found in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, notably seizures and epilepsy. Together, our findings indicate ion transport-independent, CTD-mediated regulation of developmental apoptosis by KCC2 in migrating cortical projection neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Mavrovic
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pavel Uvarov
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Kai Kaila
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Puskarjov
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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10
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Delaney SL, Gendreau JL, D'Souza M, Feng AY, Ho AL. Optogenetic Modulation for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury. Stem Cells Dev 2020; 29:187-197. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Austin Y. Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Georgia
| | - Allen L. Ho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Georgia
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11
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Abstract
In utero electroporation is a rapid and powerful technique to study the development of many brain regions. This approach presents several advantages over other methods to study specific steps of brain development in vivo, from proliferation to synaptic integration. Here, we describe in detail the individual steps necessary to carry out the technique. We also highlight the variations that can be implemented to target different cerebral structures and to study specific steps of development.
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12
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Jongbloets BC, Ma L, Mao T, Zhong H. Visualizing Protein Kinase A Activity In Head-fixed Behaving Mice Using In Vivo Two-photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy. J Vis Exp 2019. [PMID: 31233029 DOI: 10.3791/59526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation exerts powerful control over brain function. Dysfunction of neuromodulatory systems results in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Despite their importance, technologies for tracking neuromodulatory events with cellular resolution are just beginning to emerge. Neuromodulators, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and serotonin, trigger intracellular signaling events via their respective G protein-coupled receptors to modulate neuronal excitability, synaptic communications, and other neuronal functions, thereby regulating information processing in the neuronal network. The above mentioned neuromodulators converge onto the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. Therefore, in vivo PKA imaging with single-cell resolution was developed as a readout for neuromodulatory events in a manner analogous to calcium imaging for neuronal electrical activities. Herein, a method is presented to visualize PKA activity at the level of individual neurons in the cortex of head-fixed behaving mice. To do so, an improved A-kinase activity reporter (AKAR), called tAKARα, is used, which is based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). This genetically-encoded PKA sensor is introduced into the motor cortex via in utero electroporation (IUE) of DNA plasmids, or stereotaxic injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV). FRET changes are imaged using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (2pFLIM), which offers advantages over ratiometric FRET measurements for quantifying FRET signal in light-scattering brain tissue. To study PKA activities during enforced locomotion, tAKARα is imaged through a chronic cranial window above the cortex of awake, head-fixed mice, which run or rest on a speed-controlled motorized treadmill. This imaging approach will be applicable to many other brain regions to study corresponding behavior-induced PKA activities and to other FLIM-based sensors for in vivo imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lei Ma
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
| | - Tianyi Mao
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
| | - Haining Zhong
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University;
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13
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Kawasaki H. Molecular Investigations of the Development and Diseases of Cerebral Cortex Folding using Gyrencephalic Mammal Ferrets. Biol Pharm Bull 2018; 41:1324-1329. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b18-00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University
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14
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Ricard C, Arroyo ED, He CX, Portera-Cailliau C, Lepousez G, Canepari M, Fiole D. Two-photon probes for in vivo multicolor microscopy of the structure and signals of brain cells. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3011-3043. [PMID: 29748872 PMCID: PMC6119111 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1678-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Imaging the brain of living laboratory animals at a microscopic scale can be achieved by two-photon microscopy thanks to the high penetrability and low phototoxicity of the excitation wavelengths used. However, knowledge of the two-photon spectral properties of the myriad fluorescent probes is generally scarce and, for many, non-existent. In addition, the use of different measurement units in published reports further hinders the design of a comprehensive imaging experiment. In this review, we compile and homogenize the two-photon spectral properties of 280 fluorescent probes. We provide practical data, including the wavelengths for optimal two-photon excitation, the peak values of two-photon action cross section or molecular brightness, and the emission ranges. Beyond the spectroscopic description of these fluorophores, we discuss their binding to biological targets. This specificity allows in vivo imaging of cells, their processes, and even organelles and other subcellular structures in the brain. In addition to probes that monitor endogenous cell metabolism, studies of healthy and diseased brain benefit from the specific binding of certain probes to pathology-specific features, ranging from amyloid-β plaques to the autofluorescence of certain antibiotics. A special focus is placed on functional in vivo imaging using two-photon probes that sense specific ions or membrane potential, and that may be combined with optogenetic actuators. Being closely linked to their use, we examine the different routes of intravital delivery of these fluorescent probes according to the target. Finally, we discuss different approaches, strategies, and prerequisites for two-photon multicolor experiments in the brains of living laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Ricard
- Brain Physiology Laboratory, CNRS UMR 8118, 75006, Paris, France
- Faculté de Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales, Université Paris Descartes, PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France
- Fédération de Recherche en Neurosciences FR 3636, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Erica D Arroyo
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Cynthia X He
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Carlos Portera-Cailliau
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Gabriel Lepousez
- Unité Perception et Mémoire, Département de Neuroscience, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Marco Canepari
- Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Physics, UMR 5588 CNRS and Université Grenoble Alpes, 38402, Saint Martin d'Hères, France
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Grenoble, France
- Institut National de la Santé et Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Grenoble, France
| | - Daniel Fiole
- Unité Biothérapies anti-Infectieuses et Immunité, Département des Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, BP 73, 91223, Brétigny-sur-Orge cedex, France.
- Human Histopathology and Animal Models, Infection and Epidemiology Department, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du docteur Roux, 75725, Paris Cedex 15, France.
- ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 38043, Grenoble cedex, France.
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15
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Cwetsch AW, Pinto B, Savardi A, Cancedda L. In vivo methods for acute modulation of gene expression in the central nervous system. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 168:69-85. [PMID: 29694844 PMCID: PMC6080705 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Accurate and timely expression of specific genes guarantees the healthy development and function of the brain. Indeed, variations in the correct amount or timing of gene expression lead to improper development and/or pathological conditions. Almost forty years after the first successful gene transfection in in vitro cell cultures, it is currently possible to regulate gene expression in an area-specific manner at any step of central nervous system development and in adulthood in experimental animals in vivo, even overcoming the very poor accessibility of the brain. Here, we will review the diverse approaches for acute gene transfer in vivo, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages with respect to the efficiency and specificity of transfection as well as to brain accessibility. In particular, we will present well-established chemical, physical and virus-based approaches suitable for different animal models, pointing out their current and future possible applications in basic and translational research as well as in gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej W Cwetsch
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Università degli Studi di Genova, Via Balbi, 5, 16126 Genova, Italy
| | - Bruno Pinto
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Savardi
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Università degli Studi di Genova, Via Balbi, 5, 16126 Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; DulbeccoTelethon Institute, Italy.
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16
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Ahlbeck J, Song L, Chini M, Bitzenhofer SH, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Glutamatergic drive along the septo-temporal axis of hippocampus boosts prelimbic oscillations in the neonatal mouse. eLife 2018; 7:33158. [PMID: 29631696 PMCID: PMC5896876 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The long-range coupling within prefrontal-hippocampal networks that account for cognitive performance emerges early in life. The discontinuous hippocampal theta bursts have been proposed to drive the generation of neonatal prefrontal oscillations, yet the cellular substrate of these early interactions is still unresolved. Here, we selectively target optogenetic manipulation of glutamatergic projection neurons in the CA1 area of either dorsal or intermediate/ventral hippocampus at neonatal age to elucidate their contribution to the emergence of prefrontal oscillatory entrainment. We show that despite stronger theta and ripples power in dorsal hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex is mainly coupled with intermediate/ventral hippocampus by phase-locking of neuronal firing via dense direct axonal projections. Theta band-confined activation by light of pyramidal neurons in intermediate/ventral but not dorsal CA1 that were transfected by in utero electroporation with high-efficiency channelrhodopsin boosts prefrontal oscillations. Our data causally elucidate the cellular origin of the long-range coupling in the developing brain. When memories are stored, or mental tasks performed, different parts of the brain need to communicate with each other to process and extract information from the environment. For example, the communication between two brain areas called the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex is essential for memory and attention. However, it is still unclear how these interactions are established when the brain develops. Now, by looking at how the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex ‘work’ together in newborn mouse pups, Ahlbeck et al. hope to understand how these brain areas start to connect. In particular, the groups of neurons that kick start the development of the circuits required for information processing need to be identified. Recording the brains of the pups revealed that electrical activity in a particular sub-division of the hippocampus activated neurons in the prefrontal cortex. In fact, a specific population of neurons in this area was needed for the circuits in the prefrontal cortex to mature. In further experiments, the neurons from this population in the hippocampus were manipulated so they could be artificially activated in the brain using light. When stimulated, these neurons generated electrical activity, which was then relayed through the neurons all the way to the prefrontal cortex. There, this signal triggered local neuronal circuits. Thanks to this activation, these circuits could ‘wire’ together, and start establishing the connections necessary for mental tasks or memory in adulthood. The brain of the mouse pups used by Ahlbeck et al. was approximately in the same developmental state as the brain of human fetuses in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. These findings may therefore inform on how the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex start connecting in humans. Problems in the way brain areas interact during early development could be partly responsible for certain neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. Understanding these processes at the cellular level may therefore be the first step towards finding potential targets for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ahlbeck
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mattia Chini
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian H Bitzenhofer
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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17
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Ruiz-Reig N, Andrés B, Huilgol D, Grove EA, Tissir F, Tole S, Theil T, Herrera E, Fairén A. Lateral Thalamic Eminence: A Novel Origin for mGluR1/Lot Cells. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2841-2856. [PMID: 27178193 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A unique population of cells, called "lot cells," circumscribes the path of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) in the rodent brain and acts to restrict its position at the lateral margin of the telencephalon. Lot cells were believed to originate in the dorsal pallium (DP). We show that Lhx2 null mice that lack a DP show a significant increase in the number of mGluR1/lot cells in the piriform cortex, indicating a non-DP origin of these cells. Since lot cells present common developmental features with Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells, we analyzed Wnt3a- and Dbx1-reporter mouse lines and found that mGluR1/lot cells are not generated in the cortical hem, ventral pallium, or septum, the best characterized sources of CR cells. Finally, we identified a novel origin for the lot cells by combining in utero electroporation assays and histochemical characterization. We show that mGluR1/lot cells are specifically generated in the lateral thalamic eminence and that they express mitral cell markers, although a minority of them express ΔNp73 instead. We conclude that most mGluR1/lot cells are prospective mitral cells migrating to the accessory olfactory bulb (OB), whereas mGluR1+, ΔNp73+ cells are CR cells that migrate through the LOT to the piriform cortex and the OB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Ruiz-Reig
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC - UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Belén Andrés
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC - UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Dhananjay Huilgol
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.,Current address: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | | | - Fadel Tissir
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Shubha Tole
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Thomas Theil
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eloisa Herrera
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC - UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Alfonso Fairén
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC - UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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18
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Visualization of Rostral Migratory Stream in the Developing Rat Brain by In Vivo Electroporation. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2018; 38:1067-1079. [PMID: 29441488 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-018-0577-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Interneurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) are generated from neuronal precursor cells migrating from anterior subventricular zone (SVZa) not only in the developing embryo but also throughout the postnatal life of mammals. In the present study, we established an in vivo electroporation assay to label SVZa cells of rat both at embryonic and postnatal ages, and traced SVZa progenitors and followed their migration pathway and differentiation. We found that labeled cells displayed high motility. Interestingly, the postnatal cells migrated faster than the embryonic cells after applying this assay at different ages of brain development. Furthermore, based on brain slice culture and time-lapse imaging, we analyzed the detail migratory properties of these labeled precursor neurons. Finally, tissue transplantation experiments revealed that cells already migrated in subependymal zone of OB were transplanted back into rostral migratory stream (RMS), and these cells could still migrate out tangentially along RMS to OB. Taken together, these findings provide an in vivo labeling assay to follow and trace migrating cells in the RMS, their maturation and integration into OB neuron network, and unrecognized phenomena that postnatal SVZa progenitor cells with higher motility than embryonic cells, and their migration was affected by extrinsic environments.
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19
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Multiple events of gene manipulation via in pouch electroporation in a marsupial model of mammalian forebrain development. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 293:45-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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20
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Xie J, Zhao T, Liu Y. Sonic hedgehog regulates the pathfinding of descending serotonergic axons in hindbrain in collaboration with Wnt5a and secreted frizzled-related protein 1. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 66:24-32. [PMID: 29196093 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 11/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that both Wnt5a and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) are involved in regulating the pathfinding of descending serotonergic (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) axons in an opposite manner in the brainstem. Shh and Wnt signaling pathways interact to guide post-crossing commissural axons, where Shh acts as a repellent directly and shaping the Wnt gradient indirectly by regulating the gradient expression of the frizzled-related protein 1 (Sfrp1). Whether such a mechanism functions in descending 5-HT axon guidance remains unknown. Here, we found that the core components of the Shh and Wnt planar cell polarity signaling pathways are expressed in caudal 5-HT neurons, and the expression gradients of Shh, Sfrp1, and Wnt5a exist simultaneously in hindbrain. Dunn chamber assays revealed that Sfrp1 suppressed the attractive Wnt gradient. Moreover, we found that Shh overexpression led to pathfinding defects in 5-HT axon descending, and the axonal pathfinding defects could be partially rescued by administration of an Sfrp1 antagonist in vivo. Biochemical evidence showed Shh overexpression upregulated the expression of the Sfrp1 gene and interrupted Wnt5a binding to Frizzled-3. Taken together, our results indicate that Shh, Sfrp1, and Wnt5a collaborate to direct the pathfinding of descending 5-HT axons in the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Teng Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Yaobo Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
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21
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Bitzenhofer SH, Ahlbeck J, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Methodological Approach for Optogenetic Manipulation of Neonatal Neuronal Networks. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:239. [PMID: 28848399 PMCID: PMC5554786 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated patterns of electrical activity are critical for the functional maturation of neuronal networks, yet their interrogation has proven difficult in the developing brain. Optogenetic manipulations strongly contributed to the mechanistic understanding of network activation in the adult brain, but difficulties to specifically and reliably express opsins at neonatal age hampered similar interrogation of developing circuits. Here, we introduce a protocol that enables to control the activity of specific neuronal populations by light, starting from early postnatal development. We show that brain area-, layer- and cell type-specific expression of opsins by in utero electroporation (IUE), as exemplified for the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HP), permits the manipulation of neuronal activity in vitro and in vivo. Both individual and population responses to different patterns of light stimulation are monitored by extracellular multi-site recordings in the medial PFC of neonatal mice. The expression of opsins via IUE provides a flexible approach to disentangle the cellular mechanism underlying early rhythmic network activity, and to elucidate the role of early neuronal activity for brain maturation, as well as its contribution to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian H Bitzenhofer
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ahlbeck
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburg, Germany
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22
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Azzarelli R, Oleari R, Lettieri A, Andre' V, Cariboni A. In Vitro, Ex Vivo and In Vivo Techniques to Study Neuronal Migration in the Developing Cerebral Cortex. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7050048. [PMID: 28448448 PMCID: PMC5447930 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7050048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal migration is a fundamental biological process that underlies proper brain development and neuronal circuit formation. In the developing cerebral cortex, distinct neuronal populations, producing excitatory, inhibitory and modulatory neurotransmitters, are generated in different germinative areas and migrate along various routes to reach their final positions within the cortex. Different technical approaches and experimental models have been adopted to study the mechanisms regulating neuronal migration in the cortex. In this review, we will discuss the most common in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo techniques to visualize and study cortical neuronal migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Azzarelli
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison-MRC Research Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
| | - Roberto Oleari
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti, 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
| | - Antonella Lettieri
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti, 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
| | - Valentina Andre'
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti, 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
| | - Anna Cariboni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti, 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
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23
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Murcia-Belmonte V, Expósito G, Herrera E. Time-Lapse Imaging and Cell Tracking of Migrating Cells in Slices and Flattened Telencephalic Vesicles. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 79:3.31.1-3.31.12. [PMID: 28398641 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal migration is a vital process needed for subsequent assembly and function of neural circuitry during embryonic development. The vast majority of neural progenitors are generated far from their final destination and need to migrate considerable distances to reach their specific cortical layer. Innovations in cell culture techniques and fluorescence microscopy now facilitate the direct visualization of cell movements during cortical development. Here, a detailed protocol to record and analyze a particular type of early migrating neurons, the Cajal Retzius Cells, during the development of the telencephalic vesicles in mammals is described. This method applied to other reporter mouse lines or to electroporated mouse embryos can be also used to analyze the migration of different types of moving neurons during cortical development. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Murcia-Belmonte
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC-UMH, Alicante, Spain
| | - Giovanna Expósito
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC-UMH, Alicante, Spain
| | - Eloísa Herrera
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández, CSIC-UMH, Alicante, Spain
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Layer-specific optogenetic activation of pyramidal neurons causes beta-gamma entrainment of neonatal networks. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14563. [PMID: 28216627 PMCID: PMC5321724 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated activity patterns in the developing brain may contribute to the wiring of neuronal circuits underlying future behavioural requirements. However, causal evidence for this hypothesis has been difficult to obtain owing to the absence of tools for selective manipulation of oscillations during early development. We established a protocol that combines optogenetics with electrophysiological recordings from neonatal mice in vivo to elucidate the substrate of early network oscillations in the prefrontal cortex. We show that light-induced activation of layer II/III pyramidal neurons that are transfected by in utero electroporation with a high-efficiency channelrhodopsin drives frequency-specific spiking and boosts network oscillations within beta–gamma frequency range. By contrast, activation of layer V/VI pyramidal neurons causes nonspecific network activation. Thus, entrainment of neonatal prefrontal networks in fast rhythms relies on the activation of layer II/III pyramidal neurons. This approach used here may be useful for further interrogation of developing circuits, and their behavioural readout. Oscillations in cortical activity during development are important for functional maturation. Here, the authors use optogenetics in neonatal mice to determine a causal role for pyramidal cell firing in different prelimbic cortex layers in generating beta–gamma range activity.
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25
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Mikuni T, Nishiyama J, Sun Y, Kamasawa N, Yasuda R. High-Throughput, High-Resolution Mapping of Protein Localization in Mammalian Brain by In Vivo Genome Editing. Cell 2016; 165:1803-1817. [PMID: 27180908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A scalable and high-throughput method to identify precise subcellular localization of endogenous proteins is essential for integrative understanding of a cell at the molecular level. Here, we developed a simple and generalizable technique to image endogenous proteins with high specificity, resolution, and contrast in single cells in mammalian brain tissue. The technique, single-cell labeling of endogenous proteins by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair (SLENDR), uses in vivo genome editing to insert a sequence encoding an epitope tag or a fluorescent protein to a gene of interest by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair (HDR). Single-cell, HDR-mediated genome editing was achieved by delivering the editing machinery to dividing neuronal progenitors through in utero electroporation. We demonstrate that SLENDR allows rapid determination of the localization and dynamics of many endogenous proteins in various cell types, regions, and ages in the brain. Thus, SLENDR provides a high-throughput platform to map the subcellular localization of endogenous proteins with the resolution of micro- to nanometers in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayasu Mikuni
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Jun Nishiyama
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
| | - Ye Sun
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Integrative Program in Biology and Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Naomi Kamasawa
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ryohei Yasuda
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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26
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Chen F, Becker A, LoTurco J. Overview of Transgenic Glioblastoma and Oligoastrocytoma CNS Models and Their Utility in Drug Discovery. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 72:14.37.1-14.37.12. [PMID: 26995546 DOI: 10.1002/0471141755.ph1437s72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Many animal models have been developed to investigate the sources of central nervous system (CNS) tumor heterogeneity. Reviewed in this unit is a recently developed CNS tumor model using the piggyBac transposon system delivered by in utero electroporation, in which sources of tumor heterogeneity can be conveniently studied. Their applications for studying CNS tumors and drug discovery are also reviewed. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyi Chen
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.,Current address: Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn
| | - Albert Becker
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Joseph LoTurco
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn
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27
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Baumgart J, Baumgart N. Cortex-, Hippocampus-, Thalamus-, Hypothalamus-, Lateral Septal Nucleus- and Striatum-specific In Utero Electroporation in the C57BL/6 Mouse. J Vis Exp 2016:e53303. [PMID: 26862715 DOI: 10.3791/53303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In utero electroporation is a widely used technique for fast and efficient spatiotemporal manipulation of various genes in the rodent central nervous system. Overexpression of desired genes is just as possible as shRNA mediated loss-of-function studies. Therefore it offers a wide range of applications. The feasibility to target particular cells in a distinct area further increases the range of potential applications of this very useful method. For efficiently targeting specific regions knowledge about the subtleties, such as the embryonic stage, the voltage to apply and most importantly the position of the electrodes, is indispensable. Here, we provide a detailed protocol that allows for specific and efficient in utero electroporation of several regions of the C57BL/6 mouse central nervous system. In particular it is shown how to transfect regions the develop into the retrosplenial cortex, the motor cortex, the somatosensory cortex, the piriform cortex, the cornu ammonis 1-3, the dentate gyrus, the striatum, the lateral septal nucleus, the thalamus and the hypothalamus. For this information about the appropriate embryonic stage, the appropriate voltage for the corresponding embryonic stage is provided. Most importantly an angle-map, which indicates the appropriate position of the positive pole, is depicted. This standardized protocol helps to facilitate efficient in utero electroporation, which might also lead to a reduced number of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Baumgart
- TARC (Translational Animal Research Center), University Medical Center, JGU Mainz
| | - Nadine Baumgart
- TARC (Translational Animal Research Center), University Medical Center, JGU Mainz;
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28
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Moreno M, Fernández V, Monllau JM, Borrell V, Lerin C, de la Iglesia N. Transcriptional Profiling of Hypoxic Neural Stem Cells Identifies Calcineurin-NFATc4 Signaling as a Major Regulator of Neural Stem Cell Biology. Stem Cell Reports 2015; 5:157-65. [PMID: 26235896 PMCID: PMC4618660 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in a hypoxic microenvironment within the brain. However, the crucial transcription factors (TFs) that regulate NSC biology under physiologic hypoxia are poorly understood. Here we have performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of microarray datasets from hypoxic versus normoxic NSCs with the aim of identifying pathways and TFs that are activated under oxygen concentrations mimicking normal brain tissue microenvironment. Integration of TF target (TFT) and pathway enrichment analysis identified the calcium-regulated TF NFATc4 as a major candidate to regulate hypoxic NSC functions. Nfatc4 expression was coordinately upregulated by top hypoxia-activated TFs, while NFATc4 target genes were enriched in hypoxic NSCs. Loss-of-function analyses further revealed that the calcineurin-NFATc4 signaling axis acts as a major regulator of NSC self-renewal and proliferation in vitro and in vivo by promoting the expression of TFs, including Id2, that contribute to the maintenance of the NSC state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Moreno
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Fernández
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Josep M Monllau
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Carles Lerin
- Endocrinology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria de la Iglesia
- Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
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29
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Bullmann T, Arendt T, Frey U, Hanashima C. A transportable, inexpensive electroporator for in utero electroporation. Dev Growth Differ 2015; 57:369-377. [PMID: 25988525 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Electroporation is a useful technique to study gene function during development but its broad application is hampered due to the expensive equipment needed. We describe the construction of a transportable, simple and inexpensive electroporator delivering square pulses with varying length and amplitude. The device was successfully used for in utero electroporation in mouse with a performance comparable to that of commercial products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Bullmann
- Frey Initiative Research Unit, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.,Laboratory for Neocortical Development, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraβe 19, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Arendt
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraβe 19, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Urs Frey
- Frey Initiative Research Unit, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Carina Hanashima
- Laboratory for Neocortical Development, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
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30
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Gee JM, Gibbons MB, Taheri M, Palumbos S, Morris SC, Smeal RM, Flynn KF, Economo MN, Cizek CG, Capecchi MR, Tvrdik P, Wilcox KS, White JA. Imaging activity in astrocytes and neurons with genetically encoded calcium indicators following in utero electroporation. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:10. [PMID: 25926768 PMCID: PMC4397926 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex interactions between networks of astrocytes and neurons are beginning to be appreciated, but remain poorly understood. Transgenic mice expressing fluorescent protein reporters of cellular activity, such as the GCaMP family of genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), have been used to explore network behavior. However, in some cases, it may be desirable to use long-established rat models that closely mimic particular aspects of human conditions such as Parkinson's disease and the development of epilepsy following status epilepticus. Methods for expressing reporter proteins in the rat brain are relatively limited. Transgenic rat technologies exist but are fairly immature. Viral-mediated expression is robust but unstable, requires invasive injections, and only works well for fairly small genes (<5 kb). In utero electroporation (IUE) offers a valuable alternative. IUE is a proven method for transfecting populations of astrocytes and neurons in the rat brain without the strict limitations on transgene size. We built a toolset of IUE plasmids carrying GCaMP variants 3, 6s, or 6f driven by CAG and targeted to the cytosol or the plasma membrane. Because low baseline fluorescence of GCaMP can hinder identification of transfected cells, we included the option of co-expressing a cytosolic tdTomato protein. A binary system consisting of a plasmid carrying a piggyBac inverted terminal repeat (ITR)-flanked CAG-GCaMP-IRES-tdTomato cassette and a separate plasmid encoding for expression of piggyBac transposase was employed to stably express GCaMP and tdTomato. The plasmids were co-electroporated on embryonic days 13.5-14.5 and astrocytic and neuronal activity was subsequently imaged in acute or cultured brain slices prepared from the cortex or hippocampus. Large spontaneous transients were detected in slices obtained from rats of varying ages up to 127 days. In this report, we demonstrate the utility of this toolset for interrogating astrocytic and neuronal activity in the rat brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Gee
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA ; MD-PhD Program, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Meredith B Gibbons
- Glial-Neuronal Interactions in Epilepsy Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA ; Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Marsa Taheri
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sierra Palumbos
- Mario Capecchi Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - S Craig Morris
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA ; Mario Capecchi Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Roy M Smeal
- Glial-Neuronal Interactions in Epilepsy Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Katherine F Flynn
- Glial-Neuronal Interactions in Epilepsy Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael N Economo
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Christian G Cizek
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA ; Mario Capecchi Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Mario R Capecchi
- Mario Capecchi Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA ; Department of Human Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Petr Tvrdik
- Mario Capecchi Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Karen S Wilcox
- Glial-Neuronal Interactions in Epilepsy Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - John A White
- Neuronal Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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31
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Broussard GJ, Liang R, Tian L. Monitoring activity in neural circuits with genetically encoded indicators. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:97. [PMID: 25538558 PMCID: PMC4256991 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in genetically encoded indicators of neural activity (GINAs) have greatly advanced the field of systems neuroscience. As they are encoded by DNA, GINAs can be targeted to genetically defined cellular populations. Combined with fluorescence microscopy, most notably multi-photon imaging, GINAs allow chronic simultaneous optical recordings from large populations of neurons or glial cells in awake, behaving mammals, particularly rodents. This large-scale recording of neural activity at multiple temporal and spatial scales has greatly advanced our understanding of the dynamics of neural circuitry underlying behavior—a critical first step toward understanding the complexities of brain function, such as sensorimotor integration and learning. Here, we summarize the recent development and applications of the major classes of GINAs. In particular, we take an in-depth look at the design of available GINA families with a particular focus on genetically encoded calcium indicators (GCaMPs), sensors probing synaptic activity, and genetically encoded voltage indicators. Using the family of the GCaMP as an example, we review established sensor optimization pipelines. We also discuss practical considerations for end users of GINAs about experimental methods including approaches for gene delivery, imaging system requirements, and data analysis techniques. With the growing toolbox of GINAs and with new microscopy techniques pushing beyond their current limits, the age of light can finally achieve the goal of broad and dense sampling of neuronal activity across time and brain structures to obtain a dynamic picture of brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard J Broussard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA ; Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ruqiang Liang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA ; Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA
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32
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C57BL/6-specific conditions for efficient in utero electroporation of the central nervous system. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 240:116-24. [PMID: 25445056 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 09/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In utero electroporation is a fast an efficient tool to specifically address gene expression in the murine central nervous system. This technique was originally established in ICR/CD-1 outbred mice. Neuroanatomical differences between the different mouse strains and variations in gestation length require the optimization of the conditions for each strain to avoid severe complications. Furthermore the relevant position information is currently only scarcely standardized and not always easy to transfer to C57BL/6 mice. NEW METHOD In this study we present an improved method for in utero electroporation of C57BL/6 including a detailed atlas that allows for specific and efficient in vivo transfection. Further we introduce histogram analysis as a tool for neural migration assays. RESULTS We report individually adapted conditions for in utero electroporation in C57BL/6 mice that differ from the previously published data for ICR/CD-1 mice. Furthermore, this article outlines a detailed angle-map that allows for the specific and efficient in vivo transfection of different regions of the C57BL/6 mouse central nervous system. We also show that histogram analysis is a valuable tool for objectifying and accelerating postmitotic neural migration assays. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Until now, conditions for in utero electroporation of C57BL/6 mice are sparsely defined. Further, compared with time-consuming cell body counting histogram analysis allows objectified and accelerated postmitotic neural migration assays. CONCLUSION Together, our results provide a manual for the in utero electroporation of specific regions of the central nervous systems C57BL/6 mice and objectified data analysis.
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33
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Steinecke A, Gampe C, Nitzsche F, Bolz J. DISC1 knockdown impairs the tangential migration of cortical interneurons by affecting the actin cytoskeleton. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:190. [PMID: 25071449 PMCID: PMC4086047 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a risk gene for a spectrum of major mental disorders. It has been shown to regulate radial migration as well as dendritic arborization during neurodevelopment and corticogenesis. In a previous study we demonstrated through in vitro experiments that DISC1 also controls the tangential migration of cortical interneurons originating from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). Here we first show that DISC1 is necessary for the proper tangential migration of cortical interneurons in the intact brain. Expression of EGFP under the Lhx6 promotor allowed us to analyze exclusively interneurons transfected in the MGE after in utero electroporation. After 3 days in utero, DISC1 deficient interneurons displayed prolonged leading processes and, compared to control, fewer neurons reached the cortex. Time-lapse video microscopy of cortical feeder-layers revealed a decreased migration velocity due to a reduction of soma translocations. Immunostainings indicated that DISC1 is co-localized with F-actin in the growth cone-like structure of the leading process. DISC1 knockdown reduced F-actin levels whereas the overall actin level was not altered. Moreover, DISC1 knockdown also decreased levels of phosphorylated Girdin, which cross-links F-actin, as well as the Girdin-activator pAkt. In contrast, using time-lapse video microscopy of fluorescence-tagged tubulin and EB3 in fibroblasts, we found no effects on microtubule polymerization when DISC1 was reduced. However, DISC1 affected the acetylation of microtubules in the leading processes of MGE-derived cortical interneurons. Together, our results provide a mechanism how DISC1 might contribute to interneuron migration thereby explaining the reduced number of specific classes of cortical interneurons in some DISC1 mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Steinecke
- Universität Jena, Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie Jena, Germany
| | - Christin Gampe
- Universität Jena, Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Nitzsche
- Universität Jena, Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bolz
- Universität Jena, Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie Jena, Germany
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34
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Ito H, Morishita R, Iwamoto I, Nagata KI. Establishment of an in vivo electroporation method into postnatal newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Hippocampus 2014; 24:1449-57. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Ito
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology; Institute for Developmental Research; Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya Kasugai Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Rika Morishita
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology; Institute for Developmental Research; Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya Kasugai Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Ikuko Iwamoto
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology; Institute for Developmental Research; Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya Kasugai Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Koh-ichi Nagata
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology; Institute for Developmental Research; Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya Kasugai Aichi 480-0392 Japan
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35
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Kawasaki H. Molecular investigations of the brain of higher mammals using gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets. Neurosci Res 2014; 86:59-65. [PMID: 24983876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The brains of mammals such as carnivores and primates contain developed structures not found in the brains of mice. Uncovering the physiological importance, developmental mechanisms and evolution of these structures using carnivores and primates would greatly contribute to our understanding of the human brain and its diseases. Although the anatomical and physiological properties of the brains of carnivores and primates have been intensively examined, molecular investigations are still limited. Recently, genetic techniques that can be applied to carnivores and primates have been explored, and molecules whose expression patterns correspond to these structures were reported. Furthermore, to investigate the functional importance of these molecules, rapid and efficient genetic manipulation methods were established by applying electroporation to gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets. In this article, I review recent advances in molecular investigations of the brains of carnivores and primates, mainly focusing on ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan; Brain/Liver Interface Medicine Research Center, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan.
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36
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Abstract
In utero electroporation is a rapid and powerful technique to study the development of many brain regions. This approach presents several advantages over other methods to study specific steps of brain development in vivo, from proliferation to synaptic integration. Here, we describe in detail the individual steps necessary to carry out the technique. We also highlight the variations that can be implemented to target different cerebral structures and to study specific steps of development.
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37
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Moroni RF, Inverardi F, Regondi MC, Pennacchio P, Spreafico R, Frassoni C. Genesis of heterotopia in BCNU model of cortical dysplasia, detected by means of in utero electroporation. Dev Neurosci 2013; 35:516-26. [PMID: 24246662 DOI: 10.1159/000355392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Derangements of cortical development can cause a wide spectrum of malformations, generally termed 'cortical dysplasia' (CD), which are frequently associated with drug-resistant epilepsy and other neurological and mental disorders. 1,3-Bis-chloroethyl-nitrosurea (BCNU)-treated rats represent a model of CD due to the presence of histological alterations similar to those observed in human CD. BCNU is an alkylating agent that, administered at embryonic day 15 (E15), causes the loss of many cells destined to cortical layers; this results in cortical thinning but also in histological alterations imputable to migration defects, such as laminar disorganization and cortical and periventricular heterotopia. In the present study we investigated the genesis of heterotopia in BCNU-treated rats by labeling cortical ventricular zone (VZ) cells with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression vector by means of in utero electroporation. Here, we compared the migratory pattern and subsequent distribution of the GFP-labeled cells in the developing somatosensory cortex of control and BCNU-treated animals. To this aim, we investigated the expression of a panel of developmental marker genes which identified radial glia cells (Pax6), intermediate precursors cells (Tbr2), and postmitotic neurons destined to infragranular (Tbr1) or supragranular layers (Satb2). The VZ of BCNU-treated rats appeared disorganized since E18 and at E21 the embryos showed an altered migratory pattern: migration of superficial layers appeared delayed, with a number of migrating cells in the intermediate zone and some neurons destined to superficial layers arrested in the VZ, thus forming periventricular heterotopia. Moreover, neurons that reached their correct position did not extend their axons through the corpus callosum in the contralateral hemisphere as in the control, but toward the ipsilateral cingulated cortex. Our analysis sheds light on how a malformed cortex develops after a temporally discrete environmental insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Frida Moroni
- Unit of Clinical Epileptology and Experimental Neurophysiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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38
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Niquille M, Minocha S, Hornung JP, Rufer N, Valloton D, Kessaris N, Alfonsi F, Vitalis T, Yanagawa Y, Devenoges C, Dayer A, Lebrand C. Two specific populations of GABAergic neurons originating from the medial and the caudal ganglionic eminences aid in proper navigation of callosal axons. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 73:647-72. [PMID: 23420573 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2012] [Revised: 02/10/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The corpus callosum (CC) plays a crucial role in interhemispheric communication. It has been shown that CC formation relies on the guidepost cells located in the midline region that include glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons as well as glial cells. However, the origin of these guidepost GABAergic neurons and their precise function in callosal axon pathfinding remain to be investigated. Here, we show that two distinct GABAergic neuronal subpopulations converge toward the midline prior to the arrival of callosal axons. Using in vivo and ex vivo fate mapping we show that CC GABAergic neurons originate in the caudal and medial ganglionic eminences (CGE and MGE) but not in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE). Time lapse imaging on organotypic slices and in vivo analyses further revealed that CC GABAergic neurons contribute to the normal navigation of callosal axons. The use of Nkx2.1 knockout (KO) mice confirmed a role of these neurons in the maintenance of proper behavior of callosal axons while growing through the CC. Indeed, using in vitro transplantation assays, we demonstrated that both MGE- and CGE-derived GABAergic neurons exert an attractive activity on callosal axons. Furthermore, by combining a sensitive RT-PCR technique with in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that CC neurons express multiple short and long range guidance cues. This study strongly suggests that MGE- and CGE-derived interneurons may guide CC axons by multiple guidance mechanisms and signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Niquille
- Département des neurosciences fondamentales, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 9, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Haddad-Tóvolli R, Szabó NE, Zhou X, Alvarez-Bolado G. Genetic manipulation of the mouse developing hypothalamus through in utero electroporation. J Vis Exp 2013. [PMID: 23912701 DOI: 10.3791/50412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic modification of specific regions of the developing mammalian brain is a very powerful experimental approach. However, generating novel mouse mutants is often frustratingly slow. It has been shown that access to the mouse brain developing in utero with reasonable post-operatory survival is possible. Still, results with this procedure have been reported almost exclusively for the most superficial and easily accessible part of the developing brain, i.e. the cortex. The thalamus, a narrower and more medial region, has proven more difficult to target. Transfection into deeper nuclei, especially those of the hypothalamus, is perhaps the most challenging and therefore very few results have been reported. Here we demonstrate a procedure to target the entire hypothalamic neuroepithelium or part of it (hypothalamic regions) for transfection through electroporation. The keys to our approach are longer narcosis times, injection in the third ventricle, and appropriate kind and positioning of the electrodes. Additionally, we show results of targeting and subsequent histological analysis of the most recessed hypothalamic nucleus, the mammillary body.
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Makino H, Li B. Monitoring synaptic plasticity by imaging AMPA receptor content and dynamics on dendritic spines. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 1018:269-275. [PMID: 23681636 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-444-9_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Time-lapse imaging techniques are widely used to monitor dendritic spine dynamics, a measurement of synaptic plasticity. However, it is challenging to follow the dynamics of spines over an extended period in vivo during development or in deep brain structures that are beyond the reach of traditional microscopes. Here, we describe an AMPA receptor-based optical approach to monitor recent history of synaptic plasticity. This method allows the identification of spines that have recently acquired synaptic AMPA receptors in a single imaging session, so that synaptic plasticity that occurs in vivo in a variety of conditions can be simply imaged in an ex vivo preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Makino
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Reiner O, Gorelik A, Greenman R. Use of RNA interference by in utero electroporation to study cortical development: the example of the doublecortin superfamily. Genes (Basel) 2012; 3:759-78. [PMID: 24705084 PMCID: PMC3899981 DOI: 10.3390/genes3040759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The way we study cortical development has undergone a revolution in the last few years following the ability to use shRNA in the developing brain of the rodent embryo. The first gene to be knocked-down in the developing brain was doublecortin (Dcx). Here we will review knockdown experiments in the developing brain and compare them with knockout experiments, thus highlighting the advantages and disadvantages using the different systems. Our review will focus on experiments relating to the doublecortin superfamily of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Reiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Anna Gorelik
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Raanan Greenman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
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Abstract
The examination of tissue histology by light microscopy is a fundamental tool for investigating the structure and function of organs under normal and disease states. Many current techniques for tissue sectioning, imaging and analysis are time-consuming, and they present major limitations for 3D tissue reconstruction. The introduction of methods to achieve the optical clearing and subsequent light-sheet laser scanning of entire transparent organs without sectioning represents a major advance in the field. We recently developed a highly reproducible and versatile clearing procedure called 3D imaging of solvent-cleared organs, or 3DISCO, which is applicable to diverse tissues including brain, spinal cord, immune organs and tumors. Here we describe a detailed protocol for performing 3DISCO and present its application to various microscopy techniques, including example results from various mouse tissues. The tissue clearing takes as little as 3 h, and imaging can be completed in ∼45 min. 3DISCO is a powerful technique that offers 3D histological views of tissues in a fraction of the time and labor required to complete standard histology studies.
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Sehara K, Wakimoto M, Ako R, Kawasaki H. Distinct developmental principles underlie the formation of ipsilateral and contralateral whisker-related axonal patterns of layer 2/3 neurons in the barrel cortex. Neuroscience 2012; 226:289-304. [PMID: 23000626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Revised: 09/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Axonal organizations with specific patterns underlie the functioning of local intracortical circuitry, but their precise anatomy and development still remain elusive. Here, we selectively visualized layer 2/3 neurons using in utero electroporation and examined their axonal organization in the barrel cortex contralateral to the electroporated side. We found that callosal axons run preferentially in septal regions of layer 4 and showed a whisker-related pattern in the contralateral barrel cortex in rats and mice. In addition, presynaptic marker proteins were found in this whisker-related axonal organization. Although the whisker-related patterns were observed in both the ipsilateral and contralateral barrel cortex, we found a difference in their developmental processes. While the formation of the whisker-related pattern in the ipsilateral cortex consisted of two distinct steps, that in the contralateral cortex did not have the 1st step, in which the axons were diffusely distributed without preference to septal or barrel regions. We also found that these more diffuse axons ran close to radial glial fibers. Together, our results uncovered a whisker-related axonal pattern of callosal axons and two independent developmental processes involved in the formation of the axonal trajectories of layer 2/3 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sehara
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Cell lineage tracing techniques for the study of brain development and regeneration. Int J Dev Neurosci 2012; 30:560-9. [PMID: 22944528 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2012.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2012] [Revised: 08/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization of the means by which cells are generated and organized to make an organ as complex as the brain is a formidable task. Understanding how adult stem cells give rise to progeny that integrate into the existing structures during regeneration or in response to injury is equally challenging. Lineage tracing techniques are essential to studying cell behaviors such as proliferation, migration and differentiation, since they allow stem or precursor cells to be marked and their descendants followed and characterized over time. Here, we describe some of the key lineage tracing techniques available to date, highlighting advantages and drawbacks and focusing on their application in neural fate mapping. The more traditional methods are now joined by exciting new approaches to provide a vast array of tools at the disposal of neurobiologists.
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Yao JP, Hou WS, Yin ZQ. Optogenetics: a novel optical manipulation tool for medical investigation. Int J Ophthalmol 2012; 5:517-22. [PMID: 22937517 DOI: 10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2012.04.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is a new and rapidly evolving gene and neuroengineering technology that allows optical control of specific populations of neurons without affecting other neurons in the brain at high temporal and spatial resolution. By heterologous expression of the light-sensitive membrane proteins, cell type-specific depolarization or hyperpolarization can be optically induced on a millisecond time scale. Optogenetics has the higher selectivity and specificity compared to traditional electrophysiological techniques and pharmaceutical methods. It has been a novel promising tool for medical research. Because of easy handling, high temporal and spatial precision, optogenetics has been applied to many aspects of nervous system research, such as tactual neural circuit, visual neural circuit, auditory neural circuit and olfactory neural circuit, as well as research of some neurological diseases. The review highlights the recent advances of optogenetics in medical study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ping Yao
- College of Biology Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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Urban A, Rossier J. Genetic targeting of specific neuronal cell types in the cerebral cortex. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2012; 196:163-92. [PMID: 22341326 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-59426-6.00009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the structure and function of cortical circuits requires the identification of and control over specific cell types in the cortex. To address these obstacles, recent optogenetic approaches have been developed. The capacity to activate, silence, or monitor specific cell types by combining genetics, virology, and optics will decipher the role of specific groups of neurons within circuits with a spatiotemporal resolution that overcomes standard approaches. In this review, the various strategies for selective genetic targeting of a defined neuronal population are discussed as well as the pros and cons of the use of transgenic animals and recombinant viral vectors for the expression of transgenes in a specific set of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Urban
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Diversité Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7637, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles, Paris, France.
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Kawasaki H, Iwai L, Tanno K. Rapid and efficient genetic manipulation of gyrencephalic carnivores using in utero electroporation. Mol Brain 2012; 5:24. [PMID: 22716093 PMCID: PMC3460770 DOI: 10.1186/1756-6606-5-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Higher mammals such as primates and carnivores have highly developed unique brain structures such as the ocular dominance columns in the visual cortex, and the gyrus and outer subventricular zone of the cerebral cortex. However, our molecular understanding of the formation, function and diseases of these structures is still limited, mainly because genetic manipulations that can be applied to higher mammals are still poorly available. Results Here we developed and validated a rapid and efficient technique that enables genetic manipulations in the brain of gyrencephalic carnivores using in utero electroporation. Transgene-expressing ferret babies were obtained within a few weeks after electroporation. GFP expression was detectable in the embryo and was observed at least 2 months after birth. Our technique was useful for expressing transgenes in both superficial and deep cortical neurons, and for examining the dendritic morphologies and axonal trajectories of GFP-expressing neurons in ferrets. Furthermore, multiple genes were efficiently co-expressed in the same neurons. Conclusion Our method promises to be a powerful tool for investigating the fundamental mechanisms underlying the development, function and pathophysiology of brain structures which are unique to higher mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is necessary for the correct migration of cortical interneurons. J Neurosci 2012; 32:738-45. [PMID: 22238109 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5036-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a prominent susceptibility gene for major psychiatric disorders. Previous work indicated that DISC1 plays an important role during neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the cerebral cortex and that it affects the positioning of radial migrating pyramidal neurons. Here we show that in mice, DISC1 is necessary for the migration of the cortical interneurons generated in the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). RT-PCR, in situ hybridizations, and immunocytochemical data revealed expression of DISC1 transcripts and protein in MGE-derived cells. To study the possible functional role of DISC1 during tangential migration, we performed in utero and ex utero electroporation to suppress DISC1 in the MGE in vivo and in vitro. Results indicate that after DISC1 knockdown, the proportion of tangentially migrating MGE neurons that reached their cortical target was strongly reduced. In addition, there were profound alterations in the morphology of DISC1-deficient neurons, which exhibited longer and less branched leading processes than control cells. These findings provide a possible link between clinical studies reporting alterations of cortical interneurons in schizophrenic patients and the current notion of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Bidirectional ephrinB3/EphA4 signaling mediates the segregation of medial ganglionic eminence- and preoptic area-derived interneurons in the deep and superficial migratory stream. J Neurosci 2012; 31:18364-80. [PMID: 22171039 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4690-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The integration of interneuron subtypes into specific microcircuits is essential for proper cortical function. Understanding to what extent interneuron diversity is regulated and maintained during development might help to reveal the principles that govern their role as synchronizing elements as well as causes for dysfunction. Particular interneuron subtypes are generated in a temporally regulated manner in the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), the caudal ganglionic eminence, and the preoptic area (POA) of the basal telencephalon. Long-range tangential migration from their site of origin to cortical targets is orchestrated by a variety of attractive, repulsive, membrane-bound, and secreted signaling molecules, to establish the critical balance of inhibition and excitation. It remains unknown whether interneurons deriving from distinct domains are predetermined to migrate in particular routes and whether this process underlies cell type-specific regulation. We found that POA- and MGE-derived cortical interneurons migrate within spatially segregated corridors. EphrinB3, expressed in POA-derived interneurons traversing the superficial route, acts as a repellent signal for deeply migrating interneurons born in the MGE, which is mediated by EphA4 forward signaling. In contrast, EphA4 induces repulsive ephrinB3 reverse signaling in interneurons generated in the POA, restricting this population to the superficial path. Perturbation of this bidirectional ephrinB3/EphA4 signaling in vitro and in vivo leads to a partial intermingling of cells in these segregated migratory pathways. Thus, we conclude that cell contact-mediated bidirectional ephrinB3/EphA4 signaling mediates the sorting of MGE- and POA-derived interneurons in the deep and superficial migratory stream.
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